Inspired investments

The Foundation’s impact investing funds deliver life-changing returns

Investopedia defines an investment as a plan to put money to work today to obtain a greater amount of money in the future.

Obvious, right? But imagine the possibilities if you tweaked that to: An investment is a plan to put money to work today for a financial return and indelible impact that helps Georgians and Atlanta neighborhoods thrive today — and for generations to come.

That’s what investors achieve through the Foundation’s GoATL Funds.

Launched in 2018, the GoATL initiative represents the Foundation’s first foray into a leadership role in impact investing. For investors, the benefit goes beyond positively changing lives. After a few years, through these funds, they get their initial investment back, with a modest financial return. They can then roll it forward to reinvest in more projects.

“It started by learning from other community foundations that were innovative in impact investing,” said Sydney Hulebak, Impact Investment Manager for the GoATL Capacity Fund. “We realized we could do the same thing in Atlanta with our donor-advised funds to make place-based investments.”

In GoATL’s Community Capacity Fund, funding flows from the Foundation to Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) that are already working in key areas such as education, health care, housing, immigration issues and more.

The CDFIs then provide the funding for an array of meaningful projects.

“Your money itself is part of the mission,” said professional financial advisor, Foundation donor, and GoATL investor Margaret Graff. “You are lending to local organizations that need dollars to achieve their goals.”

And those investments are paying remarkable dividends — such as restoring an Atlanta neighborhood and helping aspiring farmers purchase land.

Here’s a closer look at the stories behind three of 14 ongoing investments, which demonstrate the life-changing potential of the GoATL Community Capacity Fund:

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