Give Atlanta

In Grove Park, a neighborhood just west of Bankhead, a familiar story is playing out. The first chapter might begin in the 1950s, when black Atlantans first started moving to the neighborhood and white residents tried various tactics—including bombing one black woman’s home—to keep them out.

Lush greenery softens the edges of Atlanta when viewing the city from a plane, from the upper floors of its many new high-rises, and even on the big screen in the many films for which Atlanta serves as the backdrop. On the ground, the reality of Atlanta’s unbounded development comes sharply into focus.

A new class of Atlanta philanthropists and activists tell us why they give, how they’re doing it, and what they’ve learned along the way.

One of Atlanta’s most famous sons, Martin Luther King Jr., once said, “Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve.” Decades later, thousands of Atlantans volunteer, raise funds, and donate to causes. You don’t have to look far to find local celebrities—from rock star chefs and business moguls—who leverage their fame for good.

An eclectic and energetic mix of groups are joining forces to combat a common opponent: sex trafficking in metro Atlanta. Nonprofits, faith-based organizations, elected officials, government agencies, law enforcement, and volunteers are using the buildup to next year’s Super Bowl to boost awareness and attack a problem that plagues the area.

In the fall of 2001, Samantha Shelton looked out her kitchen window and realized she had houseguests. The visitors—a gray mother cat and her three small kittens—trekked through the yard and settled on the deck of her Buckhead home.

When Woodruff Arts Center's President and CEO, Doug Shipman, greets me on the fourth floor, he’s dressed in a plaid blazer, sneakers, and colorful socks in the style of a cool politician or a millennial tech magnate. It’s a fitting look for someone who both wields immense power and embraces nontraditional priorities, namely to diversify Woodruff Arts Center.

The origin story of nonprofit Giving Kitchen, which supports food service workers in times of crisis, has captured the hearts of Atlanta and beyond since its inception in 2013. Since its founding, Giving Kitchen has been dedicated to providing emergency assistance to food service workers through referrals and financial assistance.

Michelle Nunn, CEO of CARE, shares her favorite things that give back to the causes she cares about most.

The Empty Stocking Fund has been an Atlanta institution since 1927, after a group of employees from the Atlanta Georgian founded it during the Great Depression. The nonprofit allows parents to “shop” for their children and select gifts from the organization’s toy store every December.