Today, Georgia Organics was named the ‘People’s Choice’ winner for the Georgia Google.org Impact Challenge. The organization was awarded an additional $125,000, bringing the total awards for Georgia nonprofits to $1 million.
“The Google.org Impact Challenge is a great example of how Google continues to invest in Atlanta in innovative ways,” said Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. “These grants will go a long way in supporting the enterprising nonprofit organizations who are helping to create economic opportunity in communities in Atlanta and across the state.
“Congratulations to Georgia Organics for winning the ‘People’s Choice’ honors,” said Lilyn Hester, Google’s Head of External Affairs and Government Relations, Southeast US. “We’re excited to see how they, and all five winners, continue to create economic opportunities across the state.”
Georgia Organics was a finalist for the ‘People’s Choice’ award alongside four other Google.org Impact Challenge winners in Georgia. All five winners received an initial $175,000 when Google opened public voting and asked Georgians to choose the one nonprofit they believe has put forth the most innovative and impactful proposal to create economic opportunity in their communities.
“We’re so thankful to everyone — the farmers we work with, restaurateurs, and our supporters — who voted for us,” said Alice Rolls, president and CEO of Georgia Organics. “The extra funding will allow us to double down on our work to support organic food systems across the state, from rural communities to cities.”
With the Google.org Impact Challenge funds, Georgia Organics will create an accessible, scalable, and sustainable organic agriculture model by leveraging its Peanut Project success to design soy- and cotton-growing models.
Georgia Organics’ mission is to create economic opportunities in deeply impoverished communities across rural Georgia and meet skyrocketing consumer demand by capitalizing on agricultural talents, skills, and resources through expanded organic production of Georgia’s essential crops – peanuts, cotton, and soybeans.
Other Google.org Impact Challenge Winners:
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Center for Civic Innovation (Atlanta): With the funding, the Center for Civic Innovation plans to launch a network and support system for 100 diverse female entrepreneurs in Atlanta who are addressing the city’s greatest social and economic challenges.
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First Step Staffing (Atlanta): Funding will help connect thousands of men and women experiencing homeless, Veterans, and returning citizens with sustainable employment that will support them on their path to self-sufficiency.
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Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence (Decatur): The $175,000 from Google.org will help support “Don’t Knock the Hustle,” an entrepreneurship and economic empowerment program that harnesses skills from domestic violence survivors to achieve financial independence.
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Georgia VECTR Center (Warner Robins): Google.org funding will be used for industrial systems equipment that will allow the Georgia Veterans Education Career Transition Resource (VECTR) Center to establish and sustain training for transitioning military and veterans into high-demand advanced manufacturing and industrial equipment maintenance careers.
The Google.org Impact Challenge winners in Georgia were chosen by an all-star panel of judges including Chris Clark from the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, Kathryn Dennis from the Community Foundation of Central Georgia, the former Dean of Emory University’s Goizueta Business School Erika James (currently at The Wharton School), Jovita Moore from WSB-TV and Jordan Rose from the Atlanta Science Festival.
Google first announced the Google.org Impact Challenge in October 2019 during a groundbreaking event for the tech company’s new offices in Midtown Atlanta. Google has called Georgia home for nearly two decades, and in their 2018 Economic Impact Report, Google announced that 39,000 businesses in the state generated $7.15 billion in economic activity by using Google’s search and advertising tools. The full report details Google’s economic impact state-by-state, and features the stories of businesses fueling that growth, creating job opportunities, and transforming their communities.