Lorde-Rustin
Giving Circle

Banding together for impact.

In May 2013, a group of successful next-generation professionals decided to collaborate in order to make good things happen. As dedicated philanthropists, they realized they could make a much greater impact by uniting and formalizing their philanthropic efforts.

Initially made up of 29 diverse, concerned and passionate individuals, the group was named the Lorde-Rustin Giving Circle, honoring the two individuals who inspired their philanthropic commitment: social activist Audre Lorde, and civil rights leader Bayard Rustin.

The philanthropic founders of the Lorde-Rustin Giving Circle are supporting nonprofit organizations dedicated to empowering at-risk youth living in metro Atlanta, including Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Fulton, Gwinnett and Henry counties. The giving circle focuses on increasing literacy among children of color and supporting LGBTQIA+ youth of color.

Grant funds are raised through individual donations, events and activities. Since its founding, the group has raised more than $300,000 in donor funds, including $75,000 in matching grants from Funders for LGBTQ Issues’ Out in the South Fund.

The impact

To date, the Lorde-Rustin Giving Circle has distributed more than $250,000 in grants to Atlanta nonprofits serving at-risk youth.

These grants are intended to help the healing process and transformation. In 2019, for example, CHRIS 180 received a grant of $32,000 to support LGBTQ youth of color. One of the CHRIS 180 youth supported by a Lorde-Rustin Giving Circle grant was a young man who was homeless for 14 months. During his senior year after telling his parents that he was gay, he was expelled from the family’s home. After spending one year in CHRIS 180’s transitional living program, he became a certified peer specialist (a paid position) while pursuing his college degree at Georgia Perimeter College. Additionally, the Lorde-Rustin Giving Circle awarded a grant of $32,000 to Create Your Dreams, an after-school youth development organization that promotes education and helps low-income students break the cycle of generational poverty (createyourdreams.org).

Grantmaking

Please check back for updates about the Lorde-Rustin Giving Circle. In the meantime, please sign up to receive the Community Foundation’s nonprofit newsletter.

Create Your Dreams says thank you

The Lorde-Rustin Giving Circle has continued to support through grant supports to local nonprofit, Create Your Dreams. The kids in the Create Your Dreams program would like to pass along their appreciation with a big thank you!

Clifford Tyree on I Know I Can

Clifford Tyree of the Lorde-Rustin Giving Circle talks about continuing the legacy of philanthropy his father started with I Know I Can.

Todd Greene on Create Your Dreams

Todd Greene of the Lorde-Rustin Giving Circle talks about Create Your Dreams and how a group of the program’s alumni was inspired to start their own giving circle.

The Lorde-Rustin Giving Circle includes:

Raphael Bostic
Dr. Delanor Doyle
Todd Greene
Tiffany Hairston
Adante Harvey
Dr. Anita Haugabrook
Russell Jolivet
Samaad Keys
Kim Kuncl
Ursula McNeil
Richard Moultrie
Dr. John Spaulding
David Summers
Dr. Jeffrey Weddington

For more information about the Lorde-Rustin Giving Circle, please contact:

Jarrod Fleming

Jarrod Fleming
Philanthropic Officer
404.588.3218
jfleming@cfgreateratlanta.org

Richard Moultrie
Giving Circle Lead Fund Advisor
richardmoultrie@yahoo.com