Central Atlanta Progress

Grants

Grants Program

The Robert W. Woodruff Foundation seeks to improve the quality of life in metro Atlanta and Georgia by investing in transformational, lasting solutions to community needs. 

Our Approach

We typically make a small number of large grants for organizations with strong staff and volunteer board leadership, a broad base of financial support, successful program outcomes, and the capacity to sustain work long-term. 

We prefer not to be the only funder for a project but to participate with other donors in supporting initiatives led by community partners. We seek to help organizations with a proven track record stretch further to seize new opportunities or to accelerate impact. Most grants support one-time needs rather than ongoing program or operating needs. 

A young boy with green hair playing basketball at a park during daytime. He is smiling and reaching up towards the basketball in the air, near a blue swing set. 
Atlanta Beltline by Erin Sintos
Atlanta History Center

What We Fund

The Foundation focuses giving in metro Atlanta and occasionally considers support for significant initiatives across Georgia. We invest in six areas to strengthen our community and to expand opportunity. 

People walking and talking on a wooden bridge in a forested park with large trees and lush green foliage, an outdoor art installation made of wooden slats resembling a large egg or shell structure, and an informational sign about the historic stone wall. 
Fernbank, Inc. by Jonathan Phillips
A young girl with curly hair in a floral long-sleeve shirt and shorts plays in a splash pad with water jets. She is smiling and running through the water, with several people and trees in the background on a bright day. 
Atlanta Beltline by Erin Sintos
A male healthcare professional with a stethoscope talking to a female doctor near a window in a medical facility. 
Morehouse College by Dean Ballas
Person walking on a trail in a forest with tall trees and colorful autumn leaves under a blue sky. 
Chattahoochee Nature Center
A female nurse or healthcare worker stands with arms crossed in a hospital room next to medical equipment, including an infusion pump, monitor, and IV bags. 
Grady Health
A woman with curly hair and a nose piercing shopping in a grocery store, reaching for cereal on the shelf. 
Atlanta Community Food Bank