We invest in and collaborate with mission-aligned organizations strengthening systems and expanding access to opportunity for communities most affected by inequities.

Grantmaking OverviewWhat We SupportGrantmaking PrioritiesPartnership and CollaborationWho We Support

Grantmaking Overview

We envision a Georgia where all families thrive with equitable access to high-quality education and comprehensive mental health support. Across Georgia, communities and nonprofits face an increasingly unstable environment driven by funding cuts, policy shifts, and constraints on efforts to address inequitable conditions.

The Fitzgerald Foundation seeks to partner with organizations that are actively responding to these realities while building and defending a more just future for all Georgians. We prioritize partners with deep community relationships and the ability to strengthen systems, improve how resources flow, and safeguard continuity of services for populations most affected by inequities.

What We Support

Our grantmaking focuses on efforts that strengthen and sustain the education and mental health workforce, improve the conditions that shape access to services, and advance aligned systems and policy solutions. We prioritize work that improves coordination across organizations and resources so individuals and communities receive the right support at the right time.

We provide programmatic, general operating, and organizational capacity-building support to organizations and initiatives that expand access to high-quality mental health care and improve educational outcomes, with particular emphasis on addressing racial inequities in access, experience, and outcomes.

Funding decisions are grounded in these strategies. We do not prioritize standalone direct service programs that operate outside of these strategic priorities.

Strong requests come from organizations or coalitions that:

  • Show clear, measurable impact for communities most affected by racial and socioeconomic inequities
  • Center community leadership and lived experience in decision-making and accountability
  • Demonstrate meaningful collaboration through shared goals, coordinated strategies, or joint accountability
  • Strengthen organizational and system capacity, not just individual programs
  • Demonstrate potential for scale or replication, where appropriate
  • Navigating abrupt changes in public or philanthropic funding connected to the populations served

We prioritize work that contributes to system-level change rather than the expansion of standalone direct service programs.

Grantmaking Strategic Priorities

The Fitzgerald Foundation is committed to addressing these disparities by investing in and collaborating with organizations across the 21-county metro area with a focus on:

Cultivating Talent, Promoting Collective Action, Advancing Systemic Change

Partnership and Collaboration

Beyond grantmaking, the Foundation engages in learning partnerships and collaborative funding efforts that address systemic barriers and strengthen networks across the education and mental health ecosystem.

We welcome opportunities where coordination and shared learning improve alignment and reduce duplication across the field.

Partners whose networks or initiatives align with our strategic priorities are encouraged to connect with staff.

Who We Support

We support 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations that strengthen system capacity at the community, regional, or statewide level. We prioritize partners improving how education and mental health services connect, coordinate, and function so children and families receive reliable, equitable, and high-quality support. Collaborative requests that advance system-level efforts are welcome.

We do not primarily fund:

  • Construction or capital projects as standalone requests (selective support may be considered only when tied to a broader strategy aligned with priorities)
  • Direct grants to individuals
  • Sectarian religious activities
  • Direct political lobbying
  • Clinical research or disease-specific treatment
  • Sponsorships
  • Camp or private school tuition support
  • Standalone direct service programs

Interested in Applying?

If your work aligns with these priorities but you need more information or clarity, we encourage you to join a virtual information session to learn more about strategic fit and the grantmaking process. To request a registration link, contact Angela. For additional context on funding decisions, please review our Grant History.

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Betty and Davis Fitzgerald Foundation, Inc.

Reflecting on 2025.
Moving With Intention.

2025 tested the resilience of organizations working at the intersection of education, mental health, and equity. In response, the Betty and Davis Fitzgerald Foundation listened closely, acted with intention, and clarified how we will continue to partner in a changing landscape—sharing lessons learned and sharpening our focus on strengthening education and mental health systems.

This letter reflects on that journey and outlines our path forward.

Read the full letter