Annual Report 2023

The movement to create a better Atlanta for all.

Letter from our Board chair and president

What does it mean to work together? To create impact together? To make a neighbor feel they are part of something bigger than themselves? We ask ourselves these questions as we look back, and ahead, at the opportunity to create meaningful impact for our city, our region and the place we affectionately call home… together.

2023 was year two of our five-year strategic plan, TogetherATL, which promises to use the Foundation’s capital—social, moral, intellectual, relational and financial—to create a more equitable and prosperous Atlanta. We reengaged in activities that promote moving Atlanta forward.

Atlanta is in an affordable housing crisis. Home is more than a place, it is the wellspring for safety, stability, education and health. Our commitment to building or preserving 5,000 units is well on its way, with over $16.1M deployed as of year-end 2023 to support more than 1,100 affordable homes, both to own and rent. We kickstarted this work thanks to an unprecedented gift from the Woodruff Foundation, Wells Fargo’s WORTH grant and a new team on the Foundation’s staff sourcing opportunities daily. We also relocated 205 families from an egregious apartment complex in Thomasville Heights to safe units across our ATL footprint in a human-centered collaboration between our Foundation, the City of Atlanta and more than 20 nonprofit partners.

None of this is possible without you. As donors and partners in the work, you provide the capital to fulfill our mission. Your investments catalyzed $195M in ATL and beyond. You helped neighbors find homes, earn scholarships, enjoy summer fun programs between school years, renovate walking trails, provide veterinary care and—the greatest gift—autonomy for nonprofits through general operating support, empowering leaders to do what they know best, with the dollars you give back to our region. You are part of the solution that is moving Atlanta forward. We go far because we go together. Enjoy this tribute to 2023. Thank you.

Moving ATL to increase affordable housing

Building a foundation for affordable housing

A safe and affordable house is more than a place to call home. Often, it’s the foundation for all other outcomes in life: employment stability, education, health. Each hinges on attaining and maintaining safe, quality, affordable housing.

Yet for far too many of our neighbors, that is increasingly out of reach, creating a ripple effect of instability and inequity throughout our entire community.

A fair shot at financial freedom

Graduating from college represents a major achievement. Yet for far too many, once that goal is reached, students have yet another hurdle to clear: crippling student debt driven by compounding interest and the rising cost of attendance.

A family that gives together

Several times each year, Bert and Rhonda Ponder convene their two adult children for a family meeting. On the agenda: determining how to best support the greater Atlanta community through a donor-advised fund Bert established about 25 years ago.

Grantmaking for Impact

We are a proud steward of our region’s philanthropic assets, entrusted to us by generous donors to advance equity and shared prosperity for all in the greater Atlanta. In 2023, our total assets were $1.32 billion. If you would like to support TogetherATL through your grantmaking, reach out to your philanthropic officer or visit the donor portal.

Our Work

As an organization, we follow our values:

Lead with courage.
Practice humility.
Be creative and innovative.
Treat everyone with kindness.
Hold ourselves accountable.

If Atlanta is going to be equitable for all, it will take all of us working together. Join us by donating your time, talent or treasure.

Join Us

The Problem:

Home ownership is out of reach for low-income, predominantly Black families, in our region. That needs to change. We’re on it.

Owning a home is bigger than finding safe shelter. Home ownership leads to wealth building and, often, to generational financial stabilization for families. Yet, this opportunity is all-too-often unattainable for many in Atlanta due to lack of suitable housing stock and limited avenues for securing critical financing for down payments and loans. A coalition of like-minded organizations is boosting opportunity in housing.

The Problem:

Refugee girls are locked out of educational opportunities and a better future. Donors are changing that.

Global Village Project, a school in Decatur, educates refugee girls who might have been locked out of the option to go to school in their home countries due to displacement and conflict.

See the impact we made as a region in our full 2023 Annual Report.

2023 Annual Report