about us

Mission, Vision, & History

The mission of The Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation (CCGF) is to strengthen our communities through engaged philanthropy. CCGF connects people who care with causes that matter in Camden, Glynn, and McIntosh counties along Georgia's coast.

CCGF is researcher, educator, funding counselor, community steward, and 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 between charity and philanthropy 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.

CCGF is a hybrid of charity and philanthropy. While the financial base of private foundations comes from a single source, we derive our support from an array of donors. Where most non-profit charities focus on a single issue or area of interest, CCGF works with donors to invest in a variety of issues, promoting a full range of community interests.

You Don’t Give To Us, You Give Through Us

CCGF 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.

3chairmen

(R to L: Founding Chairman Bill Jones III with former Chairmen Rees Sumerford and Dennie McCrary)

History


In 2005, led by founding chair, Bill Jones III, a small group of local philanthropic visionaries established a community foundation to serve Coastal Georgia. More than 60 local families and foundations came together to create The Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation in hopes of ensuring its work would be “for good, forever.”

Today, CCGF has grown to approximately $50 million in assets, representing over 100 funds, governed by 19 board members. CCGF employs three full time and two part time staff. Current programs include an annual competitive grant cycle for nonprofits across the three-county region, which includes Camden, Glynn, and McIntosh Counties.

We pay tribute to those Founders who provided the vision, commitment, and financial leadership to establish CCGF.

Mrs. Forrest Adair, III
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. James V. Manning
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