Coastal Georgia Foundation Awards $107,700 in recent grant cycle

Twenty-two organizations working directly with our community’s most vulnerable populations were awarded a total of $107,700 in grants from the Coastal Georgia Foundation’s Community Impact competitive grants initiative. Although these organizations provide critical and important services to at-risk youth and their families in Glynn, Camden and McIntosh counties, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been an added factor in the decision-making process.

The Foundation annually budgets $50,000 for its Community Impact grants initiative, and especially this year, generous fund holders and friends were able to make up the $57,700 gap to meet the needs of twenty-two recipients.

“At a time when communities are reeling from the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, generosity is reaching new heights. The Foundation was able to more than double the support it is making available to agencies providing essential services to Coastal Georgia’s most vulnerable population; at-risk youth and the adults caring for them. Well done, Coastal Georgians!”

The next Community Impact grants cycle will open in January 2021, with applications due in February 2021.

A brief description of the grant recipients and programs follows:

Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeast Georgia, Brunswick - $5,000

Camden Community Crisis Center, St. Marys - $5,000

CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) Glynn, Inc., Brunswick and St. Marys - $4,200

Camden Connection* (CCAR), St. Marys - $5,000

Centered for Life*, Brunswick - $5,000

Children in Action Sports Club (CIA), Brunswick - $5,000

Coastal Coalition for Children, Inc., Brunswick - $5,000

Coastal Outreach Academics, Brunswick - $5,000

Communities in Schools of Glynn County, Brunswick - $4,000

The Gathering Place, Brunswick - $5,000

Georgia Legal Services Program, Inc.*, Brunswick - $5,000

Golden Isles Arts and Humanities Association, Brunswick - $5,000

Grace House of Brunswick, Brunswick - $5,000

Habitat for Humanity of Glynn County, Inc., Brunswick - $5,000

Hope 1312 Collective, Inc., Brunswick - $5,000

House of Hope, Refuge of Love, Brunswick - $5,000

Morningstar Children and Family Services, Inc., Brunswick - $5,000

The Remedy Project*, Brunswick - $5,000

Safe Harbor Children’s Center, Inc., Brunswick - $5,000

St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Darien - $5,000

STAR Foundation, Brunswick - $5,000

YMCA of the Golden Isles, Darien - $5,000

*denotes first-time competitive grant recipient

About the Coastal Georgia Foundation

The Coastal Georgia Foundation was incorporated in 2005, as a tax-exempt public charity created by and for the people of Glynn, McIntosh and Camden counties. The Foundation now has assets over $30 million and has awarded over $17 million in grants, the majority to community organizations in the three-county region and Georgia. The Foundation serves ordinary citizens who have the extraordinary vision for a better life for their neighbors, friends, families, and fellow coastal Georgians - today and for future generations. The Foundation seeks to be the region’s trusted source for thoughtful philanthropic counsel, sound financial management and strategic community investment. www.coastalgeorgiafoundation.org

The Community Emergency Needs Fund has awarded a total of $100,000 in grant distributions to coastal agencies providing basic needs such as food, clothing, shelter, water, prescriptions/healthcare, and transportation to work and medical care to those who have been disproportionately impacted by the corona virus pandemic. The Needs Fund is managed in partnership by the Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation and United Way of Coastal Georgia to serve coastal residents that have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic.

These funding awards represent Phase One of a multi-phase response to quickly deploy resources into the community. Phase One recipients are:

America’s Second Harvest – Providing community-wide food distribution events and increased food distribution to partner agencies.

Faithworks Ministry – Providing food distribution at the Sparrow’s Nest and maintaining the Well for the homeless.

Golden Isles YMCA - Providing childcare for the children of essential workers who don’t have the option of working from home and require childcare (healthcare workers, first responders, DFCS, Gateway).

Boys and Girls Club – Food distribution of snack and dinner to area children.

Salvation Army - Extended their capacity to shelter clients by resourcing their chapel into a temporary shelter to accept 20 additional clients.

Safe Harbor Street Outreach - Providing homeless assistance with hotel/motel vouchers, transportation, and food distribution.

Coastal Community Health Services - Providing financial assistance for fees, copays, and medication for those who have lost insurance due to unemployment as well as extending their capacity for drive-thru COVID-19 testing.

Communities in Schools – Food distribution for families that have no access to transportation. Distributing donated computers to students without access to a computer in the home.

Coastal Outreach Soccer - Food distribution for families that have no access to transportation. Distributing donated computers to students without access to a computer in the home.

Morningstar Family and Children’s Services – Providing telehealth counseling sessions. Continuing to provide residential care to students.

Darien United Methodist Church – Providing weekly food delivery to elderly and at-risk individuals in McIntosh County.

St Andrews and St Cyprians Episcopal Churches – Food distribution and financial assistance for rent and utilities for McIntosh residents.

House of Hope – Providing residential care for girls that are victims of human trafficking.

Grace House – Providing residential care and treatment to women recovering from addiction.

Additional funding phases will occur in the coming weeks.

“We are so pleased to be able to quickly begin distributing resources to help Coastal Georgians weather the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic,” says Mary Jenrette, United Way of Coastal Georgia Board Chair.

“As we look toward reopening our community, we are seeing so clearly that the COVID-19 pandemic will have a deep and wide impact on local economy,” Jack Kilgore, Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation Board Chair. “We will see and feel the need continuing to increase for some time. We encourage all to consider making a gift to the Emergency Needs Fund.”

Individuals, families, businesses and other philanthropy organizations are invited to continue to give to the Needs Fund at this link.

A just-announced $100,000 grant to the Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation by The Anschutz Foundation is dedicated to assisting coastal area residents who have suffered temporary or permanent job losses due to the economic impact of COVID-19. The grant will be added to the Community Emergency Needs Fund established and managed jointly by the United Way of Coastal Georgia and the Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation.

Scott Steilen, President and CEO of Sea Island, one of the largest employers in our area which has temporarily closed its resort operations, approached The Anschutz Foundation to support this effort. “I have been asked by many area residents how they can assist those in our community who have lost their jobs because of this pandemic. A key way to help is to follow their lead and donate to the Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation, which has the infrastructure in place to quickly distribute these funds to those agencies assisting individuals who have lost their jobs. This is our home, and now is the time when our community needs us most. Please join with us to help.” Steilen has issued a challenge to the community to match or exceed these donated funds.

Davis and Robin Love quickly accepted this challenge with a pledge of $50,000 from the Love family. According to Love, “Robin and I are incredibly saddened to see the economic pain caused to so many people we know and see on a regular basis. We experienced the caring, giving spirit of this community first-hand recently and encourage others to join us in helping many of the people who make our area an amazing place to live.”

Paul White, President and CEO of the Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation, extends his thanks to both The Anschutz Foundation and the Loves and encourages the community to accept this challenge to help those directly affected by the loss of their jobs. “In these challenging times, collaboration will help our community survive this crisis and emerge stronger when it is past. The Coastal Georgia Foundation and the United Way look forward to working with Coastal Georgians to meet and exceed the generosity of both donors. The addition of these grants to the generous gifts already made by other foundations, fund holders and many coastal Georgians have combined to give this initiative a very strong start.”

Community members are invited to visit the Coastal Georgia Foundation’s web site – www.coastalgeorgiafoundation.org - to donate to the Community Emergency Needs Fund. Information for agencies seeking funding is also available on the site.

About the Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation
The Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation (CCGF) was incorporated in 2005, as a tax-exempt public charity created by and for the people of Glynn, McIntosh and Camden counties. The Foundation now has assets over $30 million and has awarded over $16 million in grants to community organizations in the three-county region and beyond. The Foundation serves ordinary citizens who have the extraordinary vision for a better life for their neighbors, friends, families, and fellow coastal Georgians - today and for future generations. The Foundation seeks to be the region’s trusted source for thoughtful philanthropic counsel, sound financial management and strategic community investment. www.coastalgeorgiafoundation.org

About the United Way of Coastal Georgia
United Way of Coastal Georgia located in Brunswick, Georgia is the leading facilitator of community enrichment for both Glynn and McIntosh counties. The mission of United Way of Coastal Georgia is to bring diverse people and resources together to address the most urgent issues that the community faces. Through unique partnerships and approaches, United Way of Coastal Georgia seeks to invest in the building blocks of a good life; a quality education that leads to a stable job, income to support a family though retirement and good health. For additional information, visit www.uwcga.org.

{slider=About}

The Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation and the United Way of Coastal Georgia opened the Community Emergency Needs Fund after Hurricane Irma brought high winds and flooding to the Golden Isles as a way to help our communities deal with the immediate aftermath and recovery efforts. The Fund pivoted in early 2020 to address emergent needs in response to the spreading Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic by distributing grants to local non-profits working to help those in crisis.

The Community Emergency Needs Fund has remained a flexible resource able to respond to the emergent needs of the residents of Coastal Georgia who are disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 and the economic and public health consequences of this outbreak.

Charitable grants fund agencies in our community with strong experience in providing basic needs such as food, clothing, shelter, water, prescriptions/healthcare, and transportation to work and medical care. The Fund is designed to complement the work of local public health, nonprofit, and government entities, and to expand local capacity to support individuals and families experiencing hardship because of the COVID-19 outbreak and related closures and disruptions.

For more information, please contact:

Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation
info@coastalgeorgiafoundation.org 

Justin Callaway, President & CEO
United Way of Coastal Georgia
justin@uwcga.org 

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{slider=How to Donate}

Donate online: Please see our Donation page for more information. 

Donate by check: Make checks payable to the Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation and indicate that your gift should be directed to the Community Emergency Needs Fund. Mail checks to: The Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation, Attn: Ellen Post, 1316 Newcastle St., Suite 201, Brunswick, GA 31520

CCGF can facilitate other types of donations, including donations from Donor Advised Funds and stock transfers. For questions about making a charitable donation, please contact Ellen Post at epost@coastalgeorgiafoundation.org.

If your business or company would like to join the collaboration and provide a corporate gift, please email Ellen Post at epost@coastalgeorgiafoundation.org.

CCGF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity and all donations to the Fund are tax deductible as allowed by law.

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{slider=Organizations Seeking Grants from the Needs Fund}

To deploy resources rapidly, we will not be posting a grant application. We will instead work together with community advisors and funders to identify organizations currently providing types of support to area residents that are aligned with the priorities of the Fund to expand available resources and relief. 

For questions regarding the Community Emergency Needs Fund, and how grant funds will be deployed, please email Ellen Post, epost@coastalgeorgiafoundation.org or Janelle Harvey janelle@uwcga.org. 

Ellen Post
Grants & Gifts Manager
Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation

Janelle Harvey
Community Impact Manager
United Way of Coastal Georgia

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{slider=Grantees}

Current list of Recipients: 

America’s Second Harvest – Providing community-wide food distribution events and increased food distribution to partner agencies.
Faithworks Ministry – Providing food distribution at the Sparrow’s Nest and maintaining the Well for the homeless.
Golden Isles YMCA - Providing childcare for the children of essential workers who don’t have the option of working from home and require childcare (healthcare workers, first responders, DFCS, Gateway).
Boys and Girls Club of Southeast Georgia– Food distribution of snack and dinner to area children.
Salvation Army - Extended their capacity to shelter clients by resourcing their chapel into a temporary shelter to accept 20 additional clients.
Safe Harbor Street Outreach - Providing homeless assistance with hotel/motel vouchers, transportation, and food distribution.

Safe Harbor-Coordinated Entry Systems
Coastal Community Health Services - Providing financial assistance for fees, copays, and medication for those who have lost insurance due to unemployment, as well as extending their capacity for drive-thru COVID-19 testing.
Communities in Schools – Food distribution for families that have no access to transportation. Distributing donated computers to students without access to a computer in the home.
Coastal Outreach Academies - Food distribution for families that have no access to transportation. Distributing donated computers to students without access to a computer in the home.
MorningStar Children and Family Services – Providing telehealth counseling sessions. Continuing to provide residential care to students.
Darien United Methodist Church – Providing weekly food delivery to elderly and at-risk individuals in McIntosh County.
St. Andrews and St. Cyprians Episcopal Churches – Food distribution and financial assistance for rent and utilities for McIntosh residents.
House of Hope – Providing residential care for girls that are victims of human trafficking.
Grace House – Providing residential care and treatment to women recovering from addiction.

Family Connections-Coastal Georgia Community Action Authority

Coastal Coalition for Children

Camden Community Crisis Center

Centered for Life

Coastal Counseling Center

St. Simons Presbyterian Church

STAR Foundation

Hospice of the Golden Isles

Ravens of Elijah Food Ministries

Glynn Community Crisis Center

American Red Cross

St. Marys Salvation Army

Saved By Grace

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{slider=Impact Assessment Tool for Nonprofits}

As our communities work together to eradicate COVID-19,  the Community Foundation and United Way are often asked how we determine which organizations are eligible for funding.

Here’s what you need to know about  :

• Any 501(c)(3) organization doing business Coastal Georgia is eligible to complete the survey.

• Organizations (preferably executive directors) can complete a survey at any time. Logging in from the same computer and browser they used to initially complete the survey, they can update their information as situations develop. Be sure to update the date on your survey as you adjust your answers.

• If you’d prefer to skip a specific question, you may do so.

• It is very important to note that every organization’s information will be listed publicly. Any question can be left blank if the organization doesn’t want it to be public information.

• Results will be posted in Excel, sorted alphabetically by Organization Name. They can be downloaded and resorted by the Organization’s City and/or Organization Type.

Click here to complete the survey.

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{slider=Media Inquiries}

Media Inquiries

Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation
info@coastalgeorgiafoundation.org 

Justin Callaway
President and CEO
United Way of the Coastal Georgia
justin@uwcga.org

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Frequently Asked Questions

{slider=I’m an individual who’s been affected by Coronavirus. Can this Fund help me?}

We understand many individuals and families have already been affected by the outbreak and more will continue to be affected. On behalf of the Fund’s partners, the Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation and the United Way of Coastal Georgia are working to move resources to community-based organizations that are directly supporting residents and families who are most affected by emerging health, economic, and social impacts.

While the Fund is not able to provide grants to individuals, it is funding community-based organizations that have the experience and history of providing people and families with services and support. We will work to update you on the organizations that have received grant funding. If you are looking for resources now, please call United Way of Coastal Georgia at 912-265-1850 for information about direct assistance organizations.

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{slider=My organization is interested in resources from this Fund. Can we be considered?}

We understand the coronavirus outbreak is impacting nonprofits in many ways, including increased demand for services, lost revenue due to closures and cancellations, as well as other challenges. We are working closely with the United Way of Coastal Georgia, local governments and community partners to ensure that the grants awarded meet the greatest needs in communities disproportionately impacted by coronavirus. To move resources quickly, we are not hosting a formal application process for the Fund at this time. You may complete this survey to make sure we are aware of your needs and can keep them in mind as the granting process progresses and needs become more clear.

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{slider=I want to donate. Can I restrict my funding to a prioritized grantee?}
To ensure we move resources as efficiently as possible and respond to the needs of communities most impacted, we are not able to restrict donations at this time. If an organization you normally support is involved in this work and you would like to continue that support, we encourage you to donate to them directly (see the next question).

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{slider=Should I give to this Fund instead of making other donations?}
This Fund is not meant to be the only vehicle for getting needed resources into the community, but to help facilitate getting more targeted resources into the community. This is a critical time for so many, including the nonprofit organizations who’ve benefited from your giving in the past, as well as those who’ve had to cancel their annual fundraising events or depend heavily on public gatherings. Please continue to give to organizations you regularly support, and those that need your help at this crucial time. Now is the time to double down for our community.

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{slider=What will NOT be included in the first phase of funding?}
We anticipate multiple phases of funding to address both the acute needs now and the longer-term impacts of the outbreak and recovery. In this first phase, we are prioritizing community-based organizations that are serving communities and individuals who are immediately and disproportionately suffering from this crisis. Our immediate focus areas include access to food; access to health care and prescription medications; access to transportation, and access to child care.

Based upon the charitable structure of the Community Emergency Needs Fund, our grants are limited to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, groups fiscally sponsored by a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, or other charitable organizations able to receive a tax-deductible contribution, such as schools, faith-based organizations, and other public entities. We will do our best to use philanthropic resources to address needs that are outside of governmental responsibility, but we also appreciate that philanthropy can often act nimbly in a way that the government cannot.

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{slider=Is there a geographic area of focus for the Fund?}
The Needs Fund will prioritize grants to community-based organizations that serve the residents of McIntosh, Glynn, and Camden counties. We are doing this with a recognition that many nonprofits serve workers and residents in our neighboring counties.

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{slider=When will you share who you fund?}
We anticipate making a first round of grant funding in the coming weeks and will publish the list of selected grantees on the Foundation and United Way websites. We hope that this will help the community navigate available resources.

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It was a beautiful day for lunch and some good information about the SECURE Act, retirement saving and disbursement legislation passed in December 2019. Hillary Stringfellow of Gilbert, Harrell, Sumerford and Martin presented the updates and changes, and shared some charts that detailed various distribution, inheritance and charitable options. 

Some additional key points are: 

- Most retirement beneficiaries must distribute their inherited IRA account over a 10-year period.

- The new age for required minimum distributions is 72. 

- The age limitation on IRA contributions has been removed.

- Parents can take a distribution in an aggregate amount of $5,000 penalty-free for qualified births or adoption.

- Unearned income for some children will be taxed at the parent's marginal rate.

- There are new qualified expenses for 529 plans, including apprenticeship programs and "qualified education loan repayments."

- Busines owners receive a $500 tax credit for automatic enrollment in their retirement plans.

- Small businesses are eligible for a $500 tax credit for the start-up costs of establishing a retirement plan. 

- Defined contribution plans must share a lifetime income disclosure statement to participants at least once a year.

- There are increased annuity options inside defined contribution plans.

- It is easier for small businesses to participate in a "multiple employer plan" (MEP).

For more information, please call the Foundation: 912-268-4442.

The Coastal Georgia Foundation welcomes two new Board members for 2020. They are Burch Rountree Barger and Michael D. Hodges.

Burch Barger is a fourth generation resident of Glynn County. She holds a B.A. from Wake Forest University and an M.B.A. from Georgia State University. Her early career included working in Washington DC for the U.S. Senate and in Atlanta for WebMD. She then spent 11 years working in graduate school recruiting, admissions, outreach, development, and alumni relations – first with the University of Alabama’s MBA program and later with Samford University.

In 2014, she and her husband Jim made the decision to move home to coastal Georgia and to raise their boys, James and George. Burch previously served as director of membership and communications for St. Simons Land Trust and is currently the engagement coordinator for Stewards of the Georgia Coast, a donor affinity group focused on coastal conservation in Georgia. She also serves on the board of Friends of Coastal Georgia History.

Mike Hodges, also a native of Glynn County, is the Southeast Georgia market president of Ameris Bank in Brunswick. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Georgia and a master’s degree from the Stonier Graduate School of Banking at the University of Delaware. Mike and his wife, Dana, reside on St. Simons Island and have two sons, Michael and Matthew. His previous board appointments include the College of Coastal Georgia Foundation, Southeast Georgia Health System, Jekyll Island Authority and the Brunswick-Golden Isles Chamber of Commerce.

The Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation (CCGF) has several important deadlines approaching:

Correll Scholars Program – Deadline February 1
The Correll Scholars Program of the Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation has a deadline approaching on February 1. Applicants must be Glynn County high school graduates pursuing a two- or four-year degree at one of Georgia’s public universities, and who are also members of the Elizabeth F. Correll Teen Center of the Boys and Girls Club of Southeast Georgia.

The Correll Scholars Program provides an annual scholarship of $5,000 to students enrolled in four-year academic degree programs and an annual scholarship/stipend of up to $4,000 to students enrolled in a two-year academic/technical degree program.

For application criteria and information, please visit www.coastalgeorgiafoundation.org’s Scholarship section, or email Emma Austin, ectc@apositiveplace.net.

Coastal Georgia Foundation’s 2020 Community Impact Fund – Deadline February 28

The Foundation’s 2020 Community Impact Fund grant cycle deadline is February 28. Awards will be announced in early June. The Foundation will continue to focus on a two-generational approach, considering proposals from agencies that serve at-risk youth and/or the parents, guardians and caregivers of at-risk youth.

The Foundation will accept proposals for up to $5,000 from agencies with:

1) Programs serving at-risk youth and which specifically address one of these areas: Early Childhood Literacy and/or Quality-Rated Child Care; Teen pregnancy and births to unwed young mothers; Juvenile Crime and Gang Activity; High School Graduation and Workforce Readiness; Youth Development and Innovative Education Strategies; or Risk Reduction, including child protective, substance abuse, and/or mental health services.

2) Services that concentrate on parenting, job skills and financial security for adults.

With any questions about the Community Impact Fund, the process for applications, or the Foundation, please call Ellen Post, Grants and Operations Director: 912-268-4442.

The Christ Church, Frederica Episcopal Church Women’s Fund – Deadline April 20
A scholarship fund created in 2017 by the Christ Church Frederica Episcopal Church Women is open to applications. Annually, the scholarship will provide $2,500 to a female high school graduate pursuing a degree through an academic or technical college or university. The student must be of the Episcopal faith and hale from Glynn or McIntosh County.

The Glynn Academy Class of 1969 Scholarship Fund – Deadline April 20
The Glynn Academy Class of 1969, a member of Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation, will award a $2,500 academic scholarship to a graduating Glynn Academy senior who has been accepted to attend a Georgia academic college or university. There will be no restriction regarding race, ethnicity, creed or gender. The senior must meet the following criteria:

1. Applicants must have a cumulative grade point average between 2.70 and 2.99 HOPE grade point average.
2. Applicants must supply family background and demonstrate financial need.
3. Applicants must be a good school citizen with no demerits, excellent attendance and no failures.
4. Applicants must demonstrate active involvement in extracurricular school and community activities.

Halsey Family Scholarship – Deadline April 21

The Halsey Family Scholarship was established by John F. (Jack) Halsey, PhD, and Sandra M. (Sandy) Halsey in recognition of the significant influence that both science and music education and research have had on their lives. The Halsey Family Scholarship awards up to four (4) academic semesters of support to undergraduate students studying science or music, beginning in their freshman year in college, based on continued progress and academic achievement.

The scholarship provides up to $2,000 per semester (maximum, $4,000 per year) and applicants must be graduates of or graduating from Camden County high schools.

For more information, visit www.coastalgeorgiafoundation.org’s Scholarship section.

The Eugenia Price/Joyce K. Blackburn Charitable Fund of the Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation made grants totaling $9,200 in December 2019 to area nonprofits. The Fund’s purpose is to permanently carry on the artistic influence and philanthropic legacy of both authors, and to benefit Coastal Georgians.

“Eugenia Price and Joyce Blackburn were both compassionate and philanthropic individuals,” says Eileen Humphlett, fund advisor and Eugenia Price’s trusted friend and colleague. “I am proud that their hard work can continue in perpetuity through the fund and its resources.”

Grants were awarded to: Coastal Georgia Historical Society, Coastal Symphony of Georgia, Glynn Visual Arts Scholarship Fund, Golden Isles Arts and Humanities Association, Golden Isles Youth Orchestra, Island Concert Association, Island Players Scholarship Fund, Marshes of Glynn Libraries, Mozart Society Scholarship Fund, and Star Foundation.

The Fund holds the copyrights for over 50 book titles, including the popular St. Simons Trilogy: Lighthouse, New Moon Rising, and The Beloved Invader. Other assets include publishing contracts with Turner Publishing Company, including movie rights, and other investments.

The Price/Blackburn Fund is supported by royalties derived from book sales.

“Golden Isles Arts & Humanities is grateful to the Eugenia Price/Joyce Blackburn Fund of the Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation for their continued support of literary programs for young people with this most recent grant,” says Heather Heath, executive director of Golden Isles Arts & Humanities Association. “We have partnered with Price/Blackburn since its inception to bring the Young Playwrights and Young Poets awards to middle and high school students and to support the annual Roberta Born Scholarship. We are proud to offer these creative writing opportunities to our local students.”

“The Coastal Georgia Foundation is here to promote and strengthen philanthropy in our region in partnership with our fund holders,” says Paul White, President and CEO of the Foundation. “We are honored to have the Price/Blackburn Fund as one of our partners.”

The Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation (CCGF) is pleased to announce its 2020 Community Impact Fund grant cycle. The application period begins January 2 and proposals are due by February 28. Awards will be announced in May. 

Click here for an application.

The Foundation will continue to focus on agencies working with at-risk youth and demonstrating measurable results. Using a two-generational approach, the CCGF will also consider proposals from agencies that support the parents, guardians and caregivers of at-risk youth.

The Foundation will accept proposals for up to $5,000 from agencies with:

1) Programs serving at-risk youth and which specifically address one of these areas: Early Childhood Literacy and/or Quality-Rated Child Care; Teen pregnancy and births to unwed young mothers; Juvenile Crime and Gang Activity; High School Graduation and Workforce Readiness; Youth Development and Innovative Education Strategies; or Risk Reduction, including child protective, substance abuse, and/or mental health services.

2) Services that concentrate on parenting, job skills and financial security for adults.

With any questions about the Community Impact Fund, the process for applications, or the Foundation, please call Ellen Post, Grants and Operations Director: 912-268-2561 or email epost@coastalgeorgiafoundation.org.

About the Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation
The Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation (CCGF) was incorporated in 2005, as a tax-exempt public charity created by and for the people of Glynn, McIntosh and Camden counties. The Foundation now has assets over $30 million and has awarded over $16 million in grants to community organizations in the three-county region and beyond. The Foundation serves ordinary citizens who have the extraordinary vision for a better life for their neighbors, friends, families, and fellow coastal Georgians - today and for future generations. The Foundation seeks to be the region’s trusted source for thoughtful philanthropic counsel, sound financial management and strategic community investment. www.coastalgeorgiafoundation.org

Downtown Brunswick could absorb at least 61 rental and for-sale housing units per year over the next five years, according to a new study of the city’s residential market potential.

The study, which was commissioned by the Coastal Georgia Foundation, found the annual potential for new downtown housing could be as high as 75 units. Prepared by the nationally respected firm Zimmerman/Volk Associates, the study also found that an additional 41 to 64 new housing units could be absorbed annually just outside Downtown in an area the study described as “In-Town Brunswick.”

Justin Callaway, the president of NewCIty Brunswick, said the study’s results are extremely encouraging. “We believe the key to revitalizing Brunswick is attracting new residents, so these findings couldn’t be much better news,” Callaway said. NewCIty Brunswick is the newly formed nonprofit that will support adding new housing units with creative, private sector funding.

The results of the study were shared on Nov. 13 at a meeting featuring Laurie Volk, a principal in the research firm. Interested to read the whole study? Contact Anna Hall for a copy.

The study was funded by individual stakeholders in collaboration with the foundation. Brad Piazza, of Port City Partners, said he was excited by the findings. “Zimmerman/Volk has provided, in granular detail, a meticulously constructed analysis of the future of housing downtown,” said Piazza. His firm is developing 12 loft apartment units to come online in 2021. “The appetite is there, now we need the inventory.”

Paul White, the foundation’s president, said the study more than confirmed what many Brunswick stakeholders had suspected after visiting Macon last summer. Zimmerman/Volk had estimated that Macon’s downtown housing demand was 200 units a year. “With all that Brunswick and the Golden Isles had to offer, we believed that Brunswick held rich potential for attracting new residents,” White said. “If people come, then businesses will follow.”

The research firm defined Downtown as generally encompassing the blocks between I Street to the north, George Street to the south and between Albany Street to the east and Bay Street to the west. In-Town Brunswick is bounded by L Street to the north, Glynn Avenue to the east, 1st Avenue to the south and Bay Street to the West.

Bert Roughton, who is leading the formation of Forward Brunswick, said he was encouraged by the study’s finding of substantial potential beyond Downtown. “For Brunswick to live up to its full potential, it must be about more than Downtown,” Roughton said. “While a lively regional Downtown is the lynchpin, this study provides a solid foundation to extend our vision beyond the central city.”

Other findings from the study include:
- Multi-family developments are the most appropriate form of housing for Downtown.
- Nearly half the potential new households live outside of Brunswick; the other half are households moving from one unit to another within the city.
- Most new households would comprise younger singles and childless couples, followed by empty nesters and retirees.

About Forward Brunswick
Forward Brunswick is an inclusive, broad-based collaboration of city stakeholders intended to foster economic vitality, engagement, communication and cooperation. Forward Brunswick supports the city’s residents, community leaders and business owners in the pursuit of a shared vision for prosperity.

About NewCity Brunswick
NewCity Brunswick, a 501c3 nonprofit organization founded this September, uses private capital to support residential development and redevelopment projects with creative financing tools and a revolving loan program. It also fills the gap in conventional approaches to financing such projects and provide support to local businesses and startups through training and some financial assistance. NewCity works in partnership with existing agencies, such as the Downtown Development Authority, and city and county economic development departments. www.newcitybrunswick.com

About the Coastal Georgia Foundation
The Coastal Georgia Foundation was incorporated in 2005, as a tax-exempt public charity created by and for the people of Glynn, McIntosh and Camden counties. The Foundation now has assets of approximately $20 million and has awarded over $14 million in grants, the majority to community organizations in the three-county region and beyond. The Foundation serves ordinary citizens who have the extraordinary vision for a better life for their neighbors, friends, families, and fellow coastal Georgians - today and for future generations. The Foundation seeks to be the region’s trusted source for thoughtful philanthropic counsel, sound financial management and strategic community investment. www.coastalgeorgiafoundation.org