From CFCG – The Community Foundation of Central Georgia (CFCG) has awarded more than $350,000 in grants to 21 nonprofit organizations through the fall 2026 cycle of its Nonprofit Grant Program.

The grants were announced Thursday, Oct. 8, at a celebration held at Rescue Mission of Middle Georgia, one of this cycle’s grant recipients. CFCG staff and board members, nonprofit leaders, and community partners gathered to recognize organizations meeting needs across the region.

Darius Maynard, CFCG’s Director of Programs and Strategic Initiatives, opened his remarks with a story from the day before. At a Macon Cares community gathering at the Harriet Tubman Museum, a speaker shared why she believes some young people turn to guns: they are focused on surviving today, not on a future they cannot see.

“Those words stuck with me,” Maynard said. “I think about kids who are sleeping on the floor, who can’t dream about their future because they’re worried about where they’ll lay their heads tonight. I think about kids who’ve had adults walk out of their lives and are just trying to get through the day. And I think about kids who are hungry. Have you ever tried to make a major decision when your stomach is louder than your mind? It is tough.”

“If there is one message I can leave with you, it is this: continue to be the bridge between surviving and thriving for this community,” Maynard said. “Together, as one community, you have the capacity and the resources to help people see there is a future in store for them.”

This cycle’s grants answer many of the needs Maynard named. Sleep in Heavenly Peace’s Macon chapter will build and deliver beds for local children who do not have one. Eight grants support mentoring, advocacy, and youth leadership, including Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Heart of Georgia, Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia, and Central Georgia CASA, which will train 40 new volunteer advocates for children in the foster care system. Meals on Wheels of Middle Georgia will work to shorten its waiting list of homebound seniors, and Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Upson County will open a rural food pantry.

Other grants will help Rescue Mission of Middle Georgia build a 56-bed transitional home for men, support Depaul USA’s day center and health clinic for people experiencing homelessness, provide emergency financial help to survivors of domestic violence through Crisis Line & Safe House of Central Georgia, and turn an underused alley in downtown Eastman into a shaded public walkway. A $22,000 matching grant to the Leadership Macon Endowment Fund will match new gifts to the Leadership Macon Class of 2026’s Leadership Legacy Project dollar for dollar through Oct. 29. (See Full List of Grants Below)

“Our Nonprofit Grant Program is funded by donors who have left gifts to the Community Foundation since 1993, trusting our board to know where the greatest needs and opportunities are,” said Julia Wood, Senior Vice President of Development and Donor Services. “It is an honor to use those resources wisely to make a difference in our community.”

The Nonprofit Grant Program funds organizations addressing key priorities across CFCG’s 21-county service area. This cycle’s grants reach Bibb, Baldwin, Dodge, Houston, Monroe, and Upson counties, among others. CFCG Grants Committee Chair Cass Hatcher announced this cycle’s recipients at the event.

Since its founding in 1993, the Community Foundation of Central Georgia has awarded more than $100 million in grants to nonprofit organizations, schools, and faith-based initiatives across Central Georgia.

CFCG Nonprofit Grants – Alphabetical List

Fall 2026 CFCG Nonprofit Grant Recipients

Best Buddies in Georgia – Best Buddies Friendship and Inclusion Program – $7,000
Strengthens six school chapters in Bibb, Baldwin, and Monroe counties that pair students with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities in one-to-one friendships.

Bibb Mt. Zion Baptist Church – Middle Georgia Mentorship Alliance – $23,000
Builds a network of churches, schools, nonprofits, businesses, and public agencies working together so every young person has access to a mentor.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Heart of Georgia – Big Futures – $23,000
Connects students with mentors, employers, colleges, and community leaders through career exploration, college tours, and workshops that prepare them for life after graduation.

Central Georgia CASA, Inc. – Pathways to Permanency – $20,000
Recruits and trains 40 new volunteer advocates, more than doubling capacity to serve as many as 80 additional children in the foster care system, with a focus on teens ages 14 to 17.

Central Georgia Council, Boy Scouts of America – Strong Mentors, Strong Youth – $18,000
Expands year-round Scouting in Bibb County with mentor training, uniforms, and registration help so cost is not a barrier, building leadership, conflict resolution, and life skills.

Coach John M. Peacock Foundation, Inc. – Downtown Alleyway Project – $15,000
Turns an underused alley between Main and King streets in Eastman into a safe, shaded walkway with seating, art, and pollinator plants linking the park to downtown businesses.

Crisis Line & Safe House of Central Georgia – Client Financial Assistance Fund – $22,000
Helps survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault with housing deposits, rent and utility payments, new locks and security systems, and transportation.

Depaul USA, Inc. – Daybreak and Sheridan Center: A Pathway from Homelessness to Health & Housing – $20,000
Provides meals, showers, laundry, case management, health care, medical respite, and supportive housing for people experiencing homelessness in Macon.

Family Advancement Ministries – FAM Work Ready – $15,000
Offers case management, job coaching, résumé help, and support with rent, utilities, child care, and transportation for people who are unemployed or underemployed.

Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia, Inc. – Direct Delivery Outreach Program – $23,000
Brings Girl Scouts to girls in Bibb County who do not have a troop leader, covering registration and supplies for workshops in STEM, financial literacy, and bullying prevention.

I Am Kali, Inc. – Comprehensive Leadership Development Initiative – $8,000
Provides monthly leadership workshops for girls ages 10 to 13 covering mentorship, entrepreneurship, financial literacy, emotional wellness, the arts, and civic engagement.

Joining Our Youth, Inc. – $20,000
Provides mentoring, tutoring, leadership development, and life skills training for children and teens in the Davis Homes community.

Leadership Macon Endowment Fund – Endowment Fund Matching Grant – $22,000
Matches new gifts and pledges to the Leadership Macon Class of 2026’s Leadership Legacy Project dollar for dollar through Oct. 29, 2026.

Little Disciples Educational Services, Inc. – Bridge the Gap Success Program – $3,750
Provides school supplies, backpacks, shoes, sensory-friendly items, and hygiene products for students, including students with autism and other developmental disabilities.

Macon Hope, Inc. – First Tee Middle Georgia – Leadership on Course – $8,000
Adds a community outreach director to bring golf and life skills programming to four more after-school sites and support First Tee lessons in all 21 Bibb County elementary schools.

Meals on Wheels of Middle Georgia, Inc. – It’s Time to End the Wait – $20,800
Expands meal preparation and delivery to shorten the waiting list of homebound seniors who need nutritious meals and regular wellness checks.

Mother’s Nest – Childbirth Education and Mental Health Support for Vulnerable Pregnant Women – $13,000
Provides childbirth education, prenatal health information, mental health support, and nutrition help for pregnant women, including women in correctional facilities.

Mt. Zion Baptist Church (Upson County) – Community Outreach & Food Center – $18,500
Opens a rural food pantry with monthly and emergency food distributions, a computer lab, and career readiness classes, aiming to serve 480 households in 2026.

Rescue Mission of Middle Georgia – Project Reconciliation: A New Men’s Transitional Home – $23,000
Supports construction of a 56-bed transitional home where graduates of the Mission’s 12-month recovery program can continue building stability and independence.

Sleep in Heavenly Peace, Macon Chapter – No Kid Sleeps on the Floor in Our Town – $8,000
Brings volunteers together to build and deliver twin bed frames for local children who do not have a bed.

The Arc Macon – Central Georgia IDD Family Advocacy Coalition – $19,000
Helps 85 families in seven counties navigate disability services, Medicaid waivers, and special education through advocacy training and one-on-one support.