Category: Philanthropy

Atlanta Habitat welcomed community leaders, partners, and advocates to Atlanta Tech Village’s Sylvan Building on October 22 for Inside the House: Setting the Table, a conversation inspired by the premiere of Rooted, Atlanta Habitat’s first-ever documentary. Rooted tells the stories of three inspiring homeowners — Rayburn, Jasmine, and Jameka — whose paths to homeownership reflect the deeper meaning […]

By Tia McCoy, Atlanta Habitat Director of Neighborhood Engagement For seven years, I’ve served as the Director of Neighborhood Engagement for Atlanta Habitat, building bridges between families, neighbors, and civic leaders in the communities where we build and preserve homes.  On paper, it might sound like community liaison work. But in my heart, I know […]

By Rosalyn Merrick, President and CEO, Atlanta Habitat for Humanity  I grew up celebrating Juneteenth as a little girl visiting my maternal grandmother’s  hometown of Thomaston, a small town in middle Georgia with fewer than 10,000 residents. Each summer, my cousins and I made the return voyage to Granny’s neighborhood for a few days to enjoy […]

The journey to the CEO seat for women in leadership is often shaped by unique perspectives rooted in faith, childhood experiences and big ideas. In this candid conversation, Atlanta Habitat CEO Rosalyn Merrick and Atlanta Housing CEO Terri Lee reflect on what motivates them as leaders who are dedicated to ensuring affordable housing options in […]

Learn more about Althea’s impact on affordable housing in Atlanta as we celebrate Women’s History Month. What inspired you to practice law? I’ve wanted to be a lawyer since elementary school, but not in the Perry Mason way. My childhood sheroes were lawyers like Barbara Jordan, Patricia Roberts Harris and Constance Baker Motley. Inspired by […]

By Candice Jordan, Chief Development Officer, Atlanta Habitat for Humanity  Atlanta’s history is Black history.   Rich with stories of resilience, perseverance and opportunity, Atlanta is a mecca of Black leaders, pioneers, and entrepreneurs inextricably sewn into the fabric of our city.   Atlanta’s Black leaders have been at the center of human rights movements, innovation, and […]

In this video, Atlanta Habitat President & CEO Rosalyn Merrick recounts her experience attending the funeral of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter in Washington, D.C. with Atlanta Habitat’s 1,000th homeowner, Linnette. Highlights include:  This is sponsored content.

On a cold, rainy, morning volunteer Lynn Merrill recalls asking her husband, “Why do I do this?” before heading out to a build site.    She had been volunteering with Habitat for a few years and was an unofficial spokesperson of the mission at that point. There were plenty of other ways she could be contributing […]

By Natallie Keiser, executive director, HouseATL One of the basic expectations we have for our government is that it will help us as a society to care for those who cannot fully care for themselves. The Georgia Housing Voucher Program is a strong example of how a government can effectively do that – if it […]

By Cynthia Padilla Pearson, program officer, Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta Historically, philanthropy has been about providing aid—whether it’s food for those experiencing hunger, shelters for the unhoused, or scholarships for students. While these acts of kindness are valuable, they can sometimes miss the mark when it comes to creating lasting change. When philanthropy is […]

By Amir Ali, vice president, Community Facilities and New Markets Tax Credits, Low Income Investment Fund (LIIF) “Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world for the better,” so said civil rights leader and Spelman College alumna Marian Wright Edelman. The founder and president emerita of the Children’s Defense Fund […]

By Belisa Urbina, CEO and Stephanie Watson, director of strategy and sustainability, Ser Familia One of the major sources of strength in Atlanta is its rich diversity. Over the past 10 years, Latinos have led a strong population growth trajectory. This trend will continue to eclipse all other areas of demographic growth.   In fact, the […]

By Dilnaz Waraich, President, WF Fund  Inspired Generosity: Muslim American Stories in Philanthropy, launched at the Auburn Avenue Research Library on Sept 17 as a multimedia showcase featuring videos, photos, poetry, digital art, and audio stories from the community on acts of kindness. This three-year, traveling showcase will shine a light on the central place of […]

By Josh Dukelow, gift planning officer Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta Nine-figure gifts from MacKenzie Scott or Arthur M. Blank often make headlines, and those donations are certainly newsworthy. But those eye-popping numbers can create a mistaken impression that “philanthropy” is something only ultra-wealthy people can do. In fact, philanthropy is something we can all […]

By the Co-Chairs of the Mental Health Funders Collaborative (MHFC) It’s an increasingly difficult time to be young in America. Mental health challenges among children and teens are skyrocketing, and Georgia is no exception. According to the CDC, in 2021, 42% of young people experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness—a figure that has doubled […]

By Sarah Higgins, executive + artistic director, Art Papers Atlanta’s art community was rattled by the seemingly sudden closing of MINT—a beloved landmark of the city’s nonprofit arts landscape. MINT offered studio and exhibition space for emerging artists. MINT, like most art organizations, began as an artist-run, volunteer-based project and graduated into a nonprofit, 501(c) […]

By Melissa Sprinkle, senior associate, Harrison LLP August is National Make-A-Will Month. Many people wonder what the difference is between a will and revocable (or “living”) trust, and whether they should have one or the other. While they accomplish many of the same goals, there are individual circumstances that may make one structure more appropriate […]

By Kimberly Spear, director of donor engagement, Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta Growing up, I remember seeing my parents faithfully tithe 10% of their earnings to the church, volunteer at the local nursing home and send a modest donation to St. Jude Children’s Hospital at the end of every year, but they would never describe […]

Ever wonder why homeownership seems increasingly unattainable in metro Atlanta? Once reason is that over the past five years in Georgia, home sales prices have increased by 57% while wages have only grown by 17%. Natallie Keiser, executive director of HouseATL, discusses other reasons for the homeownership gap and the policy actions that could help […]

By Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta Matthew Todd, program associate, Housing Funds for the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, recently spoke with Jennifer Rentenbach, senior attorney at the Atlanta Legal Aid Society’s Home Defense Program, about the organization’s critical work in housing advocacy, the challenges homeowners experience and the resources available to protect and empower them in […]