Originally published in the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s “Cobb Market Report” on Feb 03, 2026, this op-ed was written by Crystal Edmonson.
Cobb Community Foundation is working with Neighborhood Nexus and Kennesaw State University to create a new data tool, Cobb Vital Signs, which will provide insights into residents’ housing conditions and barriers to economic mobility.
“Our ultimate goal is for this to become that one resource that everyone goes to, to identify how to help Cobb County,” said Shari Martin, president and CEO of Cobb Community Foundation, in an interview with Atlanta Business Chronicle. She added that the Cobb Vital Signs data would ideally be available on any organization’s website.
The foundation has conducted needs assessments in the past, but this initiative goes further—not only collecting data, but also “gathering voices” from both those who need services and those who provide them.
“We have actively engaged other partners to help shape this work,” Martin said.
Among the most pressing needs identified in Cobb County have been lack of adequate transportation, a shortage of affordable housing, and a growing need for family-care resources, including child care, elder care, and support for individuals with special needs.
“[They] all go together and unfortunately, when that first domino falls, they all fall,” Martin said. “If your car dies, you can’t get to work. You can’t get to work; you can’t earn an income. You can’t earn an income; you can’t pay your rent and you can’t feed your children.”
Martin, who became CEO of Cobb Community Foundation in 2017, also pointed to broader concerns around economic mobility—the ability for individuals to move out of poverty.
“We all live in our bubble and think everyone’s situation is like our own, and it’s not,” she said, referencing a recent study showing Atlanta ranked 50 out of 50 major U.S. cities for upward mobility from low-income status to the middle class.
“I think most people want to help their neighbors. They just don’t always know how to help,” Martin said.
Cobb Vital Signs aims to help individuals and service providers better understand where needs are most acute.
The Cobb Community Foundation will also use the tool to inform its grantmaking as it continues to support local nonprofits.
The organization has been in a period of growth in recent years, expanding its assets and increasing charitable giving. In 2025, it distributed approximately $6.7 million in grants and scholarships, Martin told the Atlanta Business Chronicle.
Once data collection is complete, organizers plan to analyze findings between April and June and release the Cobb Vital Signs report this summer. By fall, Martin said, the focus will shift toward collaboration and implementation “to bring more resources to the Cobb community.”
COBB COMMUNITY FOUNDATION AND ITS SERVICE AREA
$34M
2024 assets under management
$39M
2025 assets under management (unaudited)
$6.2M
2024 grants and scholarships
$6.7M
2025 grants and scholarships (unaudited)
1,000+
Charitable organizations in Cobb County
800,000
Residents in Cobb County
