Atlanta Equity

Overview

There is tremendous need and urgency to address the growing racial and economic disparities in Atlanta.

Since its inception, the Kendeda Fund’s Atlanta program has supported and helped launch dozens of projects focused on the arts, environment, human-services and more. And many of these have helped permanently reshape the civic fabric of Atlanta. Building on that record of accomplishment, in 2016 we were compelled to reexamine our strategy in order to focus more deeply on an equity agenda for metro Atlanta.

We seek to advance equity (just practices, access and gains) for all residents of metro Atlanta by investing in education transformation and economic opportunity in communities of color that have been historically oppressed.

Education Transformation seeks to advance options for children and families to have a high quality education by supporting the expansion of great schools, school-level talent pipeline, community engagement, and supportive education policies.

Economic Opportunity prioritizes community wealth building and income security, permanent affordable and workforce housing, and access to quality public transit in underinvested communities and marginalized communities of color.

We do this by:

• Championing equity, including racial equity, as a part of the design, implementation and outcome for community change and revitalization
• Learning and sharing for field building and systems change
• Leading with an asset-based approach and drawing upon existing skills, institutions and associations
• Supporting efforts that enhance the quality of life for those most underserved and underinvested
• Striving to invest in ideas that challenge (and overturn) unjust norms and systems

Inherent to our work is environmental sustainability and conserving our planet’s resources wisely.

Goals

• We believe equitable community development (human and infrastructure) can be a viable economic driver for community vitality in low-income communities of color.
• We strive to accelerate promising and innovative solutions that promote education and economic justice in partnership with low-wealth and marginalized communities of color.
• We seek to activate local funders (government, private, and public) to embed equity as an essential component for community investment.
• We aim to attract national funders and increase new investments in this work so that can help drive equitable education and economic outcomes for all.

Grants

We actively seek out and support organizations throughout Atlanta that provide creative solutions to community challenges and opportunities to address the unique needs of the region.