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Nonprofit Directory

The Athens Area Community Foundation is pleased to provide a comprehensive guide to IRS 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organizations located in Athens-Clarke, Barrow, Jackson, Madison, Oconee and Oglethorpe counties. You can search by organization name or keyword in the main search bar. Alternatively, you can filter results using the Geography (by county), Organization, and Financial categories on the left.

This directory allows you to:
– Explore nonprofits in your community
– Understand an organization’s financial health over time
– Find organizations by cause area
– Analyze an organization’s programs, operations, and impact

For Athens Area Community Foundation Fundholders:
Community Foundation Fundholders can use their donor-advised funds to grant to any charity across the country. If you’d like to make a grant from your fund, you may log in to the online donor portal or contact our staff at info@athensareacf.org or call 706-357-7148. Need more information or want to take a deeper dive before you make a grant? Contact any of our staff!

Use the search tools below to find and learn about local nonprofits. See our FAQ beneath the search tool.

Frequently Asked Questions

Have a question not answered below? Please contact the Athens Area Community Foundation via email at info@athensareacf.org or call 706-357-7148.

Where is the information coming from for this directory?

All information is provided via GuideStar based on information generated by the IRS and self-reported by nonprofits. For the purposes of data integrity, some information comes directly from the IRS and data self-reported by nonprofits will not appear. Information is not reviewed by the Athens Area Community Foundation. Transparency Seals of Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum are assigned by GuideStar.

How are GuideStar Profile Levels (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum) determined?

The Seal of Transparency levels are assigned according to how much information is provided to GuideStar by the nonprofit about their organization.

GuideStar gathers initial data from the IRS, which collects that data from all organizations throughout the country via tax forms. Nonprofits can then provide additional information to GuideStar to raise their profile level.

For instance, Bronze level requires basic information such as the mission statement, description of programs, and geographic region served. Platinum requires the addition of further data and explanation of finances, goals and strategies, and progress and results (as determined by the nonprofit).

How do I create or update my GuideStar profile as a nonprofit?

It’s easy! Visit the GuideStar website and get started.

What are NTEE Categories and Codes?

They comprise the National Taxonomy of Exempt Entities (NTEE), a system designed to categorize the central purposes and causes of the nonprofit organizations, which, as defined by the IRS, are exempt from paying taxes on their income.

Can I search for organizations outside of Athens-Clarke, Barrow, Jackson, Madison, Oconee, and Oglethorpe counties?

The Athens Area Community Foundation Nonprofit Directory is intended to serve donors and nonprofits in our area, so the database is limited to the six counties within our area.

Nationwide searches can be done through GuideStar’s main, publicly available, database.

Why can’t I find the nonprofit organization I’m looking for in the directory, even though they are located within Athens-Clarke, Barrow, Jackson, Madison, Oconee or Oglethorpe county?

First, check your spelling when doing searches!

Second, it’s possible the organization you’re looking for is a subsidiary of a larger parent organization. If the subsidiary isn’t registered with the IRS – the primary source of data in this directory – as an independent nonprofit organization located in our area but instead operates under the legal tax status of a parent organization headquartered elsewhere, they won’t appear in this directory.

Third, if the organization you’re looking for is a church or other religious organization, it’s possible they are not officially registered with the IRS.

Churches and other religious organizations that meet the standards of other tax-exempt organizations automatically receive tax-exempt status without having to register with the IRS. This means churches don’t have the burdens of paperwork that other nonprofits do, but it also means the IRS doesn’t necessarily have publicly available data on these churches unless they decide themselves to register with the IRS.

As discussed in the question and answer above, if you can’t find an organization you’re looking for in our directory, try searching GuideStar’s national database.

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The Athens Area Community Foundation is a public grantmaking foundation that builds community by encouraging long term giving through funds created by caring donors.

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