The mission of the Coastal Georgia Foundation is to strengthen our communities through engaged philanthropy. We do this by connecting people who care with causes that matter in McIntosh, Glynn and Camden counties, as well as along the Georgia's coast.
CCGF is researcher, educator, funding counselor and community steward. And yes, grantmaker. More importantly, we serve as thoughtful matchmakers between the philanthropic desires of our donors and areas of need from local to global.
The Difference Between Charity and Philanthropy
The distinction is important. While charity responds, philanthropy anticipates; charity is emotional, philanthropy is intellectual; charity seeks to solve, philanthropy seeks to prevent; charity is short-term, philanthropy is long-term; charity is about today, philanthropy is about tomorrow.
The Coastal Georgia Foundation is a hybrid. While the financial base of private foundations comes from a single source, we derive our support from an array of donors. And where most non-profit charities focus on a single issue or area of interest, we work with donors to invest in a variety of issues and promote a full range of community interests.
You Don’t Give To Us, You Give Through Us
The Coastal Georgia Foundation is not the beneficiary of donor donations. We are a conduit, a community-focused catalyst, a portal and a launch point for strategic and sustained philanthropy that serves the greater good.
History
History was made in the Golden Isles with the formation of the Coastal Georgia Foundation in 2005. Led by founding chair, Bill Jones III, a small group of local philanthropic visionaries set on a course to establish a public charitable organization devoted to improving the quality of life in Coastal Georgia. These dreamers believed that our community could join the ranks of the more than 750 successful communities and regions in the United States with establishment of a “community foundation.” Broadly defined, community foundations serve to bring a wide range of philanthropic interests together – individuals, families, businesses, community organizations – to promote civic and community well-being through collective, strategic, solution-focused philanthropy. Yet, unlike most other communities that have robust community foundations, Coastal Georgia did not have a wellspring of established, large corporate interests or headquarters from which to draw start-up funding. So, with its usual can-do attitude, Coastal Georgia made history by establishing a community foundation in its own unique way. More than sixty (60) local families and foundations came together and pledged their resources to create the Coastal Georgia Foundation – in hopes of ensuring its work would be “for good, forever.”
After fourteen years, the Foundation has grown to over $30 million in assets, representing over 80 funds. It is governed by a Board of Directors representing all three counties and employs two full-time staff.
We pay tribute to those Founders who provided the vision, commitment and financial leadership to establish the Coastal Georgia Foundation.
Mr. & Mrs. John G. Altston
Mr. & Mrs. Dewey Benefield
Mr. & Mrs. James Bishop, Sr.
Mr. & Mrs. James Blanchard
Mr. & Mrs. Claude H. Booker, Jr.
Mr. & Mrs. Morton E. Boyd
Mr. & Mrs. Jim Calvert
Mr. & Mrs. Robert H. Castellini
Frederick E. & Helen Dykes Cooper Charitable Foundation
Mr. & Mrs. Lovick Corn
Mr. & Mrs. Frank DeLoach, Jr.
Mr. & Mrs. Jack Dinos
Mr. & Mrs. Don Dutson
Mrs. Martha Brumley Ellis
Mr. & Mrs. Brad Foster
Mr. & Mrs. John T. Glover
Mr. & Mrs. Jerry W. Harper
Mr. & Mrs. Bob Hatcher
Mr. & Mrs. William Heck
Mr. & Mrs. Reginald Jackson
In Memory of Mr. Howard Jones
Mr. & Mrs. Bill Jones III
Mr. & Mrs. Gene Kelly
Mr. & Mrs. James Kennedy
Mr. & Mrs. David Kuntz
Mr. & Mrs. C. Vance Leavy
Mr. & Mrs. Davis Love, III
Mr. & Mrs. James Lowrey
Mr. & Mrs. John Ludwig
Mr. & Mrs. Dennie McCrary
Mr. William A. McIntosh
Mr. & Mrs. Walter McNeely
Mr. & Mrs. Russ Mentzer
Mr. & Mrs. Reg Murphy
Mr. & Mrs. Donald G. Myers
Mr. & Mrs. Mac Nease
Mr. & Mrs. Pat Pittard
Mr. & Mrs. M. E. Ralston
Mr. & Mrs. Buddy Redd
Mr. & Mrs. Samuel Reeves
Mr. & Mrs. Lee Richards
Mr. & Mrs. Dan Robitaille
Mr. & Mrs. John Rogers
Mrs. E. Clayton Shelhoss
Mrs. Frances Shropshire
Mr. & Mrs. Billy Shuman
John L. Simms Family
Mr. & Mrs. Ben T. Slade, III
Mr. & Mrs. Jeffrey Small
Mr. & Mrs. Charlie Smith, Jr.
Mr. Taylor W. Smith
St. Marys United Methodist Church Foundation
Mr. & Mrs. William J. Stembler
Mr. & Mrs. Tom Sublett
Mr. & Mrs. Rees Sumerford
Mrs. Eloise Bailey Thompson
Mr. & Mrs. Dick Vieser
Ms. Susan Corn Wainright
Mr. & Mrs. Bill Walker
Mr. & Mrs. Robert A. Yellowlees