Redemption Earned, led by its Executive Director, former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Sue Bell Cobb, helped secure the release of Robert George. Mr. George, who is 85 and in failing health, has served 31 years in prison for manslaughter. The state fought his release despite the victim's mother's plea for clemency.

Open Doors and The Center for Family Resources were recently featured on Atlanta News First (ANF). Their client Ravin O’Bannon talks with ANF's Asia Wilson about how she overcame homelessness through a new suburban initiative to help families and individuals experiencing homelessness.

The Historic District Development Corporation (HDDC) and Mercy Housing Southeast are proud to be part of an important partnership to redevelop a 1950s-era apartment complex in the historic Old Fourth Ward, one of Atlanta’s fastest gentrifying neighborhoods where increasing property values risk forcing long-time residents out of their homes. Built in 1951, the existing 58 uninsulated cinderblock apartments will be replaced with 76 newly constructed, energy-efficient apartment homes in a mixed-use development that will also include a grocery store or other retail to the property.

Construction fencing surrounds the perimeter of the National Center for Civil and Human Rights to make way for the $56 million, 24,000-square-foot expansion of the living museum. The expansion will feature a three-story West Wing with a café and three new galleries — a Family Gallery for children under 12, a gallery that will tell the story of the Reconstruction Era and a Special Exhibitions Gallery for traveling and rotating exhibitions.

Democratic lawmakers want the state to gauge whether state-funded saving accounts for children born into poverty could help shrink the wealth and equity gap in Georgia. Under a hypothetical baby bonds program in Georgia, advocates say, the state government would make annual deposits in a trust fund for every Medicaid-eligible child born here.

The Atlanta Land Trust (ALT) and Cityscape Housing this week celebrated the start of construction on The Trust at Oakland City, a new mixed-income housing development.

The center was founded in October 1924 as the Phyllis Wheatley Settlement House. The building was established to help the growing African American community that was new to Minneapolis. Providing kids the chance to explore the outdoors, listen to the sounds of nature and take a dip in a lake had been a high priority for Phyllis Wheatley. And this year, the Phyllis Wheatley Community Center is turning 100 years old and celebrating a century of its mission.

To close the racial wealth gap, the Georgia Resilience and Opportunity (GRO) Fund is piloting what’s called a “baby bonds” program–a concept that’s gaining some traction nationally.  The GRO Fund pilot’s aim is to accelerate wealth-building for young Black adults from lower-income families.

A special edition of “Closer Look with Rose Scott” was a themed show focusing on the mentoring of young Black boys.

Show host Rose Scott spoke with several guests, including L.E.A.D. Center For Youth founders CJ and Kelli Stewart who exemplify the transformative power of mentorship through their athletic-based programs. The interview also included current Ambassadors— student-athletes in L.E.A.D.’s program.

Anasa Troutman wears many hats (including being a record producer), but in this interview, the focus is on her role as executive director of Historic Clayborn Temple, a $25 million project to restore a building that was the central organizing hub of the 1968 sanitation workers’ strike in Memphis.

“Our hope and our vision for the building is that it will be a place of gathering and a place of story, but also… a place for intersectional conversation.”

-Anasa Troutman

Congratulations to Sydney Langdon Senior Director, Corporate Social Responsibility at Warner Bros. Discovery, for being selected as the recipient of the 2024 Ann Cramer Civic Leadership Award! Sydney truly embodies what Ann describes as "connect of the hands, head, and heart." Thank you, Sydney, for your outstanding community leadership and service! 

Trevor Beeman, executive director of Cobb Landmarks + Historical Society, gives a tour of the circa 1840 Power-Jackson Cabin in east Cobb County, which could be the area's oldest structure. His organization is raising funds to restore the cabin and move it to nearby Hyde Farm.

The City of Atlanta, NBAF, CDC Foundation and Out of Hand Theater collaborate to win the Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge.

by Maria Saporta | October 2, 2023

Walking inside the shared foundation offices in the 191 Peachtree Tower, the first large space one sees is a large conference room that doubles as a board room.

This is the new home of the following three foundations:

• The Tull Charitable Foundation, founded in 1952 with a current endowment of about $85 million, giving away about $3.5 million a year

• The R. Howard Dobbs Jr. Foundation, founded in 1959 with a current endowment of $60 million, giving away about $2.5 million a year

• The Sartain Lanier Family Foundation, founded in 1963 with a current endowment of $110 million, giving away about $5 million a year