Atlanta Resource Foundation

http://www.connections.org/



People in Relationship in Atlanta

In every zip code of Atlanta there are individuals following callings to serve others. These men and women may run businesses, households, lead congregations, serve in the fields of medicine or construction or public service. The Atlanta Resource Foundation seeks to quietly and naturally connect small groups of Atlantans to encourage one another through seasons of life in discovering, encouraging, networking, empowering, and giving to each other as we pursue our different, unique, and specific callings.

Through the CityLights gatherings we seek to consistently grow and maintain friendships. Through other activities that we assist in administrating we specifically seek to be an encourager, catalyst and behind the scenes facilitator of relationships.

Unlike other "foundations" we do not make grants or exist to distribute money. Sometimes friends use us to "pass through" a charitable gift but Atlanta Resource Foundation is focused on organically building relationships in the city.

History

"Let’s start a foundation, different from all other foundations in Atlanta”, said businessman and entrepeneur Greg Simmons to Tom Roddy one evening in 1984. The idea was that instead of serving as a reservoir for assets, ARF would serve as a conduit to bring people with resources, both monetary and time together with those who are not as fortunate. “People will be the assets: we won’t make grants. A person’s involvement will be the grant.”

ARF shall be a conduit, not a reservoir. It is the task of ARF to stay closely involved with both the giver and the recipient, in order to assure meeting the needs of both parties. ARF may serve as a conduit for start-up, nonprofit ministries that meet our mission goals, such as Quest Atlanta ‘96, Young Atlantans, Buckhead Fellowship and East Lake Commons.

“Two or Three Together in My Name.” Tom felt that they needed more business people involved, so he went to see Billy Mitchell. Tom and Billy had been in the same fellowship group since the early 1970’s. ARF was seeking a place to hold meetings and Billy Mitchell gave the new Foundation a place to meet at the offices of Carter and Associates on Spring Street.


Glencastle and Family Consultation Services, in 1984, was an early initiative of our friend, Bob Lupton, in East Atlanta.
Business Ministry Mix: Tom wanted to have a mix of ministry and business,so he invited Bob Lupton and Neil Shorthouse, both who had extensive ministry experience, to get involved.

Partnerships:”Let us partner with whomever we can.” Alicia Philip of the Metropolitan Community Foundation, (now The Community Foundation), allowed the still unnamed ARF to come under their foundation as a designated fund. They could make grants to projects the ARF was involved in, but could not pay salaries or expenses. Tom and Greg turned to the Christian Council of Metropolitan Atlanta and its then director Don Newby. Tom Roddy became a staff member on the Council with responsibilities to the still unnamed group.

A Name: Tom and Greg, still looking for a name for their new foundation, thought about the name “Atlanta Leadership Foundation”. They really wanted to work with both leaders and followers. They wanted to be a conduit for resources. Therefore, they decided upon “Atlanta Resource Foundation”.