Joseph B. Whitehead Foundation Grant

The Joseph B. Whitehead Foundation is an independent private foundation committed to improving the lives of people in metro Atlanta, with a special focus on supporting children. Established in honor of Joseph B. Whitehead, the foundation seeks to advance equity and well-being through strategic grantmaking in early childhood education, K-12 education, health, human services, and youth development. The Foundation operates as part of a family of philanthropic organizations associated with the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation and other affiliated entities. The Foundation prioritizes support for organizations that demonstrate a strong presence in metro Atlanta, as defined by the United Way of Greater Atlanta, encompassing Butts, Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, Paulding, and Rockdale counties. Eligible applicants must be 501(c)(3) public charities with a paid full-time staff and an annual operating budget exceeding $500,000. All funding requests must align with one or more of the Foundation’s core program areas. Applications are accepted through the Foundation’s online grant portal, which is hosted on Blackbaud’s YourCause system. New applicants must create an account and complete a brief eligibility quiz. If deemed eligible, applicants will gain access to the formal application form. Required submission materials include a signed grant request letter (up to 5 pages), an itemized project budget, a detailed operating budget, a fundraising status report, financial statements (including the most recent audit), a list of board members, and a current IRS determination letter. All materials must be submitted as a single PDF upload. The Foundation reviews applications on a semiannual basis. Submissions received on or after February 1 are considered at the April Board of Trustees meeting, while those received on or after August 15 are reviewed at the November meeting. Applicants are encouraged to reach out via email to fdns@woodruff.org with an informal inquiry before applying. Once an application is submitted and accepted for review, foundation staff may follow up with a site visit or meeting to assess the proposal in greater detail. Grants are evaluated by the foundation's president, grants program director, and program officers. Decisions are made at the Board of Trustees meetings, with all applicants receiving email notifications within a week of the board’s decision. The Foundation does not fund requests outside of its stated program areas and will promptly notify applicants if their proposal falls outside its scope. For questions regarding the grant process or eligibility, applicants may contact Jenny Zhang Morgan at morgan@woodruff.org. For technical assistance with the portal, Emily Patteson is available at patteson@woodruff.org. The Foundation's offices are located at 191 Peachtree St NE, Suite 3540, Atlanta, GA 30303, and can be reached by phone at 404.522.6755.

Applicants are encouraged to send an informal inquiry before applying.