What Compassionate Atlanta does

Compassionate Atlanta is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Decatur, Georgia (Legacy Park, 500 S. Columbia Drive), founded in 2015 following a planning phase that began in 2013. It operates as an affiliate of Charter for Compassion International and functions as a community-building organization whose mission centers on fostering compassion across the Atlanta metropolitan area. The organization serves the general Atlanta public, with particular emphasis on under-resourced communities, and reaches over 7,000 people annually through its programs and partner network. Its core constituency includes 200+ charter partners (corporate, civic, and nonprofit organizations), 40+ active volunteers, and a 12-member board of directors, with a small paid staff of four led by Co-Directors Leanne Rubenstein and Iyabo Onipede.

The organization's core products are programs and community initiatives rather than technology products. These include CompassionCon (an annual festival), the Compassionate Cities of Georgia Initiative (geographic expansion model), the Compassion Corridor Project, the Charter Partner Network, the Welcoming & Belonging Assessment (WB&C Assessment), Random Acts of Flowers, Love Notes From The Universe, Community Conversations, and Anti-Racism Training & Consulting services. There is no proprietary technology platform; delivery is grounded in in-person community programming, volunteer mobilization, and consulting engagements.

Compassionate Atlanta's business model is that of a traditional community nonprofit: revenue is generated primarily through individual donor fundraising (e.g., a $40,000 year-end campaign), institutional grants (notably a multi-year Gilead Sciences grant covering 2023-2026), in-kind contributions, and earned revenue from consulting/training services such as Anti-Racism Training. Distribution occurs through the 200+ charter partner network, formal collaborations with the City of Atlanta and Emory University, high-visibility cultural partnerships (including a 2021 collaboration with Lil Nas X), and grassroots volunteer outreach. The organization is in its 10th year of operation as of 2025.

Name

Compassionate Atlanta

Legal name

Compassionate Atlanta, Inc.

Website

https://compassionateatl.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Compassionate Atlanta is a Decatur, Georgia-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2015 that builds a community network of 200+ charter partners to foster compassion across metro Atlanta through programs like CompassionCon, the Compassion Corridor Project, and Anti-Racism Training, reaching 7,000+ people annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Social Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Human Rights Organizations (813311), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Health & Health Equity Organizations (BPAGACAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Human Rights & Anti-Discrimination Organizations (BPAGAFAB)

Keywords

• Community compassion building
• Charter partner network
• Anti-racism training
• Rural health equity
• Community event programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Decatur

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Individual donors contribute through the organization's Zeffy-hosted donation portal. An annual campaign raised over $16,000 toward a $40,000 year-end goal. Donations are tax-deductible (EIN 47-3181026).
2. Corporate/Annual Sponsorship: Companies and organizations sponsor CompassionCon through sponsorship packets (e.g., 2025 and 2026 CompassionCon sponsorship packages). Sponsorship tiers offer brand visibility, event tickets, and recognition on materials.
3. Grant Funding: Compassionate Atlanta receives multi-year grant funding from Gilead (2023–2026) to support the Compassionate Cities of Georgia initiative targeting rural communities and HIV/health equity outcomes.
4. Fee-for-Service Consulting: The 'Hire Us' program offers fee-for-service facilitation and consulting on Anti-Racism training, compassion education, and organizational culture/structure. Rates are quoted upon inquiry (scope of services document available).
5. Ticket Sales (Events): Revenue generated through ticket sales for events such as the 10th Birthday Celebration ($10–$50+ ticket levels for hosts).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Compassionate Atlanta is a grassroots 501(c)(3) nonprofit that cultivates compassionate action across Greater Atlanta and Georgia through community programming, a 200+ Charter Partner network, the annual CompassionCon festival, the Compassionate Cities of Georgia rural health initiative, and fee-for-service anti-racism and compassion education consulting for organizations. It delivers an annual portfolio of 25+ community events, organizational assessments, environmental art installations, and partner recognition programs serving over 7,000 people per year.

Product overview

Compassionate Atlanta is a grassroots community-building nonprofit organization that offers a portfolio of programs and services centered on cultivating compassion in the Greater Atlanta area. The core offerings include CompassionCon (an annual festival), the Compassionate Cities of Georgia Initiative (statewide rural-urban community connection), the Welcoming, Belonging & Compassion Assessment (organizational inclusivity evaluation tool), the Compassion Corridor Project (environmental art initiative), the Charter Partner Network (200+ partner organizations), Random Acts of Flowers (recognition program), Love Notes From The Universe (appreciation distribution), and fee-for-service Anti-Racism Training & Consulting. These programs work together to advance the organization's mission of raising awareness about compassionate action through education, collaboration, and civic engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CompassionCon Annual Festival Annual outdoor community festival at Legacy Park, Decatur, GA celebrating compassionate action for self, each other, and the Earth; brings together charter partner organizations, sponsors, and community members to network, learn, and celebrate. The 2026 edition is scheduled for October 25, 2026.
• Compassionate Cities of Georgia Initiative Statewide initiative focused on rural Georgia communities that increases social and community support, addresses health disparities including HIV health equity, and serves 1,000–1,500 people annually through six trusted rural partners in Greensboro, LaGrange, Augusta/Waynesboro, and Thomasville. Funded by Gilead (2023–2026).
• Welcoming, Belonging & Compassion (WB&C) Assessment Online organizational assessment questionnaire delivered via Typeform that helps organizations evaluate inclusivity and measure goals for welcoming and belonging for team members, clients, and constituents.
• Compassion Corridor Project Multi-year environmental art and community engagement initiative connecting DeKalb County cities (Clarkston, Scottdale, Avondale, Stone Mountain, Decatur) through art installations, pollinator meadows, and public education co-led with Green Box Homes and artist Shannon Willow.
• Charter Partner Network Network of 200+ local partners and sponsors across Greater Atlanta and Georgia who have signed the Global Charter for Compassion, providing collaboration opportunities, networking gatherings, newsletter promotion, and joint programming at no cost.
• Anti-Racism Training & Compassion Consulting Fee-for-service consulting offered to organizations on Anti-Racism training, compassion education, and organizational culture and structure; engagements are scoped via a Scope of Services document and priced upon inquiry.
• Random Acts of Flowers Recognition program operated in partnership with Flower Design by Joan that allows community members to nominate someone deserving of recognition through the gift of flowers.
• Love Notes From The Universe Community appreciation program that distributes small notes of encouragement created by Shelley Hannah at events and through partnerships; over 25,000 notes have been distributed across multiple countries.
• Compassion in Place Making Initiative that creates welcoming, inclusive community spaces where people feel safe, accepted, and can flourish; includes the Children's Space at Waller's Coffee Shop (launched September 21, 2025) and public art installations.
• Community Conversations Facilitated community discussions delivered virtually and in-person that awaken the compassionate experience and address social issues including the On Common Ground interfaith series.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 7,000 individuals reached annually through programs, events, and partner network.
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and flagship.

• Green Box HomescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Co-lead organization for the Compassion Corridor Project — a multi-year environmental art and community engagement initiative connecting DeKalb County cities (Clarkston, Scottdale, Avondale, Stone Mountain, Decatur) through art installations, pollinator meadows, and public education.
• Shannon Willow (artist)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Career artist creating the Heart of Mother Earth (existing installation) and Lungs of Mother Earth installations anchoring the Compassion Corridor. Key creative partner for the environmental art initiative.
• Heather Elson / No More LidderingsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Local artist and founder of No More Liddering. Leading community workshops for the People for Peace installation, creating art from recycled materials. Contributed butterfly sculpture made from recycled bottle caps for the Waller's Coffee Shop children's space.
• Lisa Parsons / Peace PostssupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Local artist contributing to the Compassion Corridor Peace and Justice Posts installation. Involved in community workshops for the Compassion Corridor project.
• Waller's Coffee Shop (Jason Waller)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Long-standing community partner hosting CA programming, including the Compassion in Place Making children's play space initiative. Waller's Coffee Shop serves as a community hub for CA events, mental health advocacy, and inclusive community gathering.
• Decatur MakerssupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Designed and built the wooden play kitchen donated to the children's space at Waller's Coffee Shop as part of Compassionate Atlanta's Compassion in Place Making initiative.
• Decatur Education FoundationsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Donated the Little Free Library to the children's space at Waller's Coffee Shop. Active supporter of community events at Waller's and educational programming in the Decatur area.
• Atlanta Way 2.0supportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Co-hosted activator orientation events as part of the Atlanta Way 2.0 movement. Leanne Rubenstein and Iyabo Onipede served as facilitators/hosts for community-building orientation sessions alongside other Atlanta civic leaders.
• NAACPR (National Association of African American Citizens for Public Reform)supportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partnership to improve lives of Black families through collaborative community programming. Highlighted in media coverage as a key collaborative initiative.
• Charter for Compassion InternationalflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Global movement providing the framework for Compassionate Atlanta's charter partnership model. CA is the local Atlanta chapter and draws on the International Charter for Compassion's resources, global network of 2,600+ partners, and 400+ Compassionate City Initiatives worldwide.
• Compassionate USAsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023National partnership through which Compassionate Atlanta received Partner Certification from Compassionate USA in July 2023, connecting CA to the broader U.S. compassion movement and national resources.
• Greene County African American MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Rural partner in Compassionate Cities of Georgia Initiative. Led by Mamie Hillman, the museum serves Greene County's African American community and addresses healthcare access disparities (nearest doctor 7 miles away). Part of Gilead-funded rural health programming.
• Filling in The Gaps (Waynesboro, GA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Rural partner offering education, advocacy, and support for individuals and families affected by mental health and disabilities. Part of the Compassionate Cities of Georgia Initiative with monthly infrastructure support and annual retreat access.
• Inspire Positivity (LaGrange, GA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Rural partner providing social aid and essential resources to LaGrange residents, including disability voting rights support and services for returning incarcerated individuals. Core partner in Compassionate Cities of Georgia Initiative.
• First Missionary Baptist Church of ThomasvillecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Historic Black church (founded 1866, Civil Rights headquarters) and rural partner in Compassionate Cities of Georgia. CA supports their Medical Ministries outreach as part of the Gilead-funded health equity initiative.
• From Phoenix (Arkia Ivey)supportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Social enterprise partner led by Arkia Ivey, offering wellness tools, journals, hand-poured candles, and community events to combat hustle culture and promote self-care. Partner within the Compassionate Cities of Georgia ecosystem.
• Lil Nas XflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2021Artist included Compassionate Atlanta as a beneficiary of his 2021 Montero Baby Registry. The track 'The Art of Realization' was dedicated to supporting CA's HIV stigma work. This high-profile partnership significantly amplified CA's visibility in combating health disparities in the South.
• Welcoming AmericasupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020National nonprofit focused on welcoming and inclusion; listed as a charter partner organization working on peace and nonviolence at the local level.
• City of Atlanta (Mayor Kasim Reed)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014City Council designated Atlanta as a Compassionate City on February 3, 2014; Mayor Kasim Reed approved on February 12, 2014, making Atlanta the second largest Compassionate City in the United States. CA was instrumental in achieving this designation.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• CDC Foundation: Atlanta-based nonprofit that connects the Centers for Disease Control with philanthropies to address public health priorities. Comparable as an Atlanta nonprofit working at the intersection of community partnerships and health equity, particularly relevant given CA's HIV/health-equity programming.
• Center for Civic Innovation (Atlanta): Atlanta-based civic engagement nonprofit strengthening local democracy and community participation. Operates in the same Atlanta civic ecosystem with overlapping themes of community-led change and inclusive civic participation.

Broad incumbents

• CARE USA: Atlanta-headquartered major international humanitarian nonprofit focused on poverty and health equity. Comparable mission framing (compassion-into-action for marginalized communities) and Atlanta base, though operating at vastly larger global scale.
• United Way of Greater Atlanta: Regional community-support nonprofit operating in the same Greater Atlanta geography. Comparable in cross-sector partnership model and community-impact framing, though larger and more focused on fundraising distribution than direct programming.
• Points of Light: Atlanta-based global nonprofit focused on volunteer service and civic engagement. Comparable in community-mobilization mission, volunteer-network model, and Atlanta footprint, but operates at significantly larger scale across multiple programs.

Others

• National Council of Nonprofits: National network of nonprofit organizations providing advocacy, resources, and capacity-building. Comparable as a nonprofit-serving infrastructure organization, particularly relevant for CA's consulting and capacity-building offerings to smaller community organizations.

Direct peers

• Charter for Compassion International: The parent global movement that provides the framework, network, and brand for Compassionate Atlanta's charter partner model. CA is the Atlanta chapter within a 2,600+ partner global network, making this the most directly comparable organization in mission, model, and structure.
• Compassionate USA: The national U.S. organization that awarded Compassionate Atlanta its Partner Certification in 2023. Operates as the national convener of U.S. compassionate cities and chapters, with closely aligned mission and partner-network model.
• Welcoming America: Atlanta-based national nonprofit focused on building inclusive communities through a network of 'Welcoming' cities and organizations. Listed as a Compassionate Atlanta charter partner and operates a near-identical city-designation and network model.
• Atlanta Way 2.0: Atlanta civic movement co-hosted by Compassionate Atlanta's Co-Directors as facilitators. Direct collaborator on community-building activator orientations and a close operational partner in civic-engagement programming.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCLpQC9nDsBapBAr7FZA_vEg
• Facebookfacebook.com/CompassionateATL
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/compassionateatlanta
• Instagraminstagram.com/compassionateatl
• Xx.com/CompassionATL

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Compassionate Atlanta