About 20 nonprofits with programs focused on helping women and girls in metro Atlanta received a financial boost to their work, thanks to the Atlanta Women’s Foundation.
On Thursday, as the bright afternoon sun streamed through the glass atrium of Atlanta City Hall, nonprofit leaders, city officials and executives from AWF gathered to distribute more than $1.4 million in grants at the foundation’s annual Community Investment Celebration. The grants ranged from $25,000 to $75,000.
Women in metro Atlanta live below the poverty line at a slightly higher rate than men, according to census data. Across the U.S., only about 2% of charitable giving supports organizations dedicated to women and girls, AWF said in its 2026 Impact Investment Report.
The foundation aims to fill that gap by investing in nonprofits that serve low-income women, girls and families in Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton and Gwinnett counties. It focuses primarily on mental and physical healthcare, workforce development and economic opportunity, empowerment, education and life skills.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
“At AWF, we believe that investing in women and girls is one of the most powerful ways to strengthen our communities. When women have the opportunity to succeed, families become more sustainable,” Kari Love, the foundation’s CEO, said during the event.
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said the grantee organizations are putting “boots on the ground” in the community.
“It is fitting that we are here in the City Hall, this beautiful atrium, to host a room full of folks that are completely aligned to remove systemic obstacles that may be in place that disproportionately affect women and girls and … to be more specific, oftentimes women and girls of color,” Dickens said during his remarks.
“We share AWF’s vision of a future where every woman and girl has a fair shot, where they are safe, healthy, and educated and economically secure,” he said.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
This year’s recipients included:
- Atlanta Children’s Day Shelter
- Families First
- Our House
- Quality Care for Children
- Agape Youth & Family Center
- Cool Girls, Inc.
- Girls Inc. of Greater Atlanta
- Girls on the Run Georgia
- Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta
- Global Village Project
- Los Niños Primero
- Ser Familia
- VOX ATL
- Center for Black Women’s Wellness
- Mosaic Health Center
- @Promise Center
- The Drake House
- Urban Clinic of Atlanta
- Women’s Resource Center to End Domestic Violence (Newly renamed In Safe Company)
Alongside the grants, the foundation presented a $5,000 scholarship to a young mother and nursing student, Pue Meh, to help her studies at Clayton State University.
Last year, the foundation invested a little over $1.7 million in about 20 nonprofits. Since 1998, when the organization became independent from the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, it has invested about $30 million in programs and grants focused on women and girls in the region.
AJC Her+Story is a series in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution highlighting women founders, creators, executives and professionals. It is about building a community. Know someone the AJC should feature in AJC Her+Story? Email us at herstory@ajc.com with your suggestions. Check out more of our AJC Her+Story coverage at ajc.com/herstory.
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