2022 Capacity Building Program
Consistent with recommendations outlined in the 2019 Cobb County Human Needs Assessment and Asset Mapping Study, Cobb Community Foundation (CCF) partnered with United Way of Greater Atlanta NW Metro Region to strengthen and support the county’s small to midsized nonprofit organizations that are providing social services in the communities most in need.
Two programs were offered in 2022 to provide tools, planning, coaching, and technology to help selected organizations build their capacity. Funding for these programs was made possible through the generosity of contributors to the Cobb Community Impact Fund, Cobb Community Foundation Corporate Community Champions, and the United Way of Greater Atlanta NW Metro Region.
Eligible organizations were those that were exempt from taxes under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, were classified as a public charity for a minimum of 3 years, had combined financial contributions and grants of less than $500,000 in 2018 and 2019, and had assets or income in excess of $1,000 according to their most recent publicly available 990. Eligible organizations also had to provide one or more social services in or near census tracts in Cobb County that have high levels of need and limited access to services.
The 12-month Network for Good Jumpstart Program has provided nonprofits with one-on-one coaching and technology to build their fundraising capacity, diversify revenue, and sustain and grow their programs. The Jumpstart program began in January of 2022 and will conclude in December of 2022. The current nonprofit grant recipients are BUYCobb, Inc., Revved Up Kids, Inc., Visionful Communities, Loving Arms Cancer Outreach, and The STEAM Generation.
The Nonprofit Capacity Building Training Program facilitated by the Georgia Center for Nonprofits began in January of 2022 and concluded in July of 2022. This cohort program helped participants to develop the capacity and strategy to be effective and sustainable organizations. The 2022 participants were The Sobriety Resource, Connecting Generations, Self Discovery, Pain, Positioning and Purpose, Inc., JJ’s Playhouse Children’s Museum & Gym, H.O.P.E. Family Resource Center Inc, and Family Car Foundation, Inc.
2022 Network for Good Jumpstart Grant Recipients
2022 Graduating Class – Georgia Center for Nonprofits Capacity Building Cohort Program L to R: Yunice Patrick, JJ’s Playhouse, Charmon Talley, The Sobriety Resource, Arlene Williams, Connecting Generations, Carolyn Turner, H.O.P.E. Family Resource Center, Venessa Abram, Self Discovery, Pain, Positioning and Purpose (not pictured, Shamel Leonard, Family Car Foundation)
2022 Cobb Thrive Grants
2022 Cobb Thrive Grants were made possible through the generosity of our Corporate Community Champions and other contributors to our Cobb Community Unrestricted Fund. Read about the 2022 winners here.
The Cobb Thrive Grant (“CTG”) provides unrestricted funds to help strengthen and support small to mid-sized nonprofit charitable organizations that are helping Cobb County to thrive.
A message from the students of Mentoring for Leadership after receiving a 2022 Thrive Grant.
2022 Recipients
- Food Security for America
Food Security for America
FSA’s mission is to create communities across America to equip those in need of healthy food. FSA’s vision is an America where everyone has the certainty of healthy meals and the opportunity to connect and grow with their neighbors. - Lekotek of Georgia
Lekotek of Georgia
Lekotek of Georgia’s mission is to facilitate the inclusion of children with disabilities into their families, schools, and communities by providing accessible play, adapted technology, toys, information, and resources. Literally translated, the word Lekotek means “play library” in Swedish. It was the concept of two Scandinavian parents whose children had disabilities. They did not want their children to grow up in residential settings, but to live at home and participate meaningfully in their own communities. They created Lekotek with this goal as their driving purpose. Today, our vision continues to encompass a world where all children are included through play. - Loving Arms Cancer Outreach
Loving Arms is dedicated to instilling hope and joy as well as providing education and support to empower patients and their families to navigate the multiple challenges they face in their cancer fight. Loving Arms comes alongside the cancer patient and provides emotional, financial and resource support.
- Marietta Mentoring for Leadership
Marietta Mentoring for Leadership
Mentoring for Leadership’s mission is to provide high-potential, under-resourced youth with community mentors and provide collegial experiences that encourage and support students to maximize their leadership and their personal, academic, and future success.
Our vision is that every Mentoring for Leadership student graduates high school and is prepared to achieve their life goals and become leaders in their community.
- Paint Love
Paint Love provides extraordinary arts programming to youth facing poverty and trauma.
- Revved Up Kids, Inc
Revved Up Kids is on a mission to protect children and teens from sexual abuse, exploitation and trafficking. We accomplish our mission by providing exceptional prevention training programs for children, teens, parents and youth-serving organizations.
Our training programs for children and teens teach them who predators are and how they operate, and equip them to respond appropriately if they encounter a predator, including using self-defense if it’s warranted, and disclosing to a trusted adult.
Our training programs for adults equip them to be better protectors of the children in their care.
- Special Needs Cobb
The mission of Special Needs Cobb is to transform and enhance the lives of individuals with special needs through group housing, respite care, caregiver life-planning workshops, and resources for parents so that they have the support and all the tools needed to provide the best possible future for their loved ones with special needs.
- Sweetwater Mission, Inc.
Sweetwater Mission: Stabilizing families by preventing hunger and homelessness and transforming lives through education and employment opportunities since 1968.
- Wonderful Days Preschool, Inc.
Wonderful Days Preschool’s mission is to transform the lives of low-income families by providing preschool children with the early educational skills needed to succeed in kindergarten and beyond. The goal is to ensure greater academic, social, economic, and long-term success for our students.
Seeing the need in communities that did not have – but desperately needed – pre-k options, the St. James Episcopal Church began Wonderful Days Preschool (WDP) in 1970 as a small church ministry to provide preschool instruction for underprivileged children in the City of Marietta and Cobb County. In 1991, WDP organized as a 501(c)3 nonprofit, providing 3- and 4-year-old educational instruction, preparing the students for kindergarten. Since WDP opened its doors, over 1,200 students and families have participated in our educational offerings.
We have always strived and succeeded in making this program as accessible as possible to those who need it most. We offer free bus transportation to the vast majority of the families served, reaching those who do not have the ability to bring their students to school. We provide two free nutritious meals per day through the Child and Adult Care Food Program.
In 2020, the Marietta City Schools Director of Early Learning recognized WDP for our good work. In her letter, she pointed out that the public school system cannot serve all students within the city, but WDP’s ability to provide families in need access to quality early learning is essential. The Director said, “Wonderful Days has been an asset to this community, and we hope to continue our collaboration for many years to come.”
- Youth Empowerment Through Learning, Leading, and Serving, Inc.
YELLS, Inc. is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with a mission to empower youth to rise as active, healthy, and productive servant-leaders who uplift their community. We envision communities where youth have voice and value and ensure they possess the leadership skills, confidence, character, and collaborative networks needed to shape their world.
- Teach One to Lead One
Teach One to Lead One (T1L1) is dedicated to providing a community mentoring experience that teaches Universal Principles to lead students at risk into a life of purpose and potential.
Programs are implemented in partnership with public schools and with district courts to equip students at risk to build lives of integrity, create positive relationships, stand strong in healthy habits, and multiply their influence among their peers. Since 1996 we’ve had a positive, measurable impact on 50,000 students. We are organized into 11 chapter locations (under one EIN number) throughout Washington, Oregon, California, Colorado, Arizona, Illinois, Indiana, Georgia, Louisiana, and North Carolina each with its own operating budget, but which fall under Teach One to Lead One’s Global Service Center, located in Cobb County. Our main, and oldest chapter, with an operating budget of $102,080, is also located in Cobb County, and is the applicant of this Cobb Community Thrive Grant.
- Communities in Schools of Georgia in Marietta/Cobb County
Communities in Schools of Georgia in Marietta/Cobb County
The mission of Communities In Schools is to surround students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life.
Our vision is through a powerful collaborative effort to provide the resources, inspiration and motivation for students and families to achieve a high school diploma.
- Cumberland Counseling Center – Lawrenceville
Cumberland Counseling Centers houses clinical counseling centers inside the walls of churches and cares for the mental health of the community. We provide quality and accessible mental health services for all people, we take excellent care of our clinicians, and we resource our communities for transformation and healing.
- Four Corners Group
Our mission is to restore hope to youth in crisis by providing pathways to a thriving adulthood. The Four Corners Group (FCG) collaborates with local Cobb County juvenile justice systems and community stakeholders to serve court-involved and at-risk youth in an effort to prevent crime and reduce recidivism among teens and young adults already engaged in crime. We work with youth who are at the greatest risk for a future with multiple interactions within the justice system. We invest in Cobb’s delinquent teens with whom few are brave enough to work, those falling between the cracks, yet still deserving of opportunities for thriving adulthood.
2022 Thrive Grant
Honorable Mentions
We had more than 40 applications submitted for the inaugural round of our CCF Thrive Grants. To better the chances for programs that applied, we held 3 separate information sessions in 3 locations around Cobb County. We reviewed every question on the grant application and explained what the selection committee would be looking for at these well-attended sessions. The competition was tough, and while we granted the maximum amount of dollars available, there were more organizations worthy of support than we could help. Please review the list below and see if there is an organization you would like to support.
- 10 Women of Hope
10 Women of Hope
Our mission is to provide one-time financial support to stable, single-parent families in Cobb County who are experiencing a critical need. - Adult Disability Medical Healthcare
Adult Disability Medical Healthcare
The Adult Disability Medical Healthcare’s (ADMH) mission is to provide comprehensive, coordinated, person-centered healthcare for teens and adults with developmental disabilities. We strive to empower individuals and their families to become advocates for their own health and wellness needs. Our vision is for individuals with developmental disabilities to have access to comprehensive health and wellness without barriers. Our goal is to provide care that improves health outcomes and empowers patients to take charge of their healthcare needs. - Atlanta Youth Tennis & Education Foundation (AYTEF)
Atlanta Youth Tennis & Education Foundation
Atlanta Youth Tennis & Education Foundation (AYTEF) aims to enrich the lives of under-resourced youth through tennis and education. - Back Pack Blessings, Inc.
Back Pack Blessings, Inc
The mission of Back Pack Blessings, Inc. is to provide nourishment for school children who may otherwise go without food on the weekends. We accomplish this mission by packing backpacks filled with shelf-stable, kid-friendly foods that the children take home on Fridays when school is in session. The backpacks are packed every Thursday evening and delivered to the school on Friday mornings. While providing food for the weekends is our mission, we also provide a sense of personal connection as the children and teachers have come to know us and look forward to receiving their “blue bags” each week! - Cobb County Public Safety Foundation
Cobb County Public Safety Foundation
To provide relief, equipment, support, and training to advance the mission of police officers, firefighters, deputy sheriffs, E911 officers, and emergency medical technicians who serve Cobb County. By serving first responders we aim to help secure our community with the greatest safety and emergency resources available to all citizens of Cobb County. - Cobb Veterans Memorial Foundation
Cobb Veterans Memorial Foundation
The mission of the Cobb Veterans Memorial Foundation is to design, build and maintain a memorial to honor our United States Armed Forces and their families. - East Cobb Islamic Center
East Cobb Islamic Center
ECIC is a house of worship open to all that focuses on practicing Islam in accordance with Quran and Sunnah. ECIC also provides a community center and gymnasium where individuals can gather to worship, learn, serve the community and also engage in fitness activities. - Families and Communities Together (FACT) Relief
Families and Communities Together (FACT) Relief
The mission of Families and Communities Together (FACT) Relief is to support families suddenly battling a debilitating and/or terminal disease as well as other catastrophic life events that impact a family financially.Our goal is to bring communities, friends, families and loved ones together for a common purpose. To be able to immediately and sustainably help those we love financially to get through a painful and debilitating time. We accomplish that by offering targeted financial support as well as long-term planning and guidance for the benefit of these families with a demonstrated need.
- Feeding GA Families
Feeding GA Families
The mission of Families and Communities Together (FACT) Relief is to support families suddenly battling a debilitating and/or terminal disease as well as other catastrophic life events that impact a family financially.Our goal is to bring communities, friends, families and loved ones together for a common purpose. To be able to immediately and sustainably help those we love financially to get through a painful and debilitating time. We accomplish that by offering targeted financial support as well as long-term planning and guidance for the benefit of these families with a demonstrated need.
- Georgia Metropolitan Dance Theatre
Georgia Metropolitan Dance Theatre
Georgia Metropolitan Dance Theatre’s mission is to educate, cultivate, and inspire young dancers to become the next generation of artists and leaders through rigorous dance training and diverse performance opportunities. - Georgia Symphony Orchestra
Georgia Symphony Orchestra
The mission of the Georgia Symphony Orchestra (GSO) is to enrich our community through accessible, high-quality musical and educational experiences that instill and fulfill a lifelong appreciation for the arts. - Heritage Presbyterian Church
Heritage Presbyterian Church
Our mission statement is: Love Grows Here. Loving through Christ, Becoming Disciples, Serving All.As we live into our mission and vision, we are shaped by the following core values:
Worship
We believe worship should be joyful and bring praise, honor, and glory to God in a variety of ways, reflecting the congregation’s desire to grow in faith.
Leadership
We believe following the will of God entails fiscal responsibility, transparent communication, and respect for the feelings and opinions of all.
Healthy Change
We believe agape love requires us to respect a diversity of opinions, handle conflict in healthy ways, and honor the past while casting an inviting and engaging vision for the future.
Diversity
We believe in an inviting, welcoming, supportive, and inclusive community of faith.
Opportunities
We believe in involving everyone in doing something and in displaying love for each other and for our neighbors as we strive to make love grow here. - Junior League of Cobb-Marietta
Junior League of Cobb-Marietta
The Junior League of Cobb-Marietta, which was established 89 years ago, is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women and improving communities through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Our purpose is exclusively educational and charitable. - Kennesaw Museum Foundation
Kennesaw Museum Foundation
It is the mission of the Kennesaw Museum Foundation, Inc. to effect a superior educational environment through philanthropic and programmatic support of the Southern Museum and to identify priorities, direction, and goals defining the Museum’s image and objectives. - Kidz2Leaders
Kidz2Leaders
Kidz2Leaders (K2L) exists to break the cycle of incarceration by providing stability, opportunity, and a Christian community for children of inmates. We help these children rise above their circumstances, empowering them to become leaders, and providing a life of hope through intentional, faith-based programing in a loving environment at no cost to their families. Our decade-long continuum of programming is designed to cultivate long-term, supportive relationships, beginning with children at age eight and serving them and their families through young adulthood. We believe it is only through this long-term commitment that we can truly end generational incarceration. - LifeTools Community Development Corporation
LifeTools Community Development Corporation
Our mission is to provide collaborative partnerships to meet the needs of those who are food insecure and/or are in need of primary healthcare. - Mostly Mutts Animal Rescue & Adoption Inc.
Mostly Mutts Animal Rescue & Adoption Inc.
The mission of Mostly Mutts Animal Rescue and Adoption, Inc. is to work closely with animal control officers and other rescue organizations to reduce the number of animals entering into and being euthanized at local shelters. Mostly Mutts provides housing, health care, training, physical and emotional care to the abandoned, abused, neglected and unloved animals, while we work toward finding them a loving home. Mostly Mutts is also involved in the community with education and awareness programs. - Path To Shine, Inc
Path To Shine, Inc.
Inspiring children to dream big through meaningful mentorship. - Reach Out and Read
Reach Out and Read
Reach Out and Read Georgia (ROR) gives young children a foundation for success by incorporating books into pediatric care and encouraging families to read aloud together. Our objective is to improve emergent literacy and social-emotional health during the span of rapid brain growth and development between birth and age five, particularly in economically disadvantaged families who are at risk for adverse outcomes. We do this by partnering with pediatric medical providers who encourage parents to read aloud regularly with their children and provide parents with the knowledge and tools they need to nurture early learning and provide the best start for their children. - Star-C
Star-C
Star-C is a nonprofit organization, headquartered in Marietta, with a mission to provide affordable apartment community residents with free educational, wellness, food security, and eviction relief programs. Our vision is to create affordable communities of choice. We partner with conscientious landlords who are committed to providing well-maintained, affordable housing for working families, many who live near the poverty line. Star-C supports these communities by providing free wraparound services including afterschool/summer camp for elementary students, health/wellness, food security, and eviction relief programs. The combination of stable rent and cost saving wraparound services results in thriving communities of families.
Star-C currently serves nearly 1,000 families at Stratford Ridge (Marietta), Willow Branch (Clarkston), and Springview/Summerdale (Atlanta) apartment communities. Our strategic plan includes program expansion to five additional sites by 2026, including a Clayton County site in Fall 2023 and a new site in Southwest Atlanta in late 2023. - The Garden School
The Garden School
We recognize and celebrate a child’s truest self. We provide a nurturing community that reveres their capacity to think, care, and act with integrity and confidence. - The PEARL Foundation, Inc.
The PEARL Foundation, Inc.
To improve the quality of life for Georgians, particularly in Cobb County by providing education initiatives that promote self-reliance, self-empowerment, and self-determination. Further, to improve the well-being of all the residents of GA and empower individuals for success by making grants and gifts in aid and support of cultural projects in the arts and humanities, encouraging and supporting education at all levels, healthcare for all segments of the community, financial literacy, and economic empowerment, as well as a wide range of human services. - The Sobriety Resource
The Sobriety Resource
The Sobriety Resource (TSR), based in Metro Atlanta, advises, and assists families and individuals who need guidance in locating detox, treatment, or sober living programs but are without the information or resources to do so. TSR is dedicated to helping those dying because of their substance misuse issues and the families that are caught in the cycle with them. - The STEAM Generation
The STEAM Generation
The STEAM Generation (TSG) is a nationally recognized non-profit 501(c)3 organization. Its mission is to advance the Pre-K through 8th-grade educational experience by providing innovative, hands-on science, technology, engineering, art integration, and mathematics (STEAM) classes, workshops, special events, and field trips. TSG offers specialized initiatives for girls and Pre-K children, and purposely creates pathways that bring advanced technology experiences and design tools for innovation to underserved, low-income communities. - Town Center Community Alliance
Town Center Community Alliance
We invest in projects that enhance the quality of life in the Town Center area, including parks and greenspace to conserve and protect the environment, public art and activation that inspires the community, and programs that actively engage people of all ages. - Vision Tutoring Educational Foundation, Inc.
Vision Tutoring Educational Foundation, Inc.
The vision of our organization is to provide more underserved students an equitable opportunity to achieve academic success through the provision of free and reduced-price tutoring to Pre-K through 12th grade students across metro Atlanta.It is our mission to empower youth to reach their full
potential by helping them:
* strive for academic success
* apply skills to the real world
* develop an appreciation and love for learning
* build self-confidence
* make a positive difference in society and the lives
of others
