Celebrating 60 Years of Strengthening Communities: November 14, 2011

November 14, 2011
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blog_logoMore than 300 local philanthropists and community leaders gathered today to attend The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta’s Annual Meeting. This year’s event themed, “The Community that Philanthropy Built,” highlighted and celebrated the Foundation’s 60 year anniversary and metro Atlanta’s rich philanthropic legacy. Local nonprofits Moving in the Spirit and CHRIS Kids were recognized for their strong operations and management as the Foundation’s 2011 Managing for Excellence Award winners each receiving $25,000.

A highlight of the event was an improvisation show featuring Atlanta artists Tom Key, artistic director at Theatrical Outfit, actor and comedian Rob Cleveland and Kevin Gillese, artistic director at Dad’s Garage Theatre Company.

In 60 years The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta has grown into one of the top community foundations in the country. This week, The Community Foundation joins more than 700 community foundations across America forCommunity Foundation Week. Combined, community foundations represent $45B in assets. The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta holds an estimated $700 million in approximately 650 funds.

“This place we call home, the 23-county metro region, is truly ‘The Community That Philanthropy Built, says Alicia Philipp, president of The Community Foundation. “Over the last 60 years, we certainly have not had all the answers. But what we have had is a willingness to learn, be flexible and respond to the needs when the times have called for it. And we could not have done this without the dedication and generosity of our donors. They have allowed us to play the all-important role that community foundations play – and that is creating a vital, philanthropic community to improve quality of life within their geographic area,” says Philipp.

In 2010, The Community Foundation and its donors granted $99 million in grants to nonprofits and community-based organizations throughout the region and beyond. To have a greater impact on metro Atlanta communities, The Community Foundation centers its work around four focus areas: engaging philanthropists, strengthening the region’s nonprofits, advancing public will and practicing organizational excellence.
 
History

In 1951, four of Atlanta’s largest banks – Citizens & Southern National, First National, Fulton National, and Trust Company of Georgia – came together to create The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, known then as the Metropolitan Foundation of Atlanta. Around that time, Mayor William B. Hartsfield was leading the city through new changes politically and socially including equal rights, integration and metropolitan growth. During his six terms as mayor, the city of Atlanta would grow from more than 100,000 residents to a population of one million.

Critical to The Community Foundation’s work and impact has been its management and governance. Key Atlanta figures have served in various leadership roles throughout the Foundation’s history including A.B. Padgett, named The Community Foundation’s first executive director in 1959; Dan E. Sweat who served as Board president from 1974 to 1988; and Alicia Philipp who was named executive director in 1977 and who continues in that role today. Other Atlantans who have chaired The Community Foundation’s Board include Ingrid Saunders Jones, Cecil Conlee, Michael Kay and current Board chair, Kenneth Bernhardt.

Over the decades, The Community Foundation has provided grants and leadership on key community issues of the day – whether that was HIV/AIDS, a burgeoning nonprofit sector and arts community, community and leadership development, healthcare needs of the homeless, medically fragile children or environmental sustainability. Today, The Community Foundation provides more than a dozen funding and support opportunities to nonprofits in the 23-county metro Atlanta region.



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