Press Release

Forum Seeks to Boost Philanthropy in Southwest Georgia

Lt. Governor Mark Taylor to address regional nonprofits

Albany, GA - 4/28/2003 - On May 1 and 2, nonprofit organizations in southwest Georgia and grant makers from across the state will meet for the Philanthropy Forum for Southwest Georgia. Held in Albany and Thomasville, the event will feature educational programs and networking to help strengthen the region's nonprofits and give them better access to important funding sources. Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor will deliver the keynote address.

Plenary sessions will allow the local community to showcase the region's unique characteristics, discuss its particular needs, and highlight successful and innovative programs by regional nonprofits and multi-sector partnerships.

In workshops and roundtables, grant makers representing private foundations, government agencies and corporations will discuss how nonprofits can access and work with them.

Part of the Georgia Rural Philanthropy Initiative—led by the Georgia Center for Nonprofits, the Georgia Rural Development Council, the Sapelo Foundation and the Southeastern Council of Foundations—the forum is managed locally by an advisory board composed of leaders from across southwest Georgia. It is open to nonprofit organizations in Terrell, Lee, Calhoun, Dougherty, Worth, Colquitt, Thomas, Grady, Decatur, Seminole, Miller, Early, Mitchell and Baker counties.

The Philanthropy Forum for Southwest Georgia is the second forum offered by the Georgia Rural Philanthropy Initiative. The first, held in 2002 in northeast Georgia, brought together 158 nonprofit representatives and 32 grant makers. The results included new investments of more than $750,000 in the area.

"We continue to support this initiative because we recognize the vital role nonprofits play in southwest Georgia and in other rural areas across the state," says Phyllis Bowen, executive director of the Sapelo Foundation. "By strengthening the nonprofit sector in rural communities, the initiative is improving the lives of citizens throughout Georgia."

About the Georgia Center for Nonprofits

Georgia Rural Philanthropy Initiative
A 1999 study released by the Southeastern Council of Foundations indicated that only one in nine dollars and one in seven grants is directed away from major metropolitan areas. The Georgia Rural Philanthropy Initiative is a mechanism for reaching out to nonprofits in Georgia's smaller towns and rural areas. It seeks to develop nonprofit leadership, improve nonprofits' ability to raise funds for their programs, and strengthen nonprofits' relationships with grant makers and with each other.

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Media Contact
Laura Caligan
678-916-3005
media@gcn.org