Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta

Background

Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta is part of the Community Foundation Opportunity Network, a group of more than 40 similar organizations across the United States that advance left-wing policy goals. ²

The foundation traces its origins to 1951, when the four largest banks in Atlanta pooled their resources to create the Metropolitan Foundation of Atlanta (MFA), the predecessor to CFGA. The foundation grew significantly starting in 1977, when new federal tax regulations increased the popularity of donor-advised funds. The new regulation clarified that donations to a “corporation” or “trustee” that “operated exclusively for religious, charitable, scientific, literary, or educational purposes,” such as a donor-advised fund, were tax-deductible. ³

That year, MFA also restructured itself as a corporate entity and appointed Alicia Philipp as its executive director. Philipp would go on to serve in the role for more than 40 years. In 1997, MFA rebranded as the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta. In 2020, Philipp stepped down and CFGA appointed Frank Fernandez to replace her as chief executive officer. ⁴

Initiatives

In addition to its grantmaking programs, CFGA serves as an intermediary between other nonprofit organizations and community organizers in the Greater Atlanta region. ⁵

Education

CFGA offers scholarships and other assistance to low-income students through programs like Achieve Atlanta and the Literacy for All initiative. ⁶

Arts

CFGA provides grants to local arts organizations and creators. The A Place to Perform program provides funds for artists to rent performance venues, and the Atlanta Public Art Legacy fund sponsors public artwork and monuments. ⁶

Health

CFGA sponsors programs such as the Atlanta AIDS Fund to address public health issues in the region. In 2020, it also launched its Greater Atlanta COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund, which it manages together with the Greater Atlanta office of the United Way charitable organization. ⁷

Grantmaking

In 2019, CFGA and its donors distributed $133 million in grants and other funding. The foundation received $124 million in new contributions, bringing its total assets to approximately $1.2 billion. ⁸ CFGA funds more than 40 community initiatives and scholarships. ⁷⁹

In October 2020, CFGA announced a partnership with the left-wing Southern Poverty Law Center to invest up to $30 million in initiatives to increase minority voter turnout. Initial grant recipients included the New Georgia Project, a race-based voter participation initiative founded by failed Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, and the left-of-center nonprofit ProGeorgia. ¹⁰

In 2023, CFGA made its largest grants to mostly Atlanta-based groups. Among the larger grants the group awarded were $5,109,523 to Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities Inc.; $5,000,000 to Cumberland College in Williamsburg, Kentucky; $2,852,599 to Emory University-Goizueta Business School; $8,702,186 to Every Student Every Community Supporting Organization; $2,000,000 to the left-of-center advocacy group Florida Rising Together; $1,039,850 to Good Samaritan Health Center; Inc., $14,474,909 to Grady Memorial Hospital Corporation Grady Health System; $1,008,000 to Haggai International Haggai Institute; $1,100,000 to the Louisiana-based left-leaning voter mobilization group Power Coalition for Equity and Justice; $850,000 to the left-of-center civic participation and voter mobilization group ProGeorgia; $1,988,960 to Schwab Charitable-Various DAF Holders; $5,408,181 to the Shepherd Center Foundation Inc.; $2,618,400 to Skyland Trail; $2,435,942 to Tall Timbers Research Inc.; $1,000,000 to the Discalced Hermits of Our Lady of Mount Carmel; $1,139,500 to Wellspring Living Inc.; $1,053,250 to Wesleyan School; $1,015,000     to World Vision International; $6,622,381 to Achieve Atlanta Inc.; $1,202,329 to the Alliance Theatre Company; $950,000 to Asian Americans Advancing Justice -Atlanta; $1,290,955 to the Atlanta Botanical Garden; $1,586,295 to Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta; $1,000,500 to Children’s Medical Center Foundation; and $1,750,000 to LifeApp USA. ¹¹

In 2023, CFGA gave smaller amounts to numerous left-of-center groups such as $500,000 to Action for the Climate Emergency, $150,000 to the Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice, $550,000 to Alabama Forward, $100,000 to the Alabama Institute for Social Justice, $375,000 to the Alianza Center, $200,000 to All Voting is Local, $700,000 to the Alliance for Youth Organizing, $20,000 to the Alliance for Justice, $22,000 to the Anti-Defamation League, $400,000 to the Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote, $30,000 to the Black Mamas Matter Alliance, $8,000 to the Blue Ridge Abortion Fund, $8,000 to the Carolina Abortion Fund, $300,000 to the Children’s Defense Fund-Southern Regional Office, $300,000 to Civic Nation, $300,000 to People’s Agenda, $300,000 to the Common Defense Education Fund, $265,000 to Communities in Schools, $111,379 to Doctors Without Borders USA, $20,000 to Earthjustice, $150,000 to the Emgage Foundation Inc., $12,000 to the Equal Justice Initiative, $650,525 to Fair Count Inc., $400,000 to the Fair Elections Center, $15,800 to the Feminist Women’s Health Center, $300,000 to Foot Soldiers Park, $103,550 to Georgia Interfaith Power and Light, $417,000 to Georgia Justice Project, $350,000 to the Georgia Muslim Voter Project, $11,000 to the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, $60,000 to Media Matters for America, $400,000 to Mi Familia Vota Education Fund, $750,000 to Mississippi Votes, $300,000 to the Mississippi Black Women’s Roundtable, $475,000 to National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund, $400,000 to NEO Philanthropy, $200,000 to New Georgia Project, $450,000 to Tides Center, $450,000 to Tides Foundation, $400,000 to Together Louisiana, $100,000 to the Urban Land Institute, $652,466 to the Urban League of Greater Atlanta, and $150,000 to the Urban League of Louisiana, $550,000 to Voice of the Experienced (VOTE), $250,000 to Vote.org, $125,000 to VoteRiders, and $100,000 to Women Engaged. ¹¹

CFGA also gave to several right-of-center groups such as the America First Policy Institute, the American Enterprise Institute, Acton Institute, and Prager University Foundation. ¹¹

Leadership

As of 2025, Frank Fernandez was the president and CEO of CFGA. He previously worked as senior vice president of the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, ran the affordable housing provider Green Doors, and served as deputy director of the small business lender PeopleFund. ¹² Fernandez took the position in August 2020, replacing Alicia Philipp, who ran the organization for 43 years. ⁴

As of 2025, Tim Bresnahan was the vice president of advancement and philanthropic services. ¹³

As of 2025, Ayana Gabriel Turner was the vice president of community. Part of this role’s responsibility is achieving CFGA’s “equity goals and impact across the Atlanta metro region.” Turner previously worked at the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation for seven years, where she led the group’s education initiatives. She also oversaw the group’s work on social justice including the group’s work with the NFL and the Atlanta Falcons. She also handled the inaugural diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) council for the foundation and businesses. She also previously worked for Teach for America where she handled the group’s education and diversity strategy. She was also previously a science teacher for the Atlanta Public Schools and a chemical engineer. ¹⁴

Other 2025 board members of note were Soumaya Khalifa, who is the founder and executive director of the Islamic Speakers Bureau of Atlanta, and Natosha Reid Rice, who is the first global diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) officer at the Habitat for Humanity. ¹⁵

Financials

In December 2020, the foundation received a $1 million grant from Facebook as part of the social media giant’s “commitment to support Black businesses, creators and nonprofits.” The grant will go towards creating a fund to provide benefits to Atlanta’s Black population and advance left-wing social justice goals. CFGA president and CEO Frank Hernandez said that the fund was specifically designed “support Atlanta’s Black residents” and “move our equity promise forward.” ¹⁶

According to its 2022 tax return, the CFGA reported a revenue of $170,621,384, expenses at $207,338,080, and total assets of $1,082,753,744. ¹⁷

According to its 2023 tax returns, the CFGA reported revenue of $340,513,99, expenses of $205,803,524, and $1,249,583,876 in total net assets. The group received $10,962,025 in government grants. ¹¹

In 2023, CFGA president Frank Fernandez had a total compensation of $647,588 from the group. ¹¹