Focused Community Strategies
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Mixed-Income Housing
Since 2000, we have acquired and rehabilitated over 200 dilapidated properties, and made the new homes available for sale or rent at affordable rates for our low- to moderate-income neighbors. Our community has emerged as one of the only truly mixed-income, single family neighborhoods in Atlanta. We expect to complete 20 more single family properties for home ownership and 30 more for rent by the end of 2026, and are also developing affordable multi-family housing sites that will soon add more than 100 mixed-income apartment units to our community.
Economic Development
We operate two businesses that bring needed resources into the community and create jobs for individuals from the neighborhood. Community Grounds serves up a welcoming venue for community building along with great coffee, and Carver Market provides the community’s only local source for affordable groceries. We are developing a site that will host 17 new micro-commercial spaces for local entrepreneurs and small businesses.
Neighborhood Engagement
FCS empowers our neighbors through multiple initiatives such as a youth group, financial literacy classes, a food cooperative for our lowest-income families, an annual holiday shop, a training program for aspiring entrepreneurs, and more. Every initiative is strategically curated to foster a strong sense of community and cultivate a thriving neighborhood.
Training and Consulting
Our work is increasingly being recognized as a best-practices model, and we are committed to sharing our expertise with others across Atlanta and nationwide. FCS established the Lupton Center in 2015 as our formal consulting division. Since then, we have trained over 400 nonprofits, churches, and other organizations in more than 150 communities to promote a new model of neighborhood revitalization that builds on community strengths.
Where we work
External reviews
Videos
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planHow we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback, We ask the people who gave us feedback how well they think we responded
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Focused Community Strategies
Board of directorsas of 05/11/2022
Dr. Chris Gray
Georgia Power
Term: 2015 - 2024
Adam Allman
Regent Partners
Josh Ball
Dagger
Allen Bell
Atlanta Resource Foundation
John Chambliss
Impact Investor Group
Bryant Cornett
DT Spade
Florida Ellis
philanthropist
Robert Fowler
Fowler Design Associates
Randy Gill
One Stream Software
Chris Gray
Georgia Power
Lisa Haygood
IBM
Kim Hixon
Safe-Guard Products
Kim Hughes
K.G. Hughes & Associates
Ashley Jones
Microsoft
Adam Pannell
Digital Benefit Advisors
Courtney Quiros
Alston & Bird
Courtney Smith
PNC
Richard Whitcomb
HV Management
Jim Wehner
FCS President
Katie Delp
FCS Executive Director
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? No -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
The organization's co-leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 05/11/2022GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
- We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.