Coca-Cola Pledges $500,000 to Help Women and Girls
Written by Carol Carter Tuesday, November 08 2011
The Coca-Cola Co. has pledged $500,000 to The Atlanta Women’s Foundation (AWF) to support economic empowerment initiatives impacting Atlanta’s women and girls. Coca-Cola Co. Chairman and CEO Muhtar Kent made the announcement during his keynote address at an annual fundraising luncheon hosted by AWF.
“As we look ahead, women will play a transformative role in shaping our global economy and society over the next decade,” Kent said. “The real drivers of the 21st century will be women. They are already the most dynamic and fastest-growing economic force in the world.
“When we look locally at the very real needs for women’s economic empowerment and growth in our own community, our goal is to build on previous work with The Atlanta Women’s Foundation in a way that inspires others,” he said.
Supported through The Coca-Cola Foundation, the philanthropic arm of The Coca-Cola Co., the grant includes an economic empowerment challenge that, through Oct. 27, 2012, will match dollar-for-dollar, up to $250,000, contributions made to AWF initiatives that help women develop tools and skills needed for economic self-sufficiency.
The grant also includes $250,000 to support programs to empower girls between the ages of 8 and 18 to make positive choices about education, careers, and lifestyle.
AWF has granted more than $10 million to 250 nonprofit organizations since it was founded in 1986. It awards grants to nonprofit organizations serving women and girls, develops leadership programs for women, educates the public on challenges facing women and girls, and advocates on their behalf. The Coca-Cola Co. has previously awarded nearly $800,000 to AWF for sponsorships, general operating, and program support.
Empowering women to thrive in business is a global commitment for Coca-Cola Co. Last year, the company announced its 5 BY 20 program, an initiative to empower 5 million women entrepreneurs throughout its global system by 2020. And last month, the company outlined a key step in achieving this commitment through a new partnership with United Nations Women to provide new business training, mentoring, and access to financial resources to women-owned businesses across the Coca-Cola value chain.
Carol Carter was a founding staff member of Atlanta Business Chronicle in 1978. During her 18-year tenure, she served as editor not only of the Chronicle but also of seven Chronicle special publications including the award-winning Counterpart, a magazine for Atlanta businesswomen; ChopTalk, official magazine of the Atlanta Braves; and Atlanta Now, which serves the Atlanta convention and visitors industry.
Carter is the author of Junior Dragster Dreams: How Sam Found His Own Ride, the first and only children’s novel about junior drag racing. She also wrote Hope & Healing, the 125-year history of Saint Joseph’s Hospital of Atlanta. She was an on-air reporter in Atlanta for WXIA-TV’s Noonday show for two years and was writer and editor of the Optical Data School Media team that produced award-winning videos for classroom use. Carter is an alumnus of the University of Missouri School of Journalism.
