The 40th anniversary of National Philanthropy Day will take place Nov. 5 at the Georgia Aquarium to celebrate individuals and organizations for their generosity, leadership and volunteerism.
The Greater of Atlanta Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals is hosting the luncheon with Delta Air Lines as its presenting sponsor.
The luncheon will present a Lifetime Achievement Award to the late Ted Turner, who passed away earlier this year.
The 2026 honorees are as follows:
Angie and Sam Allen will receive the prestigious Philanthropists of the Year. They were nominated by the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, Georgia State University’s J. Mack Robinson College of Business, Grady Health Foundation and Griffin Spalding County Schools.
For decades, the Allens have invested their time, expertise and resources to address the issues of inequity through strengthening access to education, healthcare and economic mobility.
Another strong civic couple, Esther and Jim Stokes, will receive the Volunteer Fundraisers of the Year. They were nominated by Chattahoochee Nature Center, Birds Georgia and Georgia Forestry Foundation.
Both are being recognized for their extraordinary commitment to conservation and their decades of dedication to strengthening Georgia’s communities by protecting the natural environment. Their lifelong passion for the environment has made a lasting impact throughout Georgia through their involvement in countless nonprofit organizations.
The Philanthropic Leader of the Year Award will be given to Lauren Koontz, the first female president and CEO of the YMCA of Metro Atlanta. Koontz was nominated by the Andrew Young Foundation, Gas South and the Latin American Association.
Koontz, head of the YMCA since 2019, leads the nonprofit’s efforts to ensure that all people, especially children, have an equal opportunity to reach their potential. She has inspired innovation, collaboration and service throughout the community.
National Philanthropy Day will also present the Lifetime Achievement Award to the late Ted Turner, who was a larger-than-life presence locally, nationally and globally.
Turner was nominated for the award by the Captain Planet Foundation and Chattahoochee Riverkeeper.
Over the course of his life, Ted acquired and conserved more than 2 million acres across the Southeast, the Great Plains and the West. He protected them through conservation easements and ecologically-driven stewardship.
Turner also made an historic $1 billion pledge to create the United Nations Foundation. His giving was the inspiration forBill Gates and Warren Buffett to create the Giving Pledge. As of now, 256 families around the world have committed to give away 50 percent of their net worth during their lifetimes.
As AFP Greater Atlanta celebrates 40 years of National Philanthropy Day, the chapter looks forward to recognizing these outstanding leaders alongside hundreds of changemakers who continue to strengthen metro Atlanta through their generosity and service.
The organization is also welcoming Delta Air Lines as the title sponsor of the 2026 National Philanthropy Day celebration. As Atlanta’s hometown airline, Delta has long demonstrated its commitment to building stronger communities through employee volunteerism, strategic charitable investments and the work of the Delta Air Lines Foundation. Delta returns 1 percent of the company’s annual net income to nonprofit organizations worldwide.
