In the last weeks of December the Cobb Community Foundation (CCF) announced that it has awarded $59,000 in grants and created additional opportunities to strengthen and support small to mid-sized nonprofit charitable organizations that are providing support programs aimed at helping Cobb County to thrive. This year’s Thrive Grant program produced three different opportunities.
Cobb Thrives Gift Guide
The Cobb Thrives Gift Guide, announced in November, created opportunities for 30 local nonprofits to get difficult, end-of-year requests fulfilled. This grant catalog opportunity was made possible through donations by the Northwest Region of United Way of Greater Atlanta, Pinnacle Financial, SA White Oil and Magnolia Trust. The catalog was distributed with assistance from the Marietta Daily Journal and Loud Security.
Charitable donations made by the community were accepted through CCF to get these wishes filled. As a result, $15,000 in matching opportunities arose through CCF supporters, and our entire community will benefit. The total amounts raised for each organization listed in the Cobb Thrives Gift Guide have now been awarded and can be found here.
CNP Grants (Certified Nonprofit Credential)
CCF has awarded five CNP (Certified Nonprofit Credential) Grants in the amount of $1,700 each were awarded to five nonprofit leaders: Lyrika Holmes from Artz for the Harp Corporation, Amber Jones from Serenade Heights, Laurie Ann Wong from Reflections of Trinity, Stephanie Pintacuda from Cobb County Public Safety Foundation, and Jillian Dillard from Freedom Youth Yoga. These continuing education grants were developed and funded through a collaboration by CCF, The United Way of Greater Atlanta and Kennesaw State University.
CCF CEO Shari Martin said, “In corporate settings, employees in leadership roles are regularly offered opportunities to receive additional training and education that allows them to continue accessing best practices in their industries. This is not something that is widely available to nonprofit leaders. We wanted to do something to change that. These CNP grants have been awarded to the selected individuals for completion of an intensive program at KSU to increase their impact in the work they do. In turn, their nonprofit organizations will benefit from both this education piece, and a $10,000 unrestricted cash grant to be received by their nonprofit when the coursework is completed.”
CCF Strategic Grants
The third opportunity made available by CCF in 2023 were Strategic Grants. These went to three organizations carrying out missions determined by our Board of Directors to fulfill CCF’s goal of strengthening nonprofits doing work in the areas of Cobb County where the need is greatest. These organizations are Circles Cobb, the YMCA of Metro Atlanta’s Little School at Green Acres Church and the Cobb Collaborative.
Circles Cobb received a CCF Strategic Grant for $25,000. Circles Cobb follows the 25-year-old proven model of Circles USA which helps families experiencing poverty move to a place of financial stability and growth through weekly meetings which include financial education, budgeting, goal-setting and long-term mentorship. Data from chapters throughout the country show that participants who complete the 18-month highly volunteer-driven program increase their income by 76% on average. This grant was made possible by Walton Communities.
CCF also made a $16,000 CCF Strategic Grant to the McClesky-East Cobb Family YMCA to offer “Little School” at the Church at Green Acres in Fair Oaks. Little School is a program that provides early learning opportunities at no cost to families living in the community. With the Y providing a weekly food distribution at the church and the church making space available to the Y to offer this program, the Church at Green Acres has become a true community resource center, a concept strongly supported by CCF. This grant was made possible by Brasfield & Gorrie.
The Cobb Collaborative received a CCF Strategic Grant for $10,000. The Cobb Collaborative’s education and training programs around mental health, including resiliency, adverse childhood experiences (“ACEs”) and suicide prevention, combined with their focus on early learning and literacy, are truly helping to build a thriving community. This grant was made possible by Genuine Parts Company.
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Strategic Grant Winner
CCF CEO Shari Martin, Circles Cobb Executive Director Barbara Garner,
CCF Director of Stakeholder Engagement Shelly Owens
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Strategic Grant Winner
CCF CEO Shari Martin,
Cobb Collaborative Executive Director Irene Barton,
CCF Director of Stakeholder Engagement Shelly Owens
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Strategic Grant Winner
CCF CEO Shari Martin,
McCleskey YMCA’s Gayle Battersby,
CCF Director of Stakeholder Engagement Shelly Owens
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CNP Winners L to R
Lyrika Holmes from Artz for the Harp Corporation, Stephanie Pintacuda from Cobb County Public Safety Foundation, Laurie Ann Wong from Reflections of Trinity, Amber Jones from Serenade Heights, and Jillian Dillard from Freedom Youth Yoga
