Anonymous donor supports policy and advocacy

By Clare S. Richie

At our core, the Community Foundation strives to connect donors to community need throughout the greater Atlanta region. We are perhaps best known for our efforts of connecting, convening and grantmaking. We also engage in local, state and federal public policy and advocacy in a manner that is nonpartisan, nonpolitical and in compliance with 501(c)(3) regulations to advance the priorities within our Equity of Opportunity pillars – Prosperous People, Strong Families and Thriving Communities – and related priorities.

Thanks to the continued generosity of an anonymous donor who has previously supported get-out-the-count efforts for the 2020 Census, get-out-the-vote efforts in 2018 and 2020 and grassroots social justice organizing – an additional $100,000 was awarded across five organizations that support 2021 public policy and advocacy efforts aligned with our architecture – including education, workforce, maternal and infant health, mental health and affordable housing.

Prosperous People

Georgia Policy Labs, Metro Atlanta Policy Lab for Education – $20,000 to support new education research projects, including understanding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on students’ learning loss. This research will illuminate the role of material constraints (e.g., internet, devices) and which learning practices helped which students learn the best amidst competing challenges.

STRIVE Atlanta – $20,000 to provide programming support that increases awareness and advocacy for sustainable employment. The funds will enable 100 residents to participate in STRIVE’s five-pillar Career Path Program:Career Coaching; STRIVE START (Success Through Attitude & Readiness Training); Occupational Skills Training to earn industry-recognized credential(s) in a career aligned with local demand and employer needs; Job Placement Assistance; and Lifetime Supportive Services. These services provide tangible advocacy for credentialing and continued professional development to ensure upward mobility for individuals as employers embrace and retain their skill sets.

Strong Families

March of Dimes of Georgia – $20,000 to support outreach, awareness and advocacy related to maternal and infant health disparities in the state. In Georgia, Black women face the highest rates of maternal and infant health disparities, including pre-term births, mortality and other health outcomes. March of Dimes Georgia will work to educate law makers and increase the number of advocates trained to work on addressing this issue.

Women on the Rise – $20,000 to support ongoing advocacy efforts focused on closing the Atlanta City Detention Center, repealing and/or reclassifying 40 “quality of life/broken windows” offenses and building a base of civic leaders. Founded and run by women who are formerly incarcerated, the organization will advocate for the replacement of the detention center with a Center for Equity, Wellness and Freedom that prioritizes education, employment, access to mental healthcare and affordable housing. To pursue justice, dignity and liberation for all, Women on the Rise will build on successful campaigns, such as pre-arrest diversion and “banning the box” to remove barriers to employment.

Thriving Communities

Enterprise Community Partners – $20,000 to engage an experienced legislative advocate to guide nonpartisan efforts on affordable housing during the 2021 Georgia General Assembly and train 100+ advocates statewide. COVID-19 has caused disproportionate harm to low-income Georgians and communities of color resulting from job loss and threatened eviction. Yet unlike many other states, Georgia has not enacted a state moratorium on evictions and/or foreclosure nor has it directed federal stimulus funds toward emergency rental assistance. Top legislative priorities will include tenant protection legislation, lead abatement legislation to address Georgia’s lax and outdated lead abatement standards for rental housing) and protection of the State Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC).