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Atlanta Women's Foundation records

 Collection
Identifier: W051

Scope and Content of the Records

Correspondence, minutes and agendas, printed material, writings and creative works, financial documents, legal documents, and photographs make up the records of the Atlanta Women's Foundation (AWF). The records are organized in three series. Series I: Board of Directors records, 1990-2001, includes minutes and agendas, a manual, lists of board members, and descriptions of the foundation and its mission. Series II: Administrative staff records, circa 1980-2003, consists of the office files created by Metropolitan Atlanta Community Foundation (MACF) Director Alicia Philipp (including those created by part-time Development Director Jennifer Echols) and AWF Executive Director Stephanie A. Davis. The files contain primarily correspondence, printed material, notes, and legal and financial documents. They document the organization of the AWF and its subsequent independence from the from MACF (by then known as The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta), projects undertaken, fundraising and publicity. Subject files contain collected material concerning women's issues, philanthropy, and other foundations, including the organization Women & Philanthropy (formerly Women in Foundations/Corporate Philanthropy). Series III: Publications, circa 1986-2003, includes originals and published versions of brochures, invitations, programs, reports, and newsletters issued by the AWF.

Dates

  • Creation: circa 1980-2003

Creator

Restrictions on Access

Collection is open for research use.

Terms Governing Use and Reproduction

Georgia State University is the owner of the physical collection and makes reproductions available for research, subject to the copyright law of the United States and item condition. Georgia State University may or may not own the rights to materials in the collection. It is the researcher's responsibility to verify copyright ownership and obtain permission from the copyright holder before publication, reproduction, or display of the materials beyond what is reasonable under copyright law. Researchers may quote selections from the collection under the fair use provision of copyright law.

History of the Atlanta Women's Foundation

The Atlanta Women's Foundation (AWF) raises, manages, and distributes funds to programs that serve women and girls in the metropolitan Atlanta area. The AWF originated in 1986, when the Women Business Owners of Atlanta donated $10,000 to create The Atlanta Women's Fund within The Metropolitan Atlanta Community Foundation (MACF; subsequently renamed The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta). Since then, it has grown into an independent foundation and has donated millions of dollars to hundreds of organizations in service of its mission to be "a catalyst for change in the lives of women and girls."

Prior to 1993, the AWF, overseen by MACF Director Alicia Philipp and an Advisory Committee made up of philanthropists and prominent women, built its endowment but did not make grants. That year, Stephanie A. Davis, who had worked as consultant to the fund since 1992, became its first director. Working with the Advisory Board, then chaired by Atlanta City Councilwoman Barbara Asher, Davis expanded the AWF's community activities and raised its profile with fundraising events. The organization adopted an innovative funding partner model, in which committees participate in raising funds, making grant recommendations, and monitoring outcomes. Professionals, community volunteers, and former grantees make up the funding partner committees. These groups channel grants to organizations that promote economic justice for women, work to end violence against women, promote women's health and wellness, establish educational equity, and combat poverty and homelessness among women. The AWF also undertook initiatives such as "Face to Face," which funded restorative plastic and dental surgery for formerly abused women and the Girls to Women Project, a collaboration with several African-American organizations to expand services to girls.

In 1998, the fund became independent of The Community Foundation and was renamed the Atlanta Women's Foundation. Davis continued to serve as the foundation's Executive Director until she stepped down in 2003. Along with its funding partners -- Women in Law; Women in Finance, Media & Technology; Women in Medicine; and its community partner, Commercial Real Estate Women of Atlanta -- the organization continued to begin new initiatives and to support programs serving women. Projects undertaken after the AWF became independent include a report on the status of women and girls in the Atlanta area, Let Every Voice Be Heard; a program to combat child prostitution, including Angela's Fund; and Women on Board, a project to train women for and place them on nonprofit boards and government commissions. Girls to Women has evolved into a technical assistance project to train and provide consultation to leaders of non-profit organizations. Major fundraising speeches and luncheons, often featuring prominent women from politics, business, and the arts, have continued to help the AWF and its funding partners both to increase the organization's endowment and to gain valuable publicity.

Sally Weaver became the AWF's Chief Executive Officer in 2004.

Extent

4 Linear Feet (in 10 boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Abstract:

The Atlanta Women's Foundation (AWF) raises, manages, and distributes funds to programs that serve women and girls in the metropolitan Atlanta area. Correspondence, minutes and agendas, printed material, writings and creative works, financial documents, legal documents, and photographs make up the records of the AWF.

Organization of the Records

Organized into 3 series: I. Board of Directors records, 1990-2001 (2 subseries); II. Executive staff records, circa 1980-2003 (2 subseries); III. Publications, circa 1986-2003 (2 subseries).

Acquisition Information

Donated by Stephanie A. Davis, June 2003. Additions in 2006, 2008.

Separated Materials

Separated to Women's Printed Collection: Pamphlets (W-Pamphlets) see finding aid for access

  1. Charles Brumfield, et al., "Men and Women: At Home and in the Workplace, Current Debates Future Directions" (Ford Foundation Women's Program, 1991) [filed under Work and family]
  2. "National Women of Color Organizations: A Report to the Ford Foundation" (Ford Foundation Women's Program, 1991) [Minority women--United States--Societies and clubs--Directories]
  3. "The Resource Guide to the Social and Economic Contributions of Georgia Women" (A collaborative effort of Emory University and The Georgia Coalition of Black Women, Inc.) [Women--Georgia--Biography]
  4. Phyllis Rosser, et al., "Gender Bias in Testing: Current Debates Future Priorities" (Ford Foundation Women's Program, 1991) [Sexism in educational tests]

Processing Information

Processed by William W. Hardesty at the item level, July 2004. Series I and III were created during processing. The Administrative staff files tended to be large, and were broken into smaller units during processing as indicated by subdivided titles. Titles were assigned to all Philipp's files. Davis had assembled some records predating her work into "AWF history" files. Records from those files were placed in series I-III. In order to protect privacy, some records related to the Face to Face program and some financial documents have been removed. Newspaper clippings and a limited number of manuscripts were photocopied or transcribed for preservation purposes. Addition processed by William W. Hardesty, 2022.

Title
Atlanta Women's Foundation:
Subtitle
A Guide to Its Records at Georgia State University Library
Status
Completed
Author
Georgia State University Library
Date
July 2004
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Revision Statements

  • 2022-04-26: Added accessions W2006-12 and W2008-12 (Series I.C., Archive files; II.C., Staff files) to inventory

Repository Details

Part of the Special Collections Repository

Contact:
100 Decatur St., S.E.
Atlanta, Georgia 30303
404-413-2880
404-413-2881 (Fax)