Reflections from the Chair
In 2024, the Georgia Chamber Foundation doubled down on its commitment to provide tailored insights, actionable research, and policy solutions to equip Georgia’s business community with leading data analysis and strategy. This year, the Foundation’s economic reports focused on the issue areas that will be transformative to our state including investments in our freight and logistics systems and developing a workforce of the future in our fastest growing industries. This data will be integral as we communicate the statewide business community’s need to continue our sustained, record-breaking economic success.
I am extremely proud that the Foundation awarded more than $2 million to rural school districts across the state through a grant funded by the Georgia Department of Education’s Office of Rural Education and Innovation (REI) and Office of Career, Technical, and Agriculture Education. More than 60 rural school districts used these funds to increase workforce preparedness in their communities that are further aligned with business and industry need, raised awareness of post-secondary and high-demand career opportunities, and expanded entrepreneurial and work-based learning opportunities. Equipping Georgia’s education and business leaders with the tools they need to develop meaningful education programs creates successful models that can be utilized by other communities to ensure long-term economic growth.
The Foundation had a profoundly impactful 2024, and I know the new year and new Georgia Chamber Foundation Chair Kim Greene will create new opportunities to develop solutions and policies to propel our state forward.
STUART COUNTESS, CHAIR Georgia Chamber Foundation
What to Expect in 2025
This past year, the Georgia Chamber Foundation’s Quarterly Economic Reports highlighted solutions to numerous issues related to rural Georgia’s workforce, Georgia’s fastest growing industries and occupations, opportunities in local communities, K-12 workforce programs, and Georgia’s infrastructure needs. In 2025, the Foundation aims to produce even more curated data, tailored insights, and actionable best practice guides to better support community, business, and elected leaders. Part of this initiative will include additional reports and resources to enable proactive policy development.
Additionally, our team is excited to launch our Clean Tech Career Initiative, which will assess the state’s clean tech workforce ecosystem and develop career paths to enable Georgians to move into clean tech occupations across industry sectors. This project will enable the Foundation to convene industry, education, and workforce partners to explore where to make investments in the Clean Tech workforce to enhance Georgia’s position as a hub of future-focused growth. This project will continue over the next two years and will include a strong communications campaign to increase awareness of these in-demand career opportunities available to Georgians.
The Georgia Chamber Foundation proudly announces the launch of the 2025 National Civics Bee®, an initiative aimed at encouraging more young Americans to engage in civics and contribute to their communities. Hosted in partnership with The Civic Trust® of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, the state competition in Georgia, to be held in June 2025, will inspire middle schoolers to become better informed about American democracy, to engage respectfully and constructively in the community, and to build greater trust in others and institutions. The winner will receive a trip to Washington, D.C. to compete in the national championship in the Fall of 2025.
A top concern voiced by Georgia Chamber members and partners has been navigating childcare challenges as parents seek high-quality, affordable options to prepare their children for a lifetime of success. In 2025, the Georgia Chamber Foundation will partner with the Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students to bring the Best Place for Working Parents to Georgia. The first of its kind self-assessment was developed by business leaders and researchers, allowing employers to earn a Best Place for Working Parents designation. Furthermore, this tool enables businesses to showcase the benefits they provide to working parents and assess their practices against other companies in their industry and size of business. Through strategic data collection, our private and public leaders will be equipped with insights to drive impactful solutions to childcare challenges in our state.
As we look towards another successful year, we thank all of our partners who make it possible to produce insights that benefit Georgians and Georgia businesses for a more prosperous future.
DANIELA PERRY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Georgia Chamber Foundation
Advancing Georgia’s Competitive Edge
The Georgia Chamber Foundation dedicates itself to producing in-depth economic analysis, actionable insights, and proactive solutions to better prepare Georgia’s business and community leaders for our future challenges, increasing the state’s competitiveness and economic prosperity.
How We Do It
Central to the work of the Foundation is data collection to drive analysis and insight curation, equipping Georgia’s business community with the information they need most to deliver positive results. This analysis supports meaningful convenings of private and public partners to evaluate the most effective policy solutions to keep Georgia competitive and prosperous.
This is accomplished through:
• In-Depth Economic Analysis
• Strategic Insights for Businesses
• Policy Development
• Grant-Funded Projects
2024 Georgia Chamber Foundation Focus Areas
• Economic Competitiveness and Resiliency
• Regional Prosperity
• Talent and Workforce
Georgia Chamber Foundation Annual Deliverables
The Foundation’s focus areas guide its efforts through a variety of initiatives focused on providing business intelligence and long-term policy solutions:
• Economic Competitiveness Redbook
• Center for Workforce and Talent Preparedness
• Center for Rural Prosperity
• Executive Insights Survey
• Hub Chamber Council
• Foundation Policy Summits
• Quarterly Economic Reports
Georgia Chamber Foundation 2024 Highlights
Appling County
Banks County
Ben Hill County
Berrien County
Brantley County
Burke County
Dade County Decatur County Dooly County Early County
Jones County
Lamar County
Georgia Chamber Foundation | 2024 Annual Report
Lanier County
Grant-Supported Initiatives
Butts County
Candler County
Chattahoochee County
County
County
County
County
Lee County
Lincoln County
Macon County
Madison County
Marion County
Pickens County
Pike County
Quitman County
Randolph County
Seminole County
Stephens County
Stewart County
Sumter County
County Haralson County
McDuffie County
Tattnall County
Increasing Preparedness in Rural Georgia’s Future Generations
Chattooga County
Clinch County
Cook County
Crawford County
Crisp County
County
County Irwin County Jeff Davis County
McIntosh County
Meriwether County
Miller County
Mitchell County
Oglethorpe County
Taylor County
Toombs County
Turner County
Twiggs County
The Georgia Chamber of Commerce Foundation, through its Center for Rural Prosperity, partnered with the Georgia Department of Education’s Office of Rural Education and Innovation (REI) and Office of Career, Technical, and Agriculture Education to award over 2 million dollars to more than 60 rural school districts to support the implementation of locally developed workforce preparedness initiatives. Programs were funded that addressed one of the three areas:
Johnson County
Peach County
Grant Funded Projects:
• Be Pro Be Proud mobile units visits
Grant Funded Projects:
• Georgia FLEX and Flexcellerator
• Be Pro Be Proud mobile unit visits
• Teacher and staff externships
• Georgia FLEX and Flexcellerator
• Industry certifications for students
• Teacher and staff externships
• Skills bootcammps
• Industry certifications for students
• Investments in healthcare and manufacturing programs & pathways
• Skills bootcamps
• Investments in healthcare and manufacturing programs & pathways
FOCUS AREA 1 Strengthen alignment with business and industry needs
FOCUS AREA 2 Expand awareness of post-secondary and high-demand career opportunities
FOCUS AREA 3 Expand entrepreneurial and work-based learning opportunities for rural students
By engaging with 64 rural school districts, the Georgia Chamber Foundation was proud to:
GRANT RECIPIENT IMPACT
SUPPORT ENGAGE IMPACT
Business & Industry Partners Impacted
17,000+
Students Supported
To learn more about this initiative, click here
Counties impacted by the grant:
Appling County
Banks County
Ben Hill County
Berrien County
Dade County
Decatur County
Dooly County
Early County
Jones County
Lamar County
Lanier County
Lee County
700+ Teachers & Faculty Engaged
Pickens County
Pike County
Quitman County
Randolph County
Advancing Access to Workforce Preparedness Programs in Rural Georgia
Brantley County
Burke County
Elbert County
Lincoln County
Seminole County
Chattooga County
Clinch County
Cook County
Crawford County
Crisp County
Emanuel County
Macon County
Stephens County
Stewart County
Sumter County
Tattnall County
Haralson County
Hart County
Heard County
Irwin County
Jeff Davis County
Johnson County
McIntosh County
Meriwether County
Miller County
Mitchell County
Oglethorpe County
Peach County
Taylor County
Toombs County
Turner County
Twiggs County
Through the support of the Truist Charitable Fund, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce Foundation augmented the efforts of our partners Be Pro Be Proud as well as the Georgia Foundational Leadership and Entrepreneurship Experience (FLEX). The Foundation is supporting the expansion of FLEX to three rural communities as well as 12 days of Be Pro Be Proud visits in rural communities. Through increased access to these workforce preparedness programs, the Georgia Chamber Foundation and our partners are mitigating barriers to educational access and employment opportunities, resulting in a more prosperous rural Georgia.
The Truist Charitable Fund is committed to Truist Financial Corporation’s purpose to inspire and build better lives and communities. A donor-advised fund administered by The Winston-Salem Foundation, Truist Charitable Fund invests in local community organizations, focusing on grants that support initiatives and programs in the areas of educational equity, leadership development and essential community services.
Grant Funded Projects:
• Be Pro Be Proud mobile unit visits
• Georgia FLEX and Flexcellerator
• Teacher and staff externships
• Industry certifications for students
• Skills bootcamps
• Investments in healthcare and manufacturing programs & pathways
Survey Results 2024
Research and Insights
The Georgia Chamber partnered with Deloitte Consulting to complete our 2nd Executive Insights Survey. This was completed in January 2024 and over 1,000 CEOs were asked to participate. 83% of respondents represent companies headquartered in Georgia.
Overall, executives are feeling more positive about the economy. Almost 80% of all executives are ”Very Optimistic” or “Optimistic” about their Industry’s Performance in Georgia, a 14 percentage point increase year over year.
Curated Insights from Georgia Business Leaders
Moreover, 77% of executives are “Very Optimistic” or “Optimistic” about the Georgia economy. This represents at 17 percent increase year over year.
The 2024 Executive Insights Survey, conducted in partnership with Deloitte Consulting, LLP revealed that--yet again--Georgia executives were much more optimistic about the Georgia economy than the U.S. economy. Our research found that 77% of Georgia-based executives are optimistic or very optimistic about Georgia’s economy and only 41% reported the same about the U.S. economy.
What is your personal outlook towards the following over the next 12 months?
What is your personal outlook towards the following over the next 12 months?
Results indicated that Georgia business leaders overwhelmingly agree Georgia is a great place to operate their business in the current climate and grow their business over the long-term. Executives attributed this to the state’s population growth, robust economic development announcements and faith in state leadership.
Talent and workforce availability is the top business climate issue among executives, with 62% ranking it in their top three business climate issues for the state.
For a second consecutive year, the majority of CEOs are expecting to increase both revenue, fulltime employment, and capital investment in the next 12 months – 85%, 70%, and 70%, respectively.
Executives are reporting significantly increased investments in AI with 57% of executives expecting to invest in AI over the next three years, with 32% of executives reporting they made investments in AI over the last three years.
Over the next year, by what percentage do you expect your company’s revenue to grow?
2024 Foundation Economic Reports
Over the next year, by what percentage do you expect full-time employment in your company to grow?
Over the next year, by what percentage do you expect your company’s capital investments to grow?
Alongside the release of the 2024 Economic Competitiveness Redbook, reports were issued throughout the year on the Future of Freight and Logistics, the Future of Small Business, the Future of Rural Georgia’s Workforce, Increasing Talent in Georgia’s Fastest Growing Industries, and the State of Housing in Georgia.
To view these and more Georgia Chamber Foundation research, click here
Foundation Initiatives
Center for Workforce and Talent Preparedness
For over 100 years, the Georgia Chamber has led the call for prosperity in all of Georgia’s 159 counties. In 2017, the Chamber committed to a long-term initiative focusing on the future well-being of Georgia’s rural communities. The Chamber began its rural work by opening the Center for Rural Prosperity in Tifton, a regional office dedicated to providing support to rural communities. The Center’s mission is to work alongside our south Georgia partners to improve economic mobility and success.
The New Georgia Economy
Since its founding, the Georgia Chamber has helped businesses and communities mitigate risk, take advantage of opportunities, and better understand the changes impacting our state. Today, Georgia’s society and economy are changing faster than at any other point in our history. The Georgia Chamber is adapting to this reality and how people live, work, and play. From protecting free enterprise, diversity and talent, to healthcare, infrastructure, innovation, and rural Georgia, we want to explore what comes next and how we plan for the future. The Foundation supported tailored insights shared with communities across the state to assist in building a comprehensive planning strategy.
Engaging Through Events
The Foundation supported programming for the following events in 2024 in an effort to effectively explore the top challenges facing business and community leaders, proactive solutions, and next steps to build a more prosperous future.
Future of Talent and Workforce Preparedness
The Foundation hosted the fourth annual Future of Georgia Summit. In 2024, programming focused solely on talent development and workforce preparedness and featured innovative strategies and proven models to provide tangible takeaways on how to best improve workforce preparedness in communities across Georgia.
Future of Sustainability
The Georgia Chamber’s second annual Future of Sustainability event brought business leaders and sustainability experts together to share strategies for developing a competitive advantage while working towards effective stewardship of our natural resources. Attendees identified how businesses can become more sustainable while strengthening bottom-line performance.
Future of Small Business
The Foundation launched the inaugural Future of Small Business Summit in 2024. Small businesses represent 99.6% of all businesses in the state and employ millions of Georgians. This year’s summit focused on top trends for small businesses as well as solutions-oriented discussions pertaining to talent development and building social capital.
To learn more about the Georgia Chamber Foundation, please contact Daniela Perry, at dperry@gachamber.com