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Extra Wish 2026

75 75 WISHES YEARS

INTRODUCTION

Friends of L’Arche Atlanta Friends of Refugees Chinese Community Federation in Atlanta InCommunity Georgia Welcome Cooperative Raksha Georgia Innocence Project Tahirih Justice Center Shine Community The Kyle Pease Foundation

75 WISHES 02

ANIMALS

Canine Cellmates Humane Society Forsyth County 06

In this year's edition of Extra Wish, we're celebrating our 75th anniversary by showcasing 75 remarkable nonprofits. Representing 10 sectors and communities across the metro Atlanta region, these organizations reflect the breadth and diversity of our nonprofit landscape. Each wish is eligible for a grant of up to $5,000, allowing donors to support meaningful work happening across our region. Though they serve different populations and pursue different missions, these organizations share a common goal: helping build a more vibrant, prosperous, and equitable Atlanta for all.

ARTS & CULTURE

On The Stage Children’s Theatre Horizon Theatre Company Synchronicity Theatre ArtsATL Theatrical Outfit TADA Foundation Music in Common Music Education Group Radio Free Georgia Broadcasting Moving in the Spirit 12

ECONOMIC MOBILITY

EDUCATION

Leap Year Raising Expectations Global Village Project Southeastern Primary Care Consortium Atlanta Area Health Education Center (SPCC Atlanta AHEC) College AIM Cobb Collaborative Los Niños Primero (Children First)

75 WISHES

HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES

StreetWise Georgia SHARE House LifeGate Counseling Center at Peachtree Urban Health and Wellness: The Urban Clinic The DDD Foundation Iris Breast Cancer Rehabilitation The Baby Pantry Covenant Community Loving Arms Cancer Outreach Special Needs Respite Veterans Empowerment Organization of Georgia BreatheStrong CF

Thrive Community Lending Tekton Career Training Nana Grants 22

FOOD SECURITY & NUTRITION

Second Helpings Atlanta Backpack Buddies of Metro Atlanta Concrete Jungle The Urban Food Movement The Sandwich Project Midtown Assistance Center NETWorks Cooperative Ministry

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

The Block Community Outreach Andrew P. Stewart Center East Atlanta Kids Club Paradise Atlanta Westside Enrichment Center Inc (PAWKids) Memorial Drive Ministries H.O.P.E. Family Resource Center Decatur Makers

EQUITY & SOCIAL JUSTICE

HOUSING STABILITY

Anchor of Hope HomeStretch Housing Plus Rebecca’s Tent A Home For Everyone In DeKalb FreeRent Foundation Carrie Steele-Pitts Home 52

YOUTH DEVELOPMENT

Elite Women of Excellence Hearts Everywhere Reaching Out for Children Atlanta Children’s Day Shelter Most Valuable Kids of Greater Atlanta Men of Excellence Bearings Bike Works Anyone Can Camps Christian Professionals Network Worldwide Foundation HealthMPowers Lekotek of Georgia 57

HOW TO MAKE AN EXTRA WISH GIFT

EXTRA WISH 2026

DEAR PARTNERS IN GIVING, As the Community Foundation considered how to commemorate our 75th anniversary, we spent a lot of time exploring our history and reflecting on moments that have defined both metro Atlanta and our organization — moments when philanthropy was essential in making a difference.

Photo: The Decisive Moment Event Photojournalism

We felt there was no better way to celebrate this milestone year than by focusing on the work that has defined us since 1951 and will continue to guide us for generations to come: partnering with donors like you to uplift and strengthen nonprofits whose missions, programs, and services change lives across our region every day. While the Extra Wish giving catalog has typically included 25 or 30 giving opportunities to support tangible needs and items, from backpacks and passenger vans to kennels and musical instruments, we took a different approach this year.

Through a rigorous application process, our team evaluated and selected 75 small and mid-sized nonprofits from all sectors— including animal welfare, arts and culture, housing stability, and food security— located across the 11-county region. We intentionally invited applications from nonprofits that have not appeared in Extra Wish during the past three years. This means you’ll have the opportunity to discover new organizations or reconnect with others doing great work in our community. Another important change to highlight is that this year’s Extra Wish grants of up to $5,000 will support each organization’s greatest needs by offering general operating funding. The last two years have been exceptionally challenging for the nonprofit sector, and as a community foundation, our role is to listen and respond in ways that meet the moment. One way we’re doing that is by creating giving opportunities that provide nonprofits with the flexibility to direct funds where they are needed most as they navigate an evolving landscape. For donors, this is an opportunity to

invest in an organization’s full mission and trust the leaders closest to the work to determine how your support can make the greatest impact. I have been working for or with community foundations for the last 16 years, and the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta drew me in nearly three years ago because of its incredible reputation for taking bold action, for deep donor partnerships, and a unique ability to convene leaders and mobilize resources to tackle big challenges. Thank you for being part of our ambitious, Atlanta-focused mission, and thank you for considering the nonprofits represented in these pages as you plan your year-end giving. Sincerely,

Tim Bresnahan Vice President, Advancement & Philanthropic Services

75 YEARS

EXTRA WISH 2026

Animals

UNTIL ONE HAS LOVED AN ANIMAL,

EXTRA WISH 2026

A PART OF ONE’S SOUL REMAINS UNAWAKENED. Photo: Chalabala

– Anatole France

EXTRA WISH 2026 | animals

“When I opened our fund, the email came around for Extra Wish and I just said, ‘ Wow, this is a really great idea.’ I like the way it is helping [those organizations] who aren’t first on everybody’s list and just need an extra boost. It’s nice to be able to help.” —Emily Sanders, Community Foundation donor

CANINE CELLMATES

981 Howell Mill Road NW, Atlanta, GA 30318 caninecellmates.org

Photo: Chalabala

Canine CellMates serves justice-involved men and rescue dogs through Beyond The Bars, an alternative disposition program focused on accountability, emotional growth, and life skills development. This Extra Wish would support one Phase 1 class, which provides the men we serve with training in communication, emotional regulation, conflict resolution, financial literacy, and other critical life skills, alongside daily handson work with rescue dogs. Many participants begin our program guarded but soon realize they are seen, supported, and genuinely cared for by our staff. Because our team deeply cares about each person and each dog, trust builds quickly, opening the door for vulnerability and real change. While working with the dogs, participants rebuild themselves and develop skills to strengthen families, uplift communities, and embrace second chances.

EXTRA WISH 2026 | animals

HUMANE SOCIETY OF FORSYTH COUNTY

The Humane Society of Forsyth County is a limitedadmission, adoption-guarantee facility dedicated to placing every cat and dog in our care into a loving home. We had over 1,000 adoptions in 2025, and 2026 is projected to be the same or more. In the animal rescue sector, cleanliness can be a life-or-death matter for animals who come to us with treatable but highly contagious diseases. This Extra Wish would support the purchase of a new washer and dryer unit, contributing to a clean and welcoming shelter for adoptive families and clinic clients while also supporting a critical component of animal care. By strengthening our capacity to maintain safe and sanitary conditions, this funding will help ensure we can continue saying “yes” to as many cats and dogs as possible and provide the second chance they deserve.

4440 Keith Bridge Road, Cumming, GA 30041 forsythpets.org

Photo courtesy of Theatrical Outfit

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Arts & Culture

EXTRA WISH 2026

ART WASHES AWAY FROM THE SOUL THE DUST OF EVERYDAY LIFE. – PABLO PICASSO

EXTRA WISH 2026 | ARTS & CULTURE

ON THE STAGE CHILDREN’S THEATRE

HORIZON THEATRE COMPANY

SYNCHRONICITY THEATRE

On The Stage Children’s Theatre in Sugar Hill, Georgia, creates inclusive theatre experiences where children build confidence, friendships, and develop a sense of belonging. As demand for scholarships and neurodivergent programming continues to grow, we are committed to ensuring that no child is turned away because of financial barriers. This year, we awarded approximately 60 scholarships, including 35 for summer programming alone. One mother told us she had to choose between groceries and her child’s tuition. We told her to buy groceries. This Extra Wish will help us expand our team of teaching artists, provide more scholarships, and keep programs affordable so that children are recognized for their strengths, celebrated for their contributions, and welcomed exactly as they are.

For 41 years, Horizon Theatre has connected people across race, class, and gender with new plays. Our New South Young Playwrights (NSYP) program advances that mission by nurturing the next generation. This free, nationally recognized program develops racially and economically diverse high school and college writers through Playwriting Residencies in Atlanta’s Title 1 Schools and the New South Young Playwrights Festival. The festival is an intensive program for the most promising young playwrights in our region and across the nation. Tragically, both NSYP programs were cancelled in 2026 due to state and federal funding cuts. This Extra Wish will help restore NSYP in 2027 and ensure that cost is never a barrier to young voices that deserve to be heard.

A pillar of the Atlanta arts community for nearly three decades, Synchronicity Theatre amplifies the voices of women and girls through transformative theatre, education, and community engagement. Extra Wish funding will strengthen Synchronicity Theatre in three key areas: uplifting women’s voices through onstage productions, particularly world premieres by female playwrights; broadening arts education and outreach to engage more marginalized and underserved audiences; and investing in the next generation of arts leaders. This Extra Wish will help expand this work, using theatre to engage children and families, strengthen at-risk communities, inspire adventurous Atlantans, and create space for those seeking bold dialogue.

4955 Alton Tucker Blvd., Suite 300, Flowery Branch, GA 30518 otschildrenstheatre.org

P.O. Box 5376, Atlanta, GA 31107 horizontheatre.com

1545 Peachtree Street NE, #102, Atlanta, GA 30309 synchrotheatre.com

EXTRA WISH 2026 | ARTS & CULTURE

ARTSATL

THEATRICAL OUTFIT

TADA FOUNDATION

At a time when dedicated arts coverage has largely vanished from traditional media, ArtsATL helps audiences discover artists, performances, exhibitions, and cultural experiences happening throughout the region. When arts journalism disappears, entire creative communities become harder to see. We serve the entire metro Atlanta region arts community, including artists, cultural organizations, arts audiences, educators, students, and residents seeking to engage with the region’s creative life. This Extra Wish will strengthen the operational capacity behind this work by supporting editorial leadership, reporting, technology, and audience engagement. An investment in ArtsATL increases the visibility of Atlanta’s creative community, ensuring that artists and organizations of all sizes can be seen, understood, and connected with the audiences they serve.

In the heart of every great city is a great theatre, a place that brings together artists and the community to entertain, inspire, engage, and explore the issues of our times through powerful storytelling. Theatrical Outfit (TO) is proud to be that theatre for Atlanta. As we approach our milestone 50th anniversary and celebrate 28 years in the heart of downtown, TO continues to offer world-class productions that pump lifeblood into the culture and commerce of central Atlanta while reaching audiences throughout the metro area and beyond. This Extra Wish will help bring our exciting 50th Anniversary Season to life, enabling us to reach and inspire approximately 19,000 individuals through our programming that fosters connection, sparks conversation, and strengthens our community through the power of live theatre.

TADA Foundation serves children and adults who face barriers to accessing quality arts education, including individuals with disabilities, seniors, and aspiring preprofessional dancers from historically underrepresented and low-income communities. We believe everyone deserves the opportunity to experience the joy of movement through dance. Through inclusive dance education and performance opportunities, we help participants build confidence, connection, and artistic expression. For many participants, cost remains the greatest barrier to access. This Extra Wish will provide tuition subsidies and scholarships during the 2026–2027 program year, ensuring that financial circumstances do not prevent individuals from experiencing the physical, social, emotional, and artistic rewards of dance.

P.O. Box 8983, Atlanta, GA 31106 artsatl.org

84 Luckie Street NW, Atlanta, GA 30303 theatricaloutfit.org

2335 Cheshire Bridge Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30324 tadafoundation.org

EXTRA WISH 2026 | ARTS & CULTURE

MUSIC IN COMMON

Music in Common (MIC) uses music to bridge racial, religious, and ideological divides across metro Atlanta. Since 2005, MIC has served more than 100,000 participants globally, with deep roots in Fulton, Cobb, Gwinnett, and DeKalb counties through programs such as the Black Legacy Project, FODfest, and others. The recent loss of federal funding created a significant budget gap, putting our essential community-building work at risk. This Extra Wish will help sustain our essential programming during this transition, ensuring that events continue, partnerships remain strong, and opportunities for connection and belonging remain accessible to the diverse communities we serve in an increasingly divided world.

“Extra Wish opens my eyes to nonprofits I am not familiar with—and the stories help me understand exactly why they need what they’ve requested and how it will advance their work.”

Photo: MaFelipe

—Julia Houston, Community Foundation board chair and donor

P.O. Box 82014, Atlanta, GA 30354 musicincommon.org

EXTRA WISH 2026 | ARTS & CULTURE

MUSIC EDUCATION GROUP

Music Education Group (MEG) transforms the lives of more than 5,000 young people annually by bridging the gap between creativity, education, and economic opportunity through music, film, and digital media. Primarily serving low-income youth from Title I schools and historically underserved communities, MEG equips students with life skills, mentorship, real-world workforce experiences, and industryrecognized credentials. This Extra Wish will help expand access to these transformative opportunities by supporting programs that provide safe, supervised environments, paid internships, and pathways to careers in the creative economy. By investing in young people, MEG not only prepares them for successful futures but also strengthens communities through workforce development, increased access to opportunities, and violence prevention efforts that can change the trajectory of a young person’s life.

270 Lawrence Place, Atlanta, GA 30349 themeg.org

RADIO FREE GEORGIA BROADCASTING

MOVING IN THE SPIRIT

For more than 50 years, WRFG (Radio Free Georgia Broadcasting) has provided a vital platform for voices and communities often overlooked by mainstream media. As a volunteer-driven community radio station with only three paid staff members, WRFG relies on community support to keep independent, inclusive programming on the air. This Extra Wish will help maintain critical broadcast equipment, strengthen technical capacity, and sustain daily operations. This investment will ensure that residents across metro Atlanta continue to have access to trusted local news, cultural programming, community resources, and diverse perspectives that inform, connect, and empower listeners.

Moving in the Spirit annually serves more than 350 Atlanta youth, primarily from low-income communities, through a nationally recognized program that uses the artistic discipline of dance to foster confidence, resilience, and leadership. Guided by evidence-based Positive Youth Development practices, our students build critical social-emotional and life skills while gaining access to high-quality arts education. The impact: 100% of Moving in the Spirit seniors graduate on time and go on to college or vocational training, equipped with the skills and confidence to lead and thrive in their communities. With 47% of students relying on sliding-scale tuition, this Extra Wish will help ensure no child is turned away because of financial barriers.

1083 Austin Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30307 wrfg.org

P.O. Box 170230, Atlanta, GA 30317 movinginthespirit.org

EXTRA WISH 2026

Community Development

WE CANNOT LIVE ONLY FOR OURSELVES.

EXTRA WISH 2026

A THOUSAND FIBERS CONNECT US. Photo courtesy of Decatur Makers

– HERMAN MELVILLE

EXTRA WISH 2026 | communit y development

THE BLOCK COMMUNITY OUTREACH

ANDREW P. STEWART CENTER

EAST ATLANTA KIDS CLUB

The Block Community Outreach serves children and families throughout the North Gwinnett community through programs that provide both immediate support and longterm stability. Our Weekend Food Program supports children from low-income households who rely on school meals during the week, while Kids @ The Block provides after-school enrichment, social-emotional support, and relationship-building opportunities. This Extra Wish will help fund a leased van, allowing us to transport and welcome more children into Kids @ The Block. The additional vehicle would also allow us to take the children we serve to a greater number of enrichment experiences, increase our food rescue efforts, and ultimately provide more nutritious food to the families we serve.

Celebrating 110 years of partnership with Atlanta communities, the Andrew P. Stewart Center serves more than 400 residents in the historic Pittsburgh neighborhood through a model grounded in enduring relationships and shared leadership. The Stewart Center’s holistic approach focuses on affordable housing for families earning 30–60% of Area Median Income (AMI); high-impact, on-site academic enrichment at Gideons Elementary School; and wellness initiatives that strengthen individuals and families. As public funding contracts and operating costs rise, this Extra Wish would help offset growing infrastructure expenses to ensure that these vital community development programs remain stable, responsive, and impactful. This support would empower the Stewart Center to continue helping families build stability, achieve their goals, and reach their full potential.

For 28 years, East Atlanta Kids Club (EAKC) has provided safe, creative, place-based support for children, teens, and families in southeast Atlanta. Our youth-centered skate shop and third space is the next evolution of that work, serving as a welcoming doorway to skating, creativity, mentorship, and EAKC’s broader programs. This Extra Wish will help cover essential start-up expenses, including fixtures, signage, starter inventory, and youthfacing materials, ensuring the space opens as an inviting, useful, and accessible community resource from day one. More than a retail space, the skate shop will provide a safe place for young people to gather, build skills, and develop a sense of ownership. Most importantly, it will help ensure that they are seen as a community to invest in rather than a problem to manage.

4600 Nelson Brogdon Blvd., Suite B, Sugar Hill, GA 30518 theblockoutreach.org

P.O. Box 17772, Atlanta, GA 30316 stewartcenter.org

602 Brownwood Avenue SE, Atlanta, GA 30316 eastatlantakids.org

EXTRA WISH 2026 | communit y development

PARADISE ATLANTA WESTSIDE ENRICHMENT CENTER (PAWKIDS)

1643 Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway NW, Atlanta, GA 30318 pawkids.org

Photo: FG Trade

In Grove Park, one of Atlanta’s most under-resourced neighborhoods, PAWKids’ after-school enrichment program provides children with structured literacy instruction, behavioral health support, and a hot meal in the evening, addressing the needs of the whole child and the whole family. As rising costs continue to strain the families we serve, demand for our after-school program continues to grow. This Extra Wish will fund the curriculum materials, learning supplies, and meals that make each program day possible as we expand our enrollment in our newly renovated PAWKids House. Your support will help sustain consistent, individualized care for children who have no comparable alternative while affirming the dignity, potential, and promise of every child in our Westside community.

EXTRA WISH 2026 | communit y development

Photo courtesy of East Atlanta Kids Club

EXTRA WISH 2026 | communit y development

MEMORIAL DRIVE MINISTRIES

H.O.P.E. FAMILY RESOURCE CENTER

DECATUR MAKERS

Memorial Drive Ministries fosters diverse Christian worship, innovative social services, and transformative relationships by providing shared space for congregations, nonprofits, recreational groups, and community organizations in the greater Clarkston community. This Extra Wish will enhance our campus playgrounds, which are used daily by the preschool and elementary-aged students served by our onsite partners and by community families who rely on them for healthy recreational activity. Maintaining these playgrounds ensures families, regardless of income or country of origin, have access to safe, high-quality places to play, connect, and thrive.

H.O.P.E. Family Resource Center serves families, children, seniors, veterans, unhoused neighbors, and others facing financial hardship throughout and beyond Cobb County. This Extra Wish will help provide food, clothing, coats, hygiene products, school supplies, books, and emergency assistance to individuals and families struggling to meet basic daily needs. Many of those served are experiencing financial instability, job loss, housing insecurity, or unexpected life challenges. Through this support, H.O.P.E. will expand outreach efforts, serve more families, strengthen community partnerships, and respond more effectively to urgent needs with compassion and dignity. More than meeting basic needs, this support brings hope, encouragement, and stability to families during difficult times.

At Decatur Makers, the desire to build something is the great equalizer. Our nonprofit makerspace brings together people of every age, background, and income level, all united by a shared love of creativity and making. Through intentionally affordable memberships, a volunteer instructor program, and free community programming, we work to ensure that cost is never a barrier to belonging. Our members teach, learn, and build alongside neighbors they might never otherwise meet. As rising rent and inflation put increasing pressure on our organization, this Extra Wish will help us preserve our sliding-scale membership program and keep our doors open to those seeking community, opportunity, and a place to create.

5140 Memorial Drive, Stone Mountain, GA 30083 mdmatl.org

6108 Mableton Parkway, Suite 116, Mableton, GA 30126 hopefamilyresourcecenter.org

605 West Ponce de Leon Avenue, Decatur, GA 30030 decaturmakers.org

EXTRA WISH 2026

Economic Mobility

WE MAY COME FROM DIFFERENT PLACES

EXTRA WISH 2026

BUT WE SHARE THE SAME HORIZON. Photo courtesy of Nana Grants

– Native American Proverb

EXTRA WISH 2026 | ECONOMIC MOBILIT Y

THRIVE COMMUNITY LENDING

TEKTON CAREER TRAINING

NANA GRANTS

Thrive Community Lending expands opportunities for low-income entrepreneurs by providing affordable business loans and free business training. Thrive is uniquely positioned to serve refugee and immigrant communities through accessible lending and high-touch, individualized technical assistance. A single loan to an entrepreneur supported by Thrive, paired with practical business knowledge, can have a life-changing impact on that individual. This proven model helps underserved entrepreneurs build successful businesses, create jobs, and achieve lasting economic mobility for themselves and their families. This Extra Wish will support quality, individualized business training that helps strengthen existing businesses at a time when critical federal funding is being discontinued.

Many refugee and immigrant neighbors arrive ready to work, provide for their families, and rebuild their lives after displacement. But language barriers, transportation challenges, and unfamiliar hiring systems often put stable employment out of reach. Tekton Career Training serves displaced and disadvantaged communities through trades training and leadership development that create pathways to economic opportunity. This Extra Wish will help expand Empower Clarkston and its VR-supported maintenance training program, providing 100 participants with hands-on skills training, paid work experience, mentorship, and connections to employers. Participants prepare for careers in facility maintenance while helping improve homes in their own community. By creating pathways from survival jobs to stable careers, Extra Wish support will help families secure stronger wages and a brighter future in Georgia.

Imagine being a single mom, one semester from completing your nursing degree, when your car breaks down. No car means no clinicals, and years of hard work unravel in a week. Nana Grants serves low-income single mothers attending accredited colleges and universities in Georgia, along with their young children, by covering 100% of childcare costs through graduation so mothers can stay in class and their children can receive quality early learning. Our students thrive, achieving a 3.24 average GPA and an 81% graduation rate. Yet, a broken-down car, a utility shut-off, or an unpaid school balance can interrupt years of academic progress. This Extra Wish will support a Student Emergency Fund for crises related to housing and utilities, tuition, transportation, healthcare, and food. A $300 car repair or past-due utility bill paid by Nana Grants can keep a family on track towards graduation, economic mobility, and longterm success.

3919 Church Street, Clarkston, GA 30021 thrivelending.org

3529 Church Street, Unit D, Clarkston, GA 30021 tektontraining.org

6065 Roswell Road, #450, Atlanta, GA 30328 nanagrants.org

Photo courtesy of TektonCareer Training

EXTRA WISH 2026 | ECONOMIC MOBILIT Y 21

EXTRA WISH 2026

Education

Photo courtesy of Los Niños Primeros

KNOWLEDGE IS A GARDEN.

EXTRA WISH 2026

IF IT IS NOT CULTIVATED, IT CANNOT BE HARVESTED.

– african proverb

EXTRA WISH 2026 | EDUCATION

LEAP YEAR

RAISING EXPECTATIONS

GLOBAL VILLAGE PROJECT

Leap Year is breaking cycles of educational inequity in Atlanta through a unique twogeneration model that advances literacy and college access. Elementary students who are reading below grade level receive individualized, evidence-based reading support from first-generation college students, affectionately known as Fellows. These Fellows also support Atlanta teachers by providing small-group literacy coaching in the classroom. During the two-year program, Fellows earn college credit, receive a monthly stipend, benefit from career mentorship, and access resources that prepare them for success in higher education. This Extra Wish will help expand these life-changing opportunities, allowing more children to become confident readers while empowering more firstgeneration college students to achieve their academic goals.

Raising Expectations (RE) is a STE(A)Mfocused, academic-based youth development organization serving Atlanta youth from low-wealth households who face barriers to academic success, enrichment opportunities, career exposure, and post-secondary pathways. Since 1995, RE has helped more than 3,400 students build the skills, confidence, and networks needed to graduate, pursue college or credential programs, and access careers that create economic mobility. This Extra Wish grant will help sustain the tutoring, mentoring, family support, transportation coordination, instructional materials, and year-round programming that keep students engaged and on track for success. Ultimately, RE helps young people move toward more equitable futures for themselves, their families, and their communities.

Global Village Project (GVP) is the only school in the U.S. dedicated to reactivating the education of refugee girls. Through a holistic model that addresses trauma, language barriers, and caregiving and household responsibilities, GVP empowers students to thrive personally and academically. As GVP moves into a new, expanded campus with plans to eventually serve 100 students annually, the organization faces an uncertain federal funding landscape and a projected loss of $100,000–$200,000 in federal support. This Extra Wish will help bridge that critical gap during a pivotal period of growth, supporting the addition of administrative and teaching staff needed to accommodate future enrollment.

352 University Avenue SW, Unit S-123, Atlanta, GA 30310 theleapyear.org

80 Joseph E. Lowery Boulevard NW, Atlanta, GA 30314 raisingexpectations.org

P.O. Box 1548, Decatur, GA 30031 globalvillageproject.org

Photo courtesy of Cobb Collaborative

EXTRA WISH 2026 | EDUCATION 25

EXTRA WISH 2026 | EDUCATION

SOUTHEASTERN PRIMARY CARE CONSORTIUM ATLANTA AREA HEALTH EDUCATION CENTER (SPCC ATLANTA AHEC)

Photo: PeopleImages

SPCC Atlanta AHEC serves individuals across the healthcare workforce pipeline, from middle and high school students exploring health careers to practicing healthcare professionals seeking continuing education opportunities. This Extra Wish will enhance our Scholars Program by funding a Community Action Poverty Simulation and supporting the Scholars Culminating Experience. The simulation provides an immersive learning experience that helps health professions students understand how poverty and other social determinants impact health and access to care. The Culminating Experience recognizes completion of a rigorous two-year program that prepares our students to serve Georgia communities. Serving approximately 20 scholars annually, these experiences deepen learning, strength a workforce committed to health equity, and advance access to care across Georgia, where many scholars remain to practice. 1720 Peachtree Street NW, Suite 440, Atlanta, GA 30309 spcc-atlantaahec.org

EXTRA WISH 2026 | EDUCATION

COLLEGE AIM

COBB COLLABORATIVE

LOS NIÑOS PRIMERO (CHILDREN FIRST)

College AIM supports students from high school through college graduation and into careers. Most students served are firstgeneration college students from low-income backgrounds with limited access to college campuses, professional networks, and career exploration opportunities. For many College AIM students, stepping onto a college campus or into a professional workplace is the moment when college and career goals become tangible and achievable. This Extra Wish will help our organization restore post-secondary exploration opportunities that were cut in 2026 due to significant government and corporate funding losses. This support will cover transportation, meals, and program costs for college visits and career readiness experiences that broaden horizons, build confidence, and help students envision futures that include post-secondary education and economic mobility.

Cobb Collaborative brings the community together to improve outcomes for children and families through initiatives focused on mental health, literacy, and civic engagement. This Extra Wish will transform the Collaborative’s literacy events into vital lifelines at a time when local food security networks are shrinking. By integrating fresh produce into Mariettabased programming, this support will help bridge the connection between physical nourishment and early learning, recognizing that children cannot learn effectively on an empty stomach. It also empowers parents to turn snack time and meal prep into vibrant, hands-on learning experiences. This wish will deepen community trust and position the Collaborative as an agile, whole-family resource that demonstrates how true educational equity begins by nourishing both the mind and the body.

Across metro Atlanta, many Latino children enter kindergarten already behind, not because they lack potential, but because their families cannot access or afford quality bilingual early learning opportunities. This Extra Wish can change that for 25 young children and their parents. At Los Niños Primero, we use a Finnish-inspired, play-based approach in small, bilingual Early Literacy and Math classrooms where children learn through songs, stories, movement, and joyful projects. Parents are part of the classroom and participate in practical workshops on how to support learning at home. This Wish will give these children a full year of a proven, culturallyrooted experience — helping them walk into kindergarten confident and ready to thrive.

342 South McDonough Street, Decatur, GA 30030 collegeaim.org

1314 Church Street SE, Suite A, Smyrna, GA 30080 cobbcollaborative.org

471 Mount Vernon Highway NE, Atlanta, GA 30328 losninosprimerousa.org

EXTRA WISH 2026

Equity & Social Justice

NO ONE IS FREE UNTIL WE ARE ALL FREE. – Fannie Lou Hamer

Photo courtesy of Global Village

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EXTRA WISH 2026 | equit y & social justice

FRIENDS OF L’ARCHE ATLANTA

FRIENDS OF REFUGEES

L’Arche Atlanta serves a deeply underserved population of low-income adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, all of whom qualify for Supplemental Security Income or Social Security Disability Insurance. Our intentional community provides 24/7 support, shared living, and meaningful relationships that foster belonging, independence, and dignity. This Extra Wish will support essential staffing, home operations, and community engagement activities that connect our Core Members with the broader community. As Medicaid reimbursements decline, flexible operating support is critical to maintaining stability of care and ensuring that Core Members continue to live fully included lives rooted in community, safety, and mutual support.

Since 1995, Friends of Refugees has walked alongside refugee and immigrant families as they rebuild their lives in metro Atlanta. Each year, more than 3,000 New Americans receive wraparound support from our culturally responsive staff. More than half of our team are New Americans themselves, and together, we are building brave, interdependent communities where newcomers can thrive without leaving their culture behind. As policy changes create new barriers to healthcare and economic stability, demand for our services continues to grow. This Extra Wish will help sustain the organizational capacity behind programs like Mommy & Me, our multigenerational literacy program, and Peace Project, a maternal health clinic that supports mothers and children as they learn, heal, and thrive.

500 South Columbia Drive, Decatur, GA 30030 larcheatlanta.org

P.O. Box 548, Clarkston, GA 30021 friendsofrefugees.com

CHINESE COMMUNITY FEDERATION IN ATLANTA

Chinese Community Federation in Atlanta serves low-income Asian immigrant and refugee families in metro Atlanta, including Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese communities. Many are limited English proficient and face barriers accessing SNAP, Medicaid, Medicare, energy bill assistance, and other public benefits. Despite the “model minority” myth, many families experience food insecurity, healthcare gaps, and low-wage employment, with needs often overlooked due to language and cultural barriers. This Extra Wish will help strengthen our Asian Community Benefits & Stability Navigation Program by expanding multilingual assistance, benefits enrollment support, and outreach to seniors and families. With this support, we will help more households access and maintain critical benefits, improving stability, health, and overall well-being. 6045 Atlantic Boulevard, Suite 213–215, Norcross, GA 30071 ccfatl.org

EXTRA WISH 2026 | equit y & social justice

INCOMMUNITY

GEORGIA WELCOME COOPERATIVE

RAKSHA

InCommunity believes every person deserves the opportunity to live and thrive in the community they call home. Across metro Atlanta, we support individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) through health, residential, employment, transportation, and community-based programs that foster independence, connection, and dignity. These services are essential to daily life and long-term stability. Yet, shifting federal and state policies, combined with Medicaid reimbursement rates that fall short of the true cost of care, are placing increasing strain on these vital supports. This Extra Wish will offer flexible operating support to help sustain these programs and ensure individuals with I/DD can build meaningful relationships and fully participate in community life.

Georgia Welcome Cooperative helps refugees, immigrants, and low-income families meet their most basic needs during a time of growing economic hardship and reduced public benefits. Through our Shop of Hope and shared services model, we provide clothing, household essentials, hygiene supplies, furniture, and other critical items that help families maintain stability and dignity. This Extra Wish will help support the distribution of essential goods, along with logistics and staffing required to serve thousands of individuals each year. By easing financial strain on families, this support helps ensure that vulnerable community members can focus on employment, housing stability, health, and long-term self-sufficiency.

For three decades, Raksha has been the first and only organization in Georgia providing culturally and linguistically tailored services to South Asian survivors of violence. Flexible funding is critical in helping survivors access essential needs such as food, housing, transportation, and therapy as they work toward safety and stability. This ensures that survivors who may be hesitant to seek help can speak with someone in their own language and receive support from experienced staff. This Extra Wish will help provide life-changing assistance, such as groceries, transportation, and rent support for families at risk of losing their housing. Your support helps preserve a safe haven that exists nowhere else in Georgia.

P.O. Box 930064, Norcross, GA 30003 incommunityga.org

2062 Weems Road, Tucker, GA 20084 welcomeco-op.org

P.O. Box 12337, Atlanta, GA 30355 raksha.org

EXTRA WISH 2026 | equit y & social justice

GEORGIA INNOCENCE PROJECT

TAHIRIH JUSTICE CENTER

SHINE COMMUNITY

Georgia Innocence Project is the only independent nonprofit dedicated to freeing innocent people in Georgia prisons and supporting them after release. Since 2002, we have helped exonerate 16 innocent individuals who collectively lost 372 years to wrongful imprisonment. This Extra Wish will help sustain critical legal, reentry, and advocacy services for individuals whose lives have been devastated by wrongful convictions, like John, who survived 27 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. Wrongfully convicted at age 20, John was exonerated after Georgia Innocence Project uncovered DNA evidence proving his innocence. This Extra Wish will help strengthen efforts to free people like John and provide the resources they need to rebuild their lives.

The Tahirih Justice Center serves low-income immigrant survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, and other forms of violence who have made the courageous decision to seek safety. Tahirih provides free, expert legal assistance to survivors seeking humanitarian protections enshrined for all survivors in the law, regardless of where they were born or the color of their skin, as well as access to work authorization, safe housing, food assistance, medical care, and other essential services that promote long-term stability. This Extra Wish will help ensure survivors do not have to live in fear and isolation, but instead have expert, compassionate support on their journeys to safety.

The Shine Community supports neurodivergent adults after they age out of school services, a time when most face a cliff with few options for meaningful connection, growth, or purpose. Guided by our faith, we believe all neurodivergent adults are meant to flourish and shine (Matthew 5:16), and we pursue this through three pillars: Work that serves others; Play that builds strength through sports, music and the arts; and Belong, in which we cultivate a community where everyone is fully known and celebrated. We also walk alongside a diversity of families to provide hands-on support as they navigate benefits and care. As a small organization serving a population often overlooked by funding, unrestricted operating support is our most essential need. This Extra Wish helps keep our members shining.

104 Marietta Street NW, Suite 440, Atlanta, GA 30303 georgiainnocenceproject.org

230 Peachtree Street NW, Suite 1960, Atlanta, GA 30303 tahirih.org

1795 Buford Highway, Duluth, GA 30097 theshinecommunity.com

EXTRA WISH 2026 | equit y & social justice

“Extra Wish touches me. The asks are so small— many things basic—ultimately providing so much joy to fund them in that little way.” —Sumathi Ramachandran, Community Foundation donor

THE KYLE PEASE FOUNDATION

2566 Shallowford Road, Suite 104, #319, Atlanta, GA 30345 kylepeasefoundation.org

Photo: Hispanolistic

The Kyle Pease Foundation serves metro-area children and adults with disabilities by helping them meet their individual needs through sports and beyond. For many people with disabilities, crossing a finish line is not as simple as signing up for a race. It requires adaptive equipment, trained supporters, transportation, caregiver coordination, and a community space committed to inclusion. Finish Lines for All helps remove those barriers by funding race fees, transportation, equipment preparation, volunteer coordination, and race-day support. This Extra Wish will allow more athletes to experience movement, confidence, friendship, and the joy of being celebrated. Together, we can help more athletes move from the sidelines to the finish line.

Photo courtesy of NETWorks Cooperative Ministry

34 EXTRA WISH 2026

Food Security & Nutrition

EXTRA WISH 2026

FOOD IS OUR COMMON GROUND. – james beard

EXTRA WISH 2026 | food securit y & nutrition

SECOND HELPINGS ATLANTA

Second Helpings Atlanta serves as the logistical backbone for more than 175 nonprofit partners fighting hunger across metro Atlanta. Our team and volunteers rescue surplus food from grocery stores, restaurants, farms, and businesses and deliver it to organizations providing free meals and groceries to neighbors in need. Extra Wish support will be used to install safety cameras across our fleet vehicles, ensuring safe, efficient operations as we grow. These critical investments power the rescue and delivery of thousands of pounds of nutritious food each week, helping us reduce waste, expand and strengthen partner support, and provide millions of meals to food-insecure families.

Photo: SDI Productions

970 Jefferson Street NW, Suite 5, Atlanta, GA 30318 secondhelpingsatlanta.org

EXTRA WISH 2026 | food securit y & nutrition

BACKPACK BUDDIES OF METRO ATLANTA

CONCRETE JUNGLE

THE URBAN FOOD MOVEMENT

Backpack Buddies of Metro Atlanta serves elementary, middle, and high school children attending Title I schools who are experiencing food insecurity. Many of the children we support rely on free or reduced-price school meals during the week but face hunger on weekends when school is not in session. As Backpack Buddies expands its Weekend Feeding Program from 2,625 to 3,000 children each week during the 2026–27 school year, this Extra Wish will help ensure these children receive consistent access to nutritious food. Support will be used to secure nutritious meals, packing supplies, food containers, and fuel for our 26-foot box truck, which is essential for collecting and distributing food throughout metro Atlanta. The students we serve return to school nourished, focused, and ready to learn, while families gain peace of mind knowing their children will have food over the weekend.

Concrete Jungle is the second leading provider of fresh produce to hunger relief agencies in metro Atlanta, behind only the Atlanta Community Food Bank. Through programs focused on food rescue and recovery, food distribution and education, and volunteer engagement, Concrete Jungle has diverted 5 million pounds of produce from landfills and redirected it to neighbors in need since 2009. This Extra Wish will allow us to expand partnerships, grow more food, engage more volunteers, and work with more farmers, advancing the goal of distributing 2 million pounds of Georgia-grown produce to food-insecure families in 2026.

The Urban Food Movement (TUFM) rescues surplus organic food and delivers it to homebound seniors, veterans, and hungry children across metro Atlanta. TUFM was founded by Kimberly Williams, who personally rescues surplus food from Atlanta retailers, packs every box, and delivers them each week in a vehicle donated by her 84-year-old mother. This Extra Wish will help provide cold-chain equipment, refrigerated transportation, and supplies that allow TUFM to safely rescue more fresh produce, dairy, and proteins, increasing the amount of food recovered from 10,000 to 65,000 pounds annually. For the 10,000+ neighbors we serve, this means consistent access to “food as medicine,” not just food. Your support builds lasting infrastructure so that no neighbor goes hungry.

2458 Jett Ferry Road, Dunwoody, GA 30338 backpackbuddiesatl.org

1050 Oakleigh Drive, East Point, GA 30344 concrete-jungle.org

500 Sable View Lane, Atlanta, GA 30349 theurbanfoodmovement.org

EXTRA WISH 2026 | food securit y & nutrition

THE SANDWICH PROJECT

MIDTOWN ASSISTANCE CENTER

NETWORKS COOPERATIVE MINISTRY

At The Sandwich Project (TSP), we believe that everyone deserves access to fresh, nourishing food. Our volunteer-driven organization addresses food insecurity by donating an average of 10,000 deli sandwiches — along with fruit and nutritious snacks — each week to our metro Atlanta neighbors in need. To date, TSP has donated more than 2.5 million sandwiches to children, families, seniors, veterans, unhoused individuals, refugees, immigrants, people with disabilities, and others facing barriers to reliable access to healthy food. This Extra Wish grant will help build the staff capacity needed to support and coordinate volunteers, manage community and corporate sandwich-making events, and provide more fresh food to our neighbors.

Midtown Assistance Center (MAC) prevents homelessness and hunger for low-income working Atlanta households facing financial crises. The impact of inflation, particularly rising food costs, has increased the need for assistance. More than ever, households receiving SNAP report that their benefits do not cover all their food needs, forcing them to use limited household funds to keep their families fed. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, food prices in the Atlanta area increased 5% in 2025, following increases of 1.3% in 2024, 5.8% in 2023, and 12% in 2022. Additionally, the average rent in Atlanta is $1,867 per month, while most households served by MAC earn less than $3,000 per month. This Extra Wish will help MAC support families by providing food assistance that allows them to divert money saved on food expenses to other essential household needs.

NETWorks Cooperative Ministry serves individuals and families experiencing food insecurity, housing instability, financial hardship, and other barriers to self-sufficiency in Tucker and surrounding DeKalb County communities. In 2025, NETWorks distributed more than 488,000 pounds of food and provided over $138,000 in emergency financial assistance. Extra Wish funding will be used to acquire approximately 250,000 pounds of food while supporting the day-to-day operations needed to maintain our programs. Your support helps prevent a temporary setback from becoming a crisis. Together, we can keep pantry shelves stocked, families housed, and hope alive for thousands of children, seniors, and working families throughout our community.

5074 Wickford Way, Dunwoody, GA 30338 thesandwichproject.org

613 Spring Street NW, Atlanta, GA 30308 midtownassistancecenter.org

4296 Cowan Road, Tucker, GA 30084 networkscoop.org

EXTRA WISH 2026 | food securit y & nutrition

“The Community Foundation does a fantastic job of understanding the needs of the community and helping donors identify those needs and make wise investments within their communities, and the Extra Wish book is the epitome of that.”

Photo courtesy of The Sandwich Project

—Ken Bernhardt, Community Foundation donor

EXTRA WISH 2026

Health & Human Services

TO KNOW THAT EVEN ONE LIFE HAS BREATHED EASIER BECAUSE YOU HAVE LIVED.

EXTRA WISH 2026

THIS IS TO HAVE SUCCEEDED. Photo courtesy of the DDD Foundation

– Ralph Waldo Emerson

EXTRA WISH 2026 | health & human services

STREETWISE GEORGIA

SHARE HOUSE

StreetWise Georgia has served Gwinnett County for 38 years, providing food, clothing, and hope to families facing hardship. Each week, clients shop at Heaven’s Grocery Store for household essentials, hygiene products, and other needed items, and our Christmas Store allows parents to shop for gifts for their children during the holidays. Working families can access our Thursday night pantry after long shifts, and our monthly drive-through mobile food distributions provide groceries to families without requiring them to leave their cars. Every visit and interaction includes a caring volunteer who treats each person with dignity and respect. This Extra Wish will help the 42,000 individuals who rely on StreetWise Georgia. With federal funding cuts reducing the assistance available to many of our clients, the need is greater than ever.

SHARE House provides crisis intervention and the continuum of care to address the causes and effects of family violence. This Extra Wish will help sustain our specialized Teen Center, a vital program serving adolescents impacted by domestic violence that offers traumainformed mentoring, academic assistance, leadership development, and safe spaces where young survivors can heal and thrive. Youth like Donovan, who transformed his experience of fear and abuse into leadership and mentorship, demonstrate the power of these programs. Due to the loss of federal funding, these life-changing services are at risk. By investing in our Teen Center, donors can help break generational cycles of violence, strengthen families, and create a future where young survivors are empowered to lead lives filled with safety, hope, and opportunity.

1770 Cedars Road, Lawrenceville, GA 30045 streetwisegeorgia.org

8460 Courthouse Square E, Douglasville, GA 30134 sharehousedouglas.org

LIFEGATE COUNSELING CENTER AT PEACHTREE

LifeGate exists to make mental healthcare more accessible through high-quality, reduced-cost services delivered in a safe, confidential, and compassionate setting. Every day, children and families across metro Atlanta arrive at LifeGate carrying burdens they were never meant to carry alone, such as grief, anxiety, trauma, family conflict, and financial strain. When counseling is out of reach, these challenges grow heavier and begin affecting life at home, at school, and in relationships. This Extra Wish will help LifeGate provide reduced-cost counseling for children, youth, and families who need care but cannot afford it. This is more than support for a nonprofit. It is hope for a child learning to feel safe again, support for a parent working to hold a family together, and an investment in a community made stronger when healing is within reach.

3434 Roswell Road, Atlanta, GA 30305 lifegategroup.org

EXTRA WISH 2026 | health & human services

URBAN HEALTH AND WELLNESS: THE URBAN CLINIC

At the Urban Clinic of Atlanta, uninsured adults with limited financial resources can access free, comprehensive healthcare. As one of the few 100% free clinics in the metro Atlanta region, we serve as a true medical home, offering primary care, chronic disease management, laboratory services, medications, and care coordination through ongoing provider relationships. The Extra Wish will help sustain this model, ensuring patients receive consistent care, timely appointments, and supportive services. By expanding access to care for some of our community’s most vulnerable neighbors, reducing preventable emergencies, and improving health outcomes, the Urban Clinic of Atlanta contributes to our community’s overall wellbeing.

777 Cleveland Avenue SW, Suite 209, Atlanta, GA 30315 urbanclinic.org

THE DDD FOUNDATION

IRIS BREAST CANCER REHABILITATION

The DDD Foundation provides accessible, comprehensive dental care to patients with developmental disabilities. Although our work is vital to the health and well-being of one of our community’s most vulnerable populations, dentistry falls outside the funding priorities of many private foundations, and general operating support for dental clinics is becoming increasingly scarce overall. Sustaining this critical care is more challenging than ever. This year, the DDD Foundation will spend $149,000 more than Medicaid reimburses to provide appointments for 400 new patients. This Extra Wish will help offset the rising costs of sedation medications, dental supplies, and equipment while supporting access to care for new patients. Eighty-six cents of every dollar donated goes directly to patient care, helping ensure individuals with developmental disabilities receive the dental care they need and deserve.

Iris offers holistic rehabilitation and support services that help breast cancer patients, survivors, and their families heal and thrive. One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and left to navigate a new world of uncertainty that can feel overwhelming and isolating. Iris addresses the holistic needs of our patients by recognizing that physical, emotional, and psychological well-being are interconnected aspects of healing. Iris provides physical therapy, lymphedema evaluation and treatment, nutrition, counseling, exercise oncology classes, group and family support, and specialized massage. The Extra Wish will help Iris expand these life-changing services to meet growing demand and support more breast cancer patients, survivors, and their families on their healing journey.

3103 Clairmont Road, Suite C, Atlanta, GA 30329 dddfoundation.org

8010 Roswell Road, Suite 120, Atlanta, GA 30350 irisbcr.org

EXTRA WISH 2026 | health & human services

THE BABY PANTRY

COVENANT COMMUNITY

LOVING ARMS CANCER OUTREACH

The Baby Pantry is an Atlanta-based nonprofit ensuring no baby leaves the hospital without the essentials needed to survive and thrive. Through our Safe Start Initiative, we partner with six major hospital systems —including Grady, Northside, Wellstar, Emory, and Piedmont—to provide federally compliant infant car seats and safe sleep cribs to low-income families at hospital discharge. In 2025, we served 4,500 families across metro Atlanta. This Extra Wish will help fund approximately 125 life safety items, protecting infants from the two leading causes of preventable infant death. Every wish provides safety, hope, and dignity to families during a critical time, ensuring newborns have the best possible start in life.

Covenant Community serves men who are recovering from substance abuse disorder, many of whom have lost their housing, jobs, and sometimes their families due to their condition. For 30 years, Covenant Community has walked alongside men on their journey to recovery through residential treatment, peer support, and family healing. “Covenant didn’t just get me back on my feet, they gave me everything I needed to build a new life,” says Zach, a former resident who now serves on Covenant Community’s board. Just a few years ago, Zach was living in a house without power or water and struggling with addiction. Today, he has a wife and child, a home, and a job. Because of funding reductions, this Extra Wish will help keep a counselor or peer specialist on campus for the next man who walks through our door, just as someone did for Zach.

Loving Arms Cancer Outreach provides education, support, resource navigation, and financial assistance to empower cancer patients and families. This Extra Wish will help provide rent and mortgage assistance to cancer patients facing housing instability following the loss of federal ARPA housing assistance funding. In 2025, Loving Arms distributed more than $572,000 in ARPA-funded support, helping vulnerable households remain safely housed during treatment. Those funds are now exhausted, but the need continues to grow. Recently, we helped prevent the eviction of a teacher undergoing treatment for Stage 4 breast cancer who was unable to keep up with rent due to treatment-related financial hardship. Your support will help cancer patients remain housed, avoid eviction, continue treatment, and focus on recovery rather than the threat of losing their homes.

1314 Chattahoochee Avenue NW, Atlanta, GA 30318 thebabypantry.org

623 Spring Street NW, Atlanta, GA 30308 covenantatlanta.org

3475 Dallas Highway, Suite 427, Marietta, GA 30064 lovingarms.support

EXTRA WISH 2026 | health & human services

SPECIAL NEEDS RESPITE

Mental and physical health can suffer when primary caregivers do not have opportunities to care for themselves. Special Needs Respite provides much-needed respite to parents and other primary caregivers, helping reduce stress and strengthen overall family well-being. Since its inception, our organization has served nearly 900 families across metro Atlanta. Despite our best efforts, demand for these vital services continues to exceed our capacity, leaving many families still in need of support. This Extra Wish will help give families of limited means the financial ability to access these essential services.

2300 Holcomb Bridge Rd., Suite 103–218, Roswell, GA 30076 specialneedsrespite.org

VETERANS EMPOWERMENT ORGANIZATION OF GEORGIA

Veterans Empowerment Organization of Georgia (VEO) exclusively serves veterans and their families in metro Atlanta, with a focus on those experiencing homelessness, food insecurity, or barriers to employment and healthcare. Many veterans served by VEO are working to rebuild their lives while struggling with isolation, lack of transportation, and barriers to care. This Extra Wish will help expand Operation STRONG, a program tailored to veterans facing trauma, emotional distress, and the challenges associated with homelessness and instability. This support will help keep the program strong and responsive by covering the everyday costs that make services possible. It will allow more veterans, especially women veterans, to access VEO’s campus, remain connected to critical services, and move toward safety, healing, and longterm stability. 381 West Lake Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30318 veohero.org

BREATHESTRONG CF

BreatheStrong CF advances the well-being of people with cystic fibrosis through education, direct support, and opportunities to thrive. This Extra Wish will provide critical, flexible funding to meet the rapidly growing needs of those we serve. As costs for food, transportation, and healthcare continue to rise, more families are facing difficult tradeoffs that affect their health and stability. This support allows BreatheStrong CF to respond quickly by providing direct financial assistance and access to exercise resources that are essential to maintaining lung function and overall well-being. The impact is immediate and lasting, empowering individuals to stay engaged in their care, reduce stress, and build healthier, more sustainable routines within a supportive community that understands their unique challenges.

P.O. Box 2984, Tucker, GA 30085 breathestrongcf.org

EXTRA WISH 2026

Housing Stability

THE ACHE FOR HOME

EXTRA WISH 2026

LIVES IN ALL OF US. Photo: The Decisive Moment Event Photojournalism

– Maya Angelou

EXTRA WISH 2026 | housing stabilit y

ANCHOR OF HOPE

HOMESTRETCH

HOUSING PLUS

Anchor of Hope serves low-income individuals and families in Cobb, Clayton, Fulton, and Gwinnett counties who are experiencing acute housing instability or are on the brink of homelessness. This Extra Wish will help fuel our One Paycheck project, a critical lifeline for families facing immediate eviction. With 689 applicants currently waiting for assistance, the need continues to outpace our capacity. This funding will strengthen our administrative infrastructure, allowing us to process crises more efficiently and rapidly deploy emergency financial assistance directly to landlords. By turning a financial emergency into immediate housing stability, this support helps prevent displacement before it begins, safeguarding family dignity, keeping children in their schools, and helping families remain safely housed.

HomeStretch empowers homeless families with support to acquire the resources, skills, and behavioral changes needed to achieve and sustain their economic independence. This Extra Wish will function as much-needed general operating support to fuel our unique transitional model, turning housing crises into multi-generational stability. While shelters offer short-term solutions, HomeStretch provides up to 60 months of fully furnished housing, and families keep their furniture upon graduation, eliminating moving debt and preserving dignity. Our holistic two-generation approach helps break cycles of poverty by supporting adults with financial planning and career growth and providing youth with tailored tutoring and summer programs. This support sustains the infrastructure and expert staff needed to transition vulnerable families into permanent, thriving community pillars.

Housing Plus serves low- to moderate-income individuals and families throughout metro Atlanta who are experiencing housing instability, financial hardship, or barriers to economic mobility. This Extra Wish will help launch a new initiative for women reentering the community and reuniting with their children, a population with limited housing options and significant barriers to stability. This support will help cover staffing and startup expenses during the critical lease-up phase of a nine-unit townhouse development where Housing Plus will provide both property management and supportive services. We are uniquely positioned to integrate housing, financial wellness, and community-based support under one model. This investment will strengthen our capacity to serve vulnerable families while helping build a replicable supportive housing model that can expand opportunities for families across metro Atlanta.

2310 Parklake Drive, Suite 130, Atlanta, GA 30345 anchoroh.org

89 Grove Way, Roswell, GA 30075 homestretch.org

245 N. Highland Ave. NE, Suite 230–575, Atlanta, GA 30307 housingplusinc.org

EXTRA WISH 2026 | housing stabilit y

REBECCA’S TENT

1180 University Drive NE, Atlanta, GA 30306 rebeccastent.org

Photo: xavierarnau

Rebecca’s Tent, the sole women-only shelter in DeKalb County, provides safe shelter, case management, and housing support to women experiencing homelessness. This Extra Wish will help sustain and expand critical day services at a time when demand is at an all-time high and food costs continue to rise. This support will provide meals, showers, laundry access, transportation assistance, and housing navigation for women in crisis. With more than 70% of residents transitioning into stable housing, Rebecca’s Tent has demonstrated that combining shelter, individualized case management, and supportive services leads to lasting outcomes. By making these services possible, this Extra Wish helps women move beyond crisis and build safe, stable, and independent lives.

EXTRA WISH 2026 | housing stabilit y

“Extra Wish comes at the perfect time of giving. My family loves reading the stories, understanding how the nonprofit will use the wish, and giving hope. What could be better than that?”

Photo: The Decisive Moment Event Photojournalism

—Diane Martinez, Community Foundation donor

EXTRA WISH 2026 | housing stabilit y

A HOME FOR EVERYONE IN DEKALB

FREERENT FOUNDATION

CARRIE STEELE-PITTS HOME

A Home For Everyone In DeKalb addresses urgent housing needs across our community, including those of the “hidden homeless” who are living in extended-stay hotels and other unstable situations. This Extra Wish will help support two proven solutions: the Snapfinger Transitional Home, which offers safe, stable housing for men rebuilding their lives, and Security Deposit Assistance, which helps at least 80 households each year overcome upfront costs and quickly secure permanent housing. This wish will also sustain life-saving extreme weather support for more than 200 vulnerable residents. Together, these efforts create immediate local impact, helping individuals and families gain stability and independence.

FreeRent is a prevention-focused, upstream intervention supporting Atlanta’s low- to moderate-income working families facing eviction, providing not just rental assistance, but a real pathway to long-term financial stability. For families with little to no financial cushion, one unexpected hardship can undo months of progress. FreeRent was built to interrupt this cycle by providing both immediate relief and the long-term tools families need to build generational wealth. Our model combines 6-12 months of direct rental assistance with individualized case management, savings-building, debt relief, and wraparound support. This Extra Wish will help support the general operating infrastructure and program coordination that makes this work possible, allowing FreeRent to deliver deep, lasting impact that helps families remain stably housed and move toward long-term financial security.

Carrie Steele-Pitts Home serves youth with foster care experience across Georgia through life skills training, workforce development, education support, and housing services. Successful independent living requires more than housing; it demands a clear understanding of each young person’s strengths, challenges, and support needs. Carrie Steele-Pitts Home’s 30 day Independent Living Boot Camp provides assessments and training in financial literacy, household management, employment readiness, mental health, goal setting, and life skills. This Extra Wish will help fund chefs, mentors, therapists, and instructors who provide hands on support and develop individualized plans that build confidence, stability, and long term self sufficiency.

308 Clairemont Avenue, Suite 324, Decatur, GA 30030 ahomeforeveryoneindekalb.org

1344 La France Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30307 freerent.org

1 West Court Square, Suite 750, Decatur, GA 30030 csph.org

EXTRA WISH 2026

Youth Development

EXTRA WISH 2026

THE FUTURE BELONGS TO THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN THE BEAUTY OF THEIR DREAMS. Photo courtesy HealthMPowers

– Eleanor Roosevelt

EXTRA WISH 2026 | youth development

ELITE WOMEN OF EXCELLENCE

Elite Women of Excellence (EWOE) mentors vulnerable high school girls on campus, teaching them life skills and emotional intelligence to build confident, resilient, futureready leaders. This Extra Wish will help offset the cost of purchasing 30 iPads for the EWOE’s on-campus Lunch and Learn program at South Cobb and Cobb Horizon High Schools. In partnership with Cobb Mentoring Matters and Communities In Schools, we serve vulnerable girls during the school day, eliminating transportation barriers and providing premium catered meals that offer a dignified experience often beyond their families’ budgets. As demand grows, this reusable technology infrastructure will allow us to expand our reach across both campuses, navigate strict campus phone bans through interactive digital tools, and provide a secure, private portal where students can track personal goals and turn potential into purpose. 4216 Mill Grove Lane, Smyrna, GA 30082 ewoe.org

HEARTS EVERYWHERE REACHING OUT FOR CHILDREN

For more than 20 years, H.E.R.O. for Children has improved the quality of life for children living with and affected by HIV/AIDS through enriching programs, unforgettable experiences, and meaningful community connections. Our programs and services include mentoring, camp, life skills training, educational enrichment scholarships, holiday gifts, and unforgettable experiences such as the University of Georgia’s HEROs Olympics and visits to the Atlanta Opera. As funding becomes increasingly uncertain, this Extra Wish will help provide flexible operating support needed to sustain the day-to-day operations that make our work possible and ensure these children continue to receive free, high-quality programs that inspire hope, build confidence, and create lasting opportunities.

580 West Crossville Road, Suite 204, Roswell, GA 30075 heroforchildren.org

ATLANTA CHILDREN’S DAY SHELTER

Atlanta Children’s Day Shelter breaks the cycle of poverty for families facing homelessness through pathways to self-sufficiency and quality early childhood education. When families experience homelessness, children often lose the stability essential to their learning and development. This Extra Wish will help support our unique two-generation approach that helps both children and parents build stability and long-term self-sufficiency. Children receive safe, nurturing, high-quality early childhood education while parents work toward stable housing, employment, and educational goals. Flexible funding allows us to respond quickly to urgent needs, remove barriers to success, and provide the individualized support that helps families transition from crisis to stability.

607 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30308 acsatl.org

EXTRA WISH 2026 | youth development

MOST VALUABLE KIDS OF GREATER ATLANTA

MEN OF EXCELLENCE

BEARINGS BIKE WORKS

Many Atlanta youth live just miles from our city’s world-class sports, arts, and cultural venues yet have never had the opportunity to experience them. Most Valuable Kids (MVK) changes that by turning unused seats into life-changing experiences. Since 2017, MVK has distributed more than 79,000 tickets through 100+ schools and nonprofits. This Extra Wish will help fund our More Than A Ticket initiative, providing tickets and meals that foster connection, belonging, and inspiration. A meal before a show or Hawks game helps remove barriers to participation while creating opportunities for youth to connect with peers and mentors. With your support, hundreds of youth will create lasting memories, imagine new possibilities for their futures, and build the confidence to pursue their next chapter.

Men of Excellence has worked inside metro Atlanta schools for a decade, serving 150 students in grades 3 through 12 and mentoring more than 1,000 youth since 2016. We award scholarships to graduating seniors, pay college application and book fees, and provide rental assistance to single parents to help stabilize housing and keep children in school. Dozens of volunteers, including students, parents, and community members, support our fundraising efforts through concession operations at stadium sporting events, including the 2026 FIFA World Cup. This Extra Wish will help fund a transportation account that ensures volunteers have safe, reliable rides to and from shifts throughout the Falcons season, Atlanta United matches, and beyond, strengthening the volunteer support that makes our work possible.

Bearings Bike Works’ mission is to put the right tools in the hands of youth, enabling them to advance their skills and build productive lives. Every afternoon, youth from some of Atlanta’s most under-resourced neighborhoods walk into Bearings Bike Works and get to work. They repair bikes, earn achievements, and build relationships with adults who know them by name. The skills they develop, including perseverance, focus, communication, and the confidence that comes from mastering something challenging, are exactly what the next generation needs to thrive. As demand for free, high-quality after-school programming grows across the city, this Extra Wish will help keep our doors open, our shop stocked, and our staff present for every young person who walks in. It’s a small investment with a long reach, creating opportunities that can have a lasting impact on a child’s future.

285 West Wieuca Road NE, #B113, Atlanta, GA 30342 mostvaluablekids.org/atlanta

3832 Lake Haven Way, Atlanta, GA 30349 menofexcellenceinc.com

982 Murphy Avenue SW, Atlanta, GA 30310 bearingsbikeworks.org

EXTRA WISH 2026 | youth development

ANYONE CAN CAMPS

Anyone Can Camps empowers children through accessible camp experiences that spark curiosity, build confidence, and foster belonging. The Summer of Possibility Fund helps children from low-income Atlanta families attend summer camp and after-care when cost would otherwise keep them home. This year, 17 children have already requested scholarship assistance, including three siblings being raised by their aunt after she became their sole caregiver. She works full-time and cannot afford summer care for all three children on her own. Last summer, a generous donor made camp possible, giving the children a safe place to learn, make friends, build confidence, and simply be kids. This Extra Wish will help ensure more children have the same opportunity, transforming a summer of uncertainty into one filled with safety, belonging, growth, and possibility.

2090 Snow Road, Atlanta, GA 30311 anyonecancamps.com

CHRISTIAN PROFESSIONALS NETWORK WORLDWIDE FOUNDATION

Christian Professionals Network Worldwide Foundation (CPNWF) systematically dismantles generational poverty by restoring important social capital, executive trust, and professional networks to youth. While Atlanta thrives as a corporate hub, youth living below the federal poverty line on the Westside are often disconnected from the professional networks that create opportunities. CPNWF fills this gap by building a permanent “Relational Infrastructure” around 45 youth on-site at the City of Refuge. We match students with marketplace professionals who provide multi-year career mentorship, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship training. This Extra Wish will help ensure uninterrupted programming amid shifting local funding by covering mentor training, background checks, curriculum materials, and corporate site visits. Help us transform youth from passive recipients of aid into active economic creators. 3343 Peachtree Rd. NE, Suite 180, #A2010, Atlanta, GA 30326 cpnworldwide.com

HEALTHMPOWERS

HealthMPowers champions healthy habits and transforms environments where children live, learn, and play. Elementary students at one metro Atlanta school just painted their playground into a learning obstacle course, their idea and their design. Middle school girls in our Girls Empowering Movement lead weekly activity breaks for entire schools. This spring, teens on our Youth Advisory Board met with legislators at the Georgia State Capitol to expand healthy food access for students. This is HealthMPowers: one leadership pipeline, reaching 70 schools and community sites and 28,000 children, led by young people and their adult allies. When federal cuts eliminated 80% of our funding, these kids kept showing up. So did we. This Extra Wish will help keep the pipeline running. Fund HealthMPowers, and you fund the moment a young person finds their voice and uses it.

3000 Northwoods Parkway, Suite 240, Norcross, GA 30071 healthmpowers.org

EXTRA WISH 2026

LET’S DO THIS! 75 WISHES. UP TO $5,000 TO HELP EACH ONE COME TRUE. LEKOTEK OF GEORGIA

Lekotek’s mission is to include children with disabilities in their families and communities, while helping every child reach their potential. All children learn through play, but children with disabilities often cannot access typical learning environments. For example, a child who cannot use a standard mouse may be unable to use a computer without adaptative technology. This Extra Wish will help purchase innovative technology and software designed to meet the needs of children with physical and cognitive disabilities. Emily, who uses an eyegaze camera, the black bar attached to the monitor, can now play computer bowling games with her brother, Jonathan. By fixating her eyes on the bowling ball, she can send it down the lane while Jonathan uses a mouse. According to their mother, Ryan, “Lekotek makes it possible for them to play together.”

1901 Montreal Road, Suite 126, Tucker, GA 30084 lekotekga.org

READY TO GRANT AN EXTRA WISH? HERE ARE TWO EASY WAYS TO GIVE

Contact the philanthropy team. Reach out to your CFGA Philanthropic Advisor. We’re happy to help you make your gift.

Use the fund advisor portal. Log in to your fund advisor portal to grant a wish. Please note “Extra Wish” in the purpose line.

GIVING OUTSIDE YOUR FUND If you choose to fund a wish outside your fund with the Community Foundation, please contact us at philanthropy@cfgreateratlanta.org.

191 Peachtree Street NE, Suite 1000, Atlanta, GA 30303 Unless otherwise credited, all photographs in this catalog were provided by the featured organizations.

cfgreateratlanta.org