ATLANTA — The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta is redefining the meaning of philanthropy.
On Wednesday, they officially launched their new initiative TogetherATL, which will provide funds to various nonprofit organizations who are working towards “equity strategies, with a focus on racial equity, across our region to build a better, greater Atlanta,” according to the release.
“We have a 30-year history of not funding equitably. Over 90% of our funding went to white-led groups - and that's problematic - and we've been grappling with that. And so how do we move forward differently? How do we make amends for that,” Frank Fernandez, president and CEO of the Foundation said.
He said in the release, “our new focus allows us to provide donors with specific ways to use their substantial resources to get proximate to the needs of our region.”
Over the next five years, TogetherATL hopes to decrease disparities in arts, culture and creative enterprises, housing and neighborhoods, income and wealth gaps and voting rights in communities of color.
In addition, the foundation will also put funds toward place-based work focusing on residents in the South Cobb, South Fulton, and Thomasville areas.
Fernandez told 11Alive that this will be a way for the foundations to start working with and for the Atlanta community.
“You have to do both. You have to address the injustice of our own justice system now and help individuals and families in their lives right now. But you also have to start reforming and sometimes in dismantling these systems that continue to perpetuate these inequities and these disparities,” he said.
At the end of the five years, CFGA hopes to see success in all areas of focus. Fernandez believes that every resident should have a fair shot at a decent life and one of their main goals is to build a minimum of 5,000 affordable homes in the Atlanta region.
“Atlanta and the world were forced to reckon with inequities in healthcare, education, technology and economics. It became apparent that those of us who were able to weather those pandemics did so because we benefited from participating in the system. Not everyone has that same opportunity. We have to change that,” he said.
Fernandez acknowledges that these efforts cannot be reached alone. Whether there is public, private or philanthropic support, it will take a village to get the work done and create a positive change.
“We recognize that by ourselves, all these things we want to do, we cannot do. It is only in working together,” Fernandez said.
Applications to receive grants from the TogetherATL Fund are now open. Qualifying nonprofits can apply on the CFGA website.
Applications will stay open throughout the summer and grants will be awarded based on the area of interest.