Federal policy changes are significantly affecting organizations and households in metro Atlanta, with recent surveys highlighting the impact of funding freezes, executive orders, and other governmental actions.
To address these challenging circumstances, Atlanta Civic Circle is launching two surveys aimed at gathering insights from the five-county metro area—Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton, and Gwinnett counties.
The objective is to compile a comprehensive understanding of how federal policies are influencing local communities, thereby empowering philanthropy, policymakers, researchers, and civic organizations to make informed decisions.
Recent comments from Georgia nonprofit leaders reveal that funding cuts initiated during the Trump administration are already affecting operations, with organizations bracing for further challenges.
According to Yterenickia Bell, Georgia director of the Southern Poverty Law Center, many essential services that have supported struggling families are at risk.
Bell emphasized the potential loss of critical resources ranging from housing assistance to food security and employment initiatives at a forum hosted by the Independent Sector in September.
During the forum, grassroots nonprofit leaders shed light on the direct consequences of federal funding cuts affecting services for low-income residents, which include food programs and housing for individuals with HIV.
One organization, Hand, Heart + Soul Project, is set to lose all of its federal SNAP-Ed grant funding when the new federal fiscal year begins on October 1, which comprises nearly half of its total $730,000 budget, as pointed out by executive director Wande Okunoren-Meadows.
In light of Congress’s cuts to all SNAP-Ed funding for the upcoming fiscal year, which aims to reduce funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program by $186 billion through 2034, Okunoren-Meadows voiced concerns for the program’s sustainability.
She expressed hope that the state of Georgia might utilize its general funds to help the program endure for at least another year.
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