Atlanta

Addressing the community’s most pressing issues with results-driven programs

An image of CEO participants in construction vests inside a warehouse as they work.

Overview

An innovative approach to shared prosperity for all

The cradle of the civil rights movement boasts top colleges and universities and a host of Fortune 500 companies. Yet “the city too busy to hate” has the highest income inequality of any city in the nation. This is where GreenLight comes in – we work at the intersection of community-identified need and social innovation. Partnering with the community, we address barriers to inclusive prosperity by launching and scaling proven nonprofit organizations that fill gaps.

Portfolio

Investing in proven organizations to bring to Metro Atlanta to address community-identified needs

Our social innovations, as diverse as the communities we serve, make immediate and sustainable impact.

See All Organizations

Capital Good Fund Logo with a blue background and window image on the left.
The Inner Explorer logo with green and black text with a green circular compass with an arrow pointing north.
The logo for LMF with a stick person holding two orange blocks over their head.
A circular green CEO logo.

Making an Impact in Atlanta

Measuring what matters

$2.4M

invested in portfolio orgs to date

59,301

individuals and families reached

$4.5M

additional dollars leveraged

An image of a student sitting at their desk with a teacher leaning down to help with a worksheet, representing Inner Explorer.
In Atlanta
150+

schools and community-based partners in metro Atlanta in the next four years

Read the Inner Explorer Story

An image of students sitting at their desk counting numbers on their fingers while a Fellow writes on a whiteboard in a classroom, representing LMF Atlanta.
In Atlanta
90%

classroom retention rate for Fellows with 50% planning to continue work in education

Read James' Story

An image of a CEO Participant standing in front of a car with their arms in joy above their head inside a car repair garage.
In Atlanta
$15.50

average hourly wage led to a new way of life for Drew

Read the Story

Atlanta Team & Partners

GreenLight Atlanta is made up of a diverse group of changemakers from across the community, working together for positive impact.

Capital Good Fund

Capital Good Fund

Center for Employment Opportunities

Center for Employment Opportunities

Inner Explorer

Inner Explorer

The Literacy Lab’s Leading Men Fellowship

The Literacy Lab’s Leading Men Fellowship

Delivering measurable results in Atlanta

We invest multiyear funding along with on-the-ground support to ensure portfolio organizations quickly take root in the local community and are positioned for growth, measurable impact and sustainability. We are proud to highlight the work, results and meaningful stories of our portfolio organizations locally.

Read our latest Impact Report

Atlanta
A young student with her eyes closed in the classroom, surrounded by other students, representing the launch of Inner Explorer, Atlanta.

More than 150 schools and community organizations will partner with Inner Explorer to support youth mental health and well-being

Atlanta
A young student in the classroom high-fiving an LMF fellow with posters and drawings hanging on the wall in the background, representing the launch of LMF, Cincinnati.

Leading Men Fellows are reaching pre-K students to improve literacy while developing careers in education

Atlanta
An image of a CEO Participant standing in front of a car with their arms in joy above their head inside a car repair garage.

CEO is providing effective employment services exclusively to hundreds of people recently released from incarceration

Making an Impact in Atlanta

$2.4M

committed by GreenLight to portfolio organizations

100K

Metro Atlanta individuals and families projected to reach in 2023-2024

5

diverse investment areas – reentry; early education; youth mental wellbeing; workforce development; financial stability

Team

Tyeone Barner
A headshot of Tyeone Barner with a nature background.

Tyeone Barner

Program Associate, GreenLight Atlanta

Joli Cooper
A headshot of Joli Cooper with a nature background.

Joli Cooper

Executive Director, GreenLight Atlanta

Advisory Council

Madelyn R. Adams

Kaiser Permanente

Doug Ammar

Georgia Justice Project

Alan Anderson

OneTen

TJ Austin

Grove Park Neighborhood Association

Mike Becker

Vocap Partners

Terri Block

Bank of America

Justin Booker

Community Leader

Rita Breen

Georgia Power

Mike Carnathan

Atlanta Regional Commission

Ed Chang

redefinED

Gail Conyers Cleckley

United Way of Greater Atlanta

Chris Copeland

McKinsey & Company

Ann W. Cramer

Community Leader

Mike Dickerson

Community Leader

LaShawn Dudley

City of Atlanta

Deva Hirsch

Community Leader

Kathryn Lawler

Saint Joseph’s Mercy Care

Melanie B. Leeth

The Imlay Foundation

Erin Lightfoot Robinson

Accenture

Michael Lucas

Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation

Bharath Parthasarathy

Slalom Consulting

Lauren Priest

Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta

Blythe Keeler Robinson

Sheltering Arms

Detria Russell Everson

The John and Lillian Miles Lewis Foundation

Latresa McLawhorn Ryan

Community Leader

Megan Sparks

Office of the Mayor

Belisa Urbina

Ser Familia

Jill von Grey

Community Leader

Janelle Williams

Atlanta Wealth Building Initiative

Ken Zeff

Learn4Life Metro Atlanta

Founding Investors

Aarons Logo in blue bubble letters.

Balloun Family

The Bank of America Logo with red and blue stripes positioned in a diamond shape over the text.

Mark Becker

Brill Family Charitable Foundation

Martha and Toby Brooks

The CFGA Logo with green, blue, and orange multi-sized squares with rounded corners positioned to the right of the text.
Chick Fil A Logo.

Lane and Richard W. Courts, IV

Catherine and John Crawford

Robin and Stockton Croft

Susan and Ed Croft

Deloitte Logo with green period.

Mike and Debbie Dickerson

Jamie and Juliana Eastham

Emory University Logo with blue shield to the left with a torch and trumpet interlocked inside.

Fulcrum Equity Partners

Stacey and David Fisher

Lois and Larry Frank

The Freishtat Family

J.B. Fuqua Foundation

Georgia Power Foundation Logo with a green, red, and blue triangle to the left of the text.
Goldman Sachs Logo in a light blue box.

The Gould Family Foundation

Harry Heiman and Abby Friedman

Imlay Foundation Logo in a grey block.
Invesco Logo with a blue mountain above.
Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta Logo with blue stripes arranged in a circular pattern with a flame in the middle.
kaiser permanente logo with three blue headshots above with a sun cutting out from the bottom.

The Kelin Foundation

Mary Jane and Dave Kirkpatrick

Sartain Lanier Family Foundation

Jeff Levy and Liz Lapidus

The Marcus Foundation, Inc.

Sig Mosley

Mr. and Mrs. C. V. Nalley, III

Jeff and Michelle Neville

north highland logo in a blue block.

Bill and Melinda Nussey

Palumbo Family Charitable Foundation

Wendell and Mary Reilly

Resurgens Technology Partners

Adrian and John Robinson

Jonathan and Heather Rodbell

Edith and Michael Rogers

Clay and Karen Rolader

Gary W. Rollins Foundation

John and Susan Simon

Chas Smithgall and Charles Smithgall

The Carol and Ramon Tomé Family Foundation

Truist Foundation logo.
United Way of Greater Atlanta Logo with circular logo with blue hand below an orange stick person and yellow sun rays.

Michael and Jill von Grey

Type

More US schools are taking breaks for meditation. Teachers say it helps students’ mental health
Inner Explorer student meditating in his classroom with his eyes closed.

Media Mention

Associated Press

More US schools are taking breaks for meditation. Teachers say it helps students’ mental health

Aug 5, 2024

Atlanta, Charlotte, National

GreenLight Fund Names Ali Knight as Chief Executive Officer
A headshot of Ali Knight with a window in the background.

Announcement, News, Press Release

GreenLight Fund Names Ali Knight as Chief Executive Officer

Apr 16, 2024

GreenLight Fund Atlanta Invests in Bringing Capital Good Fund to Atlanta
Sherie and her daughter standing in front of their white car received through Capital Good Fund.

Announcement, Press Release

GreenLight Fund Atlanta Invests in Bringing Capital Good Fund to Atlanta

Oct 24, 2023

Atlanta

GreenLight Fund Annual Impact Report July 2022 – June 2023
The cover photo of the annual impact report with a young woman wearing a yellow sweater standing outside with her arms crossed.

Insights

GreenLight Fund Annual Impact Report July 2022 – June 2023

Oct 20, 2023

Atlanta, Baltimore, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Denver, Detroit, Greater Newark, Kansas City, National, Philadelphia, San Francisco Bay Area, Twin Cities

Program puts young men on educational career paths
Leading Men Fellow sitting with a student in the classroom as they engage in learning with blocks stacked behind them.

Media Mention

Atlanta Journal Consitution

Program puts young men on educational career paths

Oct 7, 2023

Atlanta

11 Alive: Clayton County Schools helping students understand feeling through ‘mindful awareness’
A young student with her eyes closed in the classroom, surrounded by other students, representing the launch of Inner Explorer, Atlanta.

Media Mention

11 Alive

11 Alive: Clayton County Schools helping students understand feeling through ‘mindful awareness’

Apr 2, 2023

Atlanta

GreenLight Atlanta Launches Inner Explorer to Improve Youth Mental Well-being

Announcement, News, Press Release

GreenLight Atlanta Launches Inner Explorer to Improve Youth Mental Well-being

Oct 26, 2022

Atlanta

Greenlight Fund Brings The Literacy Lab’s Leading Men Fellowship to Atlanta

Announcement, News, Press Release

Greenlight Fund Brings The Literacy Lab’s Leading Men Fellowship to Atlanta

Oct 15, 2021

Atlanta

Join Our Work In Atlanta

We rely on a community of champions and supporters who believe in the power and possibility of community-driven change