Philanthropy Front and Center-Atlanta

Just Released - New Edition of Key Facts on Georgia Foundations

Assets held by Georgia foundations increased from $8.4 billion to $13.3 billion between 2002 and 2007, according to new data released by the Foundation Center in Key Facts on Georgia Foundations. The report also shows that in 2007, gifts received by Georgia foundations topped $1 billion for the first time, almost four times the amount for 2002.

"The increases in foundation assets, giving to nonprofits, and gifts to foundations in 2007 were significant and reflect the economy of that five-year timeframe," said the report's author, Pattie Johnson, director of the Foundation Center-Atlanta. "This report will provide a crucial baseline when we
analyze giving and assets for 2008, the year the recession began, and subsequent years."

Among the report's major findings:

• The number of Georgia foundations increased 16% between 2002 and 2007, from 1,262 to 1,470.
• Education was again the top funding priority for Georgia foundations in 2007.
• The Robert W. Woodruff Foundation topped the lists of Georgia foundations by both total giving and total assets for 2007.
• More than half of all Georgia foundations in 2007 were smaller funders that gave $50,000 or less in grants annually.

View or download Key Facts on Georgia Foundations for free from the Gain Knowledge section of our web site.

Stephen Sherman, Reference Librarian, Foundation Center-Atlanta

Metropolitan Atlanta Arts Fund Launches Arts Recovery Initiative

by Josh Phillipson

Arts organizations are continuing to have difficulty making ends meet across our region and the country, and while donors are digging deep to support human services and emergency assistance, the arts are seen as superfluous and not as important. The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta believes arts are absolutely essential to a healthy community, which is why they created the  Metropolitan Atlanta Arts Fund in the first place back in 1992.

The Metropolitan Atlanta Arts Fund is a partnership between the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta providing support to small and midsized arts organizations in a 23-county region. Since 1993, the Arts Fund has funded more than $7 million in grants and management consulting awards to 84 arts organizations, creating more than 50 new staff positions in arts groups across the region.

To get more support directly in the hands of the arts community, the Arts Fund has launched the $2.5 million Atlanta Arts Recovery initiative to support small and midsized arts organizations with general operating support, management consulting and loans during the economic crisis. Initial funders include the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation, the Kendeda Fund, Zeist Foundation and Bank of America. The Arts Fund also announced its first round of 2009 grants in the region.

Expanding on the Arts Fund’s previous program of grantmaking, management consulting and loans to strengthen arts organizations, the Atlanta Arts Recovery initiative will include two grant cycles each year in 2009 and 2010 with each cycle distributing $500,000 in general operating support. Professional consulting projects through the Arts Stabilization Toolbox awards will help organizations implement scenario planning, update strategic plans, build stronger boards and improve financial plans. In addition, the Arts Loan Fund will increase the maximum size of loans from $25,000 to $40,000 and extend the timeframe that organizations have to pay back loans. The Arts Fund is encouraging arts organizations to consider implementation of new program or operating models that help them adapt to the new economic environment.

You can find more information about the initiative in a recent article in the Atlanta Journal/Constitution or at the Arts Fund web site.

Josh Phillipson is a program associate with the Metropolitan Atlanta Arts Fund.

TechBridge Announces Winner of 2009 Technology Innovation Award

The Tommy Nobis Center was announced as the winner of the 2009 Technology Innovation Award at the annual TechBridge Digital Ball held on Sunday, May 9^th. Each year the award is given to a deserving Georgia nonprofit with an innovative vision for using technology to increase the efficiency of day-to-day operations, improve effectiveness in serving clients and key stakeholders, or grow fundraising, advocacy, or volunteer efforts. For more information on the award and past recipients, see this section of the TechBridge site.

Serving the greater Atlanta area, the Tommy Nobis Center provides job training, employment and vocational support to the disabled. The Center is seeking to develop a client tracking system that would streamline operations and allow the organization to expand their client base by 10% - or about 90 to 100 people - annually. Such a system would also result in a shorter waiting list for services and enable faster job placement for clients. You can read more about the Center's initiative in this article from the Atlanta Business Chronicle. As the winning organization, the Tommy Nobis Center will receive $25,000 in TechBridge services, $25,000 in Microsoft software, a one-year TechBridge membership, and a $5,000 cash grant towards implementation of this project.

Two additional organizations, Habitat for Humanity – North Central Georgia and Project Open Hand, were designated as award finalists and will each receive a TechBridge technology assessment, $10,000 in Microsoft software, a one-year TechBridge membership, and a $1,000 cash grant towards their own projects.

For information on software or technology for your nonprofit, see our resource list, Computer Software for Nonprofit Organizations, or visit the following web sites for additional resources:

• Idealware
• TechSoup
• Nonprofit Technology Network (NTEN)
• NPower

Stephen Sherman, Reference Librarian, Foundation Center-Atlanta

Changes and more changes . . .

Recently it seems that people are changing jobs – moving to different organizations or being promoted. Below are some that I’ve heard about, you may know of others.  If so, please share:

Lesley Grady, Vice President of The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, has been promoted to Senior Vice President of Community Partnerships.

Judy Anderson retired from her position as president of the Georgia Power Foundation, Inc. Mike Anderson (no relation) has taken her place as head of the Foundation. He will also continue his duties as Vice President of Corporate Services.

T. Fitz Johnson, who recently sold his Eagle Group International LLC to Lockheed Martin Corp., has been appointed to the board of directors of the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre Foundation.

Ken Sternad is the new president of the UPS Foundation.

Pattie Johnson, Director, Foundation Center – Atlanta

 

The Georgia Nonprofit Summit: May 11 – 12, 2009

You don't want to miss the 18th Annual Georgia Nonprofit Summit – it’s the largest gathering of nonprofit professionals in the Southeast. With two full days of workshops dedicated to enhancing your skills and increasing your organization's success, it’s a great networking opportunity. 

I’ve really enjoyed the event every year that I have attended and have always learned a lot.  This year, there will be dozens of workshops, two inspiring keynote speakers, complimentary consulting clinics, donor roundtables and the first ever "Nonprofit Innovation Jam." For more information and to register online, go to: www.gcn.org/

Joanne Kepics, Regional Training Coordinator, Foundation Center-Atlanta

Matchstic Announces Winner of its On the House Program

Matchstic has announced the Swift School as the winner of its inaugural On the House program.

 Located in Roswell, Georgia, the Swift School is a non-profit private school serving children in grades 1-6 with dyslexia and related language-based learning differences. Armed with the knowledge that dyslexia is not something that is "fixed," Swift School teachers and families overcome challenges by applying proven techniques, such as the Orton-Gillingham Approach, to teach children to read.

As a result of their selection, the Swift School will receive over $100,000 in branding services free of charge from Matchstic and its partners.

Stephen Sherman, Reference Librarian, Foundation Center-Atlanta

New Book Features Local Nonprofit

Newly-released today, Outcasts United: A Refugee Team, an American Town highlights the work of the Fugees Family, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in Clarkston, Georgia, that is devoted to working with child survivors of war through youth soccer and other programs. Author Warren St. John describes how the team has flourished despite the many challenges brought against it, including competition over playing space, subpar equipment, and the struggles each player has experienced in adapting to a new country.

During the 1990s, Clarkston was designated as a refugee resettlement center and subsequently became home to families from Afghanistan, Bosnia, Burundi, Congo, Gambia, Iraq, Kosovo, Liberia, Somalia, Sudan and other war-torn nations. Coach Luma Mufleh, herself an immigrant from Jordan, formed the Fugees in 2004 after she noticed children playing soccer barefoot in local neighborhoods. The Fugees Family provides a structured environment for the boys to learn and play soccer, and these athletic activities are supplemented with after-school tutoring and other education programs, allowing the players to grow and connect with each other both on and off the field.

Copies of Outcasts United are available for purchase from the Fugees Family web site or from Amazon.com.

This Wednesday evening, the Jimmy Carter Library & Museum will host an event featuring the new book. A lecture and book talk will be held at 7:00 pm, followed by a book signing with both author Warren St. John and coach Lumi Mufleh. Admission for the event is $10 per seat or free with the purchase of a copy of Outcasts United. Event tickets and books can be purchased in advance through A Cappella Books. A portion of the proceeds from each ticket and book sale will benefit the Fugees Family.

Stephen Sherman, Reference Librarian, Foundation Center-Atlanta

Vote Today on Finalists for Matchstic's "On the House" Brand Makeover

Last month, we posted information on a free brand makeover being offered by Matchstic, an Atlanta-based marketing firm. The inaugural "On the House" program, through which one local nonprofit will be selected to receive over $100,000 in branding and marketing services, is now in its last round of selections. To help with the final decision, Matchstic has set up a page on their site where the public can now vote their support for one of the three finalists:

Finalist #1: Myles-A-Part
Myles-A-Part was founded by Katennia Dula, mother of an Autistic child. They are one of the few organizations providing direct aid to families facing Autism. Their desire is not to see these families just "make it". They want to see them thrive. Myles-A-Part is dedicated to showing compassion to Autistic families RIGHT NOW.

Finalist #2: The Swift School
The Swift School is a non-profit private school serving children in grades 1-6 with dyslexia and related language-based learning differences. Armed with the knowledge that dyslexia is not something that is "fixed", Swift School teachers and families overcome challenges by applying proven techniques, such as the Orton-Gillingham Approach, to teach children to read.

Finalist #3: Essential 2 Life
Essential 2 Life exists to see a generation of urban youth move beyond poverty to discover a new direction in their lives. The organization’s mission is to create life-change opportunities for urban youth through mentoring and educational/career opportunity programs. E2L works directly with families in the public housing communities of Atlanta, helping at-risk youth "be more".

Visit the On the House site to watch videos of each organization's interview with the Matchstic staff and to vote for which organization you think is the most deserving. Voting will be open until this Wednesday, April 15^th.

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Didn't make the final cut? Still looking for techniques to update your marketing strategies? You can find books, articles, and other resources related to nonprofit marketing by visiting our Atlanta library/learning center or by searching the Catalog of Nonprofit Literature for any of the following subjects:

• Nonprofit organizations--marketing
• Nonprofit organizations--marketing--handbooks, manuals, etc.
• Nonprofit organizations--communications
• Nonprofit organizations--public relations

Stephen Sherman, Reference Librarian, Foundation Center-Atlanta

Staying Legal While Watching Your Pennies

The economic crisis is affecting everyone.  All of us, individuals and nonprofits alike, are looking for ways to cut costs and save money. 

But you don’t want to do that at the expense of the tax-exempt status of your organization. Rachel Spears, executive director of Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta, has put together a great list of tips for nonprofit organizations about “Staying Legal in Tough Economic Times”.  These tips were recently posted in the Georgia Center for Nonprofits newsletter CenterView.

The ten suggestions on the article’s list include advice such as:

• Don’t stop paying your taxes even if revenues are down.
• If you must reduce salaries for employees, make sure you are still paying minimum wage and overtime as required by federal and state wage and hour laws.
• Keep your insurance premiums up-to-date. It’s costly but you need it more than ever when times are tough.

Read the full article for all ten tips.

For additional resources about the economic crisis and its effect on nonprofit organizations, visit these web sites:

• Foundation Center - Focus on the Economic Crisis
• Georgia Center for Nonprofits - Tools for Managing & Governing Through Tough Times
• The Chronicle of Philanthropy - How Charities Cope With a Troubled Economy
• The National Council on Nonprofits - Nonprofit Economic Vitality Center

What is your organization doing to weather the economic downturn? Share your tips.

Kayron Bearden, Reference Librarian, Foundation Center-Atlanta

Key Facts on Georgia Community Foundations

Did you know that Georgia's 13 community foundations held assets of more than $1.1 billion in 2007 and gave over $104 million? You can find this and other fascinating facts in Key Facts on Georgia Community Foundations, a report released a few weeks ago by the Foundation Center. The
report presents a snapshot of growth and giving trends of Georgia's community foundations.

Between 2002 and 2007, there was a 202 percent increase in new gifts into community foundations,
indicating the growing popularity of these institutions as a vehicle for charitable giving.
Other key facts highlighted in the report include:

• The largest Georgia community foundation, The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, had more than $770 million in assets and gave more than $74 million in grants in 2007.

• Georgia community foundation giving represented more than 13 percent of giving by all Georgia foundations in 2007.

• Almost half of the state's community foundations were established in the 1990s.

• All but 30 of Georgia’s 159 counties (82 percent of the state) are being served by at least one community foundation.

Key Facts on Georgia Community Foundations was prepared by the Foundation Center and the  Nonprofit Studies Program of the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University at the request of the Georgia Council of Community Foundations.

Kayron Bearden, Reference Librarian, Foundation Center-Atlanta