How Community Foundation of Central Georgia has helped build the area for 25 years

When Ethiel Garlington, executive director of Historic Macon, brags about the city during his travels, he attributes some of the success of the organization to the Community Foundation of Central Georgia.

“I have lived in several communities in my life, and I’ve never seen a community foundation work so successfully with organizations, with the community and with donors,” Garlington said. “They’re just creative, entrepreneurial and generous, and they’ve really added a layer of sophistication to our donors in our community.”

The foundation was started in 1993 by 12 Middle Georgia leaders who wanted to expand philanthropy in the region and it has widely grown through the years.

“They started working with no assets, no grant-making, and were able to start this wonderful journey of the Community Foundation,” said Kathryn Dennis, president of the foundation. “We now cover 21 counties in Central Georgia so that families and individuals can support the places that they call home.”

After more than 25 years of philanthropy, it has distributed more than $90 million in grants and scholarships, and it has $120 million in assets, Dennis said.

The foundation awards $4 million to $11 million a year in grants. It has supported nonprofits that aid in economic development, arts, health and human services, education and religion.

“The biggest thing about the Community Foundation is you used to have to be really wealthy to set up your own foundation, and now, anybody can set up a fund with the Community Foundation to support the things that they care about forever,” said Josh Rogers, president of NewTown Macon.

Rogers said the biggest impact the foundation had on NewTown Macon is supporting the building of the Ocmulgee Heritage Trail, which is now 13 miles long and includes Amerson River Park, Gateway Park and Rotary Park.

When Historic Macon announced their Fading Five, a list of endangered places in Macon, in 2015, the Community Foundation helped to support the Cotton Avenue Revival Festival, held in the Cotton Avenue neighborhood, which was on the list.

The foundation also has directed the distribution of grants from the Knight Foundation and the Peyton Anderson Foundation for the Knight Neighborhood Challenge and the Downtown Challenge.

“I’m really proud of how the Community Foundation was able to take those resources and then work with other leaders in the community to push the community forward,” Dennis said.

The Tubman Museum is one group that has benefited from the Downtown Challenge grant.

“We were fortunate enough to get one that enabled us to purchase about 60 West African drums that we have utilized now for African drum circles at the museum,” said Andy Ambrose, executive director of the Tubman Museum. “We’ve used them in performances at the Pan-African Festival. We use them now in our outreach afterschool program.”

The foundation has also supported the museum’s annual Pan African Festival of Georgia and its annual All That Jazz Concert and Ball.

Dennis is particularly proud of the On The Table Macon initiative that started in 2018. She said it is a model for how the foundation brings people together to find solutions.

“We bring people with different ideas and opinions together to talk about it,” she said. “We’re going to get a better solution. What our mantra has been: What happens next is up to you. You can’t wait for somebody else to come and improve your lot in life and to make your neighborhood better.”

The foundation plans on expanding the On The Table initiative to Milledgeville. The end goal is to have an On The Table Central Georgia, which would ensure that conversations are being held throughout the region.

Rogers praises the Community Foundation of Central Georgia’s leadership.

“They are our counselors and advisors for the entire nonprofit community in all of Macon,” he said. “They advise donors about how to make their money do the most good, and they advise the nonprofits about how to use those donations effectively.”

Below is a list of some of the Community Foundation of Central Georgia’s current projects:

• Fort Valley Fund Grant Program
• Dr. Curtis Jones Leadership Award Fund
• The Museum of Aviation Endowment Fund
• Barnesville-Lamar County Community Foundation giving circle