The Waffle House Foundation desires to return to the community a portion of the good will it has received through a program of corporate giving. Our goal is to improve the quality of life for people in our hometown of metro-Atlanta.
A defining feature of Waffle House Foundation Inc is its metro-Atlanta giving pattern: the foundation channels charitable support to nonprofit organizations in the area it calls its hometown, with priority for health and human service organizations, youth and educational programs, services for the needy and disadvantaged, and other civic causes. Recent grants show that pattern clearly, from $25,000 to Christian City in Union City for charitable support to $20,000 to Lighthouse Family Retreat in Alpharetta and $20,000 to Must Ministries in Marietta. The foundation’s community-grants program is open to nonprofits located in metro-Atlanta and extends to nearby Georgia counties including Butts and Cherokee. Its stated purpose is to return a portion of the goodwill it has received through corporate giving and to improve quality of life for people in metro-Atlanta. The recent grant list also includes support for organizations such as Focused Community Strategies in Atlanta and Across the Bridge Inc in Lawrenceville, showing a mix of neighborhood-based service groups and broader community programs. Across the record on file, the grants remain local and overwhelmingly centered in Georgia.
Health and human services sit at the center of the foundation’s priorities. In 2025, it gave $20,000 to Focused Community Strategies in Atlanta, and in 2023 it gave $20,000 to St Vincent DePaul Society in Atlanta. Youth and educational programs are also part of the portfolio: Breakthrough Atlanta received $15,000 in 2023 and another $15,000 in 2024, while Jumpstart Automotive Training Center in East Point received $15,000 in 2025. The foundation also backs services for disadvantaged populations and related civic support. It awarded $15,000 to Meals by Grace in Cumming in 2024 and $15,000 to Agape Youth and Family Center in Atlanta in 2026. Community-oriented recreation and family support appear as well, including $20,000 to Catalyst Sports in Atlanta in 2026.
Typical awards cluster tightly around the middle of the range: p25 is $5,000, the median is $10,000, and p75 is also $10,000. That suggests many grants land near the same size, with a smaller number of larger awards like those in the recent-grants list. The foundation appears to make repeated gifts to some recipients across multiple years, including Camp Southern Grounds, Breakthrough Atlanta, and Camp Twin Lakes. It operates as a corporate foundation rather than a family foundation, funds organizations rather than individuals, and does not make program-related investments. The active grant programs also indicate that unsolicited requests are accepted.
$288K
$185K
$274K
$288K
Most grants fall between $5K and $10K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$10K
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Giving is concentrated in Georgia, with 94% of grants going to recipients in the foundation’s headquarters state. Metro-Atlanta is the clear geographic focus, and the recent list includes Atlanta, Alpharetta, Marietta, Lawrenceville, East Point, Decatur, Cumming, and Chamblee. The nonprofit geography also reaches nearby places named in the active programs, including Butts County and Cherokee County. Outside Georgia, the grant record still stays domestic, with recipients in Oklahoma City, Philadelphia, and Glen Mills.
The distribution is compact: p25 is $5,000, the median is $10,000, and p75 is $10,000. That means many awards are made at or near $10,000, with fewer smaller grants and some larger awards in the recent record.
Its stated priorities include health and human service organizations, youth and educational programs, services for the needy and disadvantaged, and other civic causes. The active grant-program descriptions repeat those same themes for metro-Atlanta nonprofits.
Yes. Both active grant-program entries state that unsolicited applications are accepted for metro-Atlanta nonprofit organizations.
Yes. The geographic scope is local, and 94% of grants go to recipients in Georgia, the foundation’s headquarters state. The recent record is centered on metro-Atlanta cities and nearby Georgia communities.
Yes. The recent-grants list includes repeated awards to several organizations across different years, including Camp Southern Grounds, Breakthrough Atlanta, and Camp Twin Lakes.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Current and upcoming funding from Waffle House Foundation that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Nonprofit organizations must be located in the metro-Atlanta area and provide documentation of 501(c)(3) status. Requests for capital campaigns, endowments, debt reduction, religious organizations for religious purposes, political candidates, charity balls or golf outings, etc., will not be considered.
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Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHRISTIAN CITY | UNION CITY, GA | $25,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| MUST MINISTRIES | MARIETTA, GA | $20,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| CATALYST SPORTS | ATLANTA, GA | $20,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| OPERATION WARM | GLEN MILLS, PA |
| $20,000 |
| 2026 |
| CHARITABLE |
| LIGHTHOUSE FAMILY RETREAT | ALPHARETTA, GA | $20,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| SONGS FOR KIDS FOUNDATION | ATLANTA, GA | $15,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| AGAPE YOUTH AND FAMILY CENTER | ATLANTA, GA | $15,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| ANGEL FLIGHT | CHAMBLEE, GA | $15,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| CAMP TWIN LAKES | ATLANTA, GA | $12,500 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| STANDUP FOR KIDS | DECATUR, GA | $10,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| INTOWN CARES | ATLANTA, GA | $10,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| SUNSHINE ON A RANNEY DAY | ROSWELL, GA | $10,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| HOMESTRETCH | ROSWELL, GA | $10,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| AUDITORY VERBAL CENTER | ATLANTA, GA | $10,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| BREAKTHROUGH ATLANTA | ATLANTA, GA | $10,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| ATLANTA MISSION | ATLANTA, GA | $10,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| NORTH METRO MIRACLE LEAGUE | ALPHARETTA, GA | $10,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| THE HIRSH ACADEMY | DECATUR, GA | $9,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| EAGLES RANCH | FLOWERY BRANCH, GA | $7,500 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF AMERICA | ATLANTA, GA | $5,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA | ATLANTA, GA | $5,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| EVERYBODY WINS ATLANTA | ATLANTA, GA | $5,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| COMMUNITY OUTREACH IN ACTION | JONESBORO, GA | $5,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| SPECIAL OLYMPICS GEORGIA | NORCROSS, GA | $3,500 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| GEORGIA COUNCIL ON ECONOMIC EDUCATION | ATLANTA, GA | $2,500 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| THRIVE TOGETHER | CUMMING, GA | $1,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| WILLIE WATKINS FUNERAL HOME | ATLANTA, GA | $1,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| GA ALLIANCE FOR BREAST CANCER | PEACHTREE CORNERS, GA | $500 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| GEORGIA LIONS LIGHTHOUSE | CHAMBLEE, GA | $500 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| Focused Community Strategies | Atlanta, GA | $20,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Across the Bridge Inc | LAWRENCEVILLE, GA | $20,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Hands on Atlanta | Atlanta, GA | $15,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Jumpstart Automotive Training Center | East Point, GA | $15,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Aurora Day Camp | Atlanta, GA | $15,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Camp Twin Lakes | Atlanta, GA | $12,500 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Quality Growth Institute | Atlanta, GA | $10,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| The Bedford School | Fairburn, GA | $10,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Children's Development Academy | ROSWELL, GA | $10,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| CaringWorks Inc | Decatur, GA | $10,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Lekotek of Georgia Inc | Tucker, GA | $10,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Neighborhood Cooperative Ministries | NORCROSS, GA | $10,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Families 4 Families | Loganville, GA | $10,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Neighborhood Meals on Wheels | Norcross, GA | $10,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Global Growers Network | Decatur, GA | $10,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Friends of Disabled Adults and Children | Stone Mountain, GA | $10,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| North Gwinnett Co-Op | BUFORD, GA | $10,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| No Longer Bound | Cumming, GA | $10,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| The Elaine Clark Center | Chamblee, GA | $10,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| National Incarceration Association | ROSWELL, GA | $10,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Serenade Heights | WOODSTOCK, GA | $9,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
SONGS FOR KIDS FOUNDATION
$15,000CHARITABLE
ANGEL FLIGHT
$15,000CHARITABLE
STANDUP FOR KIDS
$10,000CHARITABLE
INTOWN CARES
$10,000CHARITABLE
SUNSHINE ON A RANNEY DAY
$10,000CHARITABLE
HOMESTRETCH
$10,000CHARITABLE
ATLANTA MISSION
$10,000CHARITABLE
NORTH METRO MIRACLE LEAGUE
$10,000CHARITABLE
THE HIRSH ACADEMY
$9,000CHARITABLE
EAGLES RANCH
$7,500CHARITABLE
BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF AMERICA
$5,000CHARITABLE
BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA
$5,000CHARITABLE
EVERYBODY WINS ATLANTA
$5,000CHARITABLE
COMMUNITY OUTREACH IN ACTION
$5,000CHARITABLE
SPECIAL OLYMPICS GEORGIA
$3,500CHARITABLE
THRIVE TOGETHER
$1,000CHARITABLE
WILLIE WATKINS FUNERAL HOME
$1,000CHARITABLE
GA ALLIANCE FOR BREAST CANCER
$500CHARITABLE
GEORGIA LIONS LIGHTHOUSE
$500CHARITABLE
Across the Bridge Inc
$20,000Charitable
Hands on Atlanta
$15,000Charitable
Quality Growth Institute
$10,000Charitable
The Bedford School
$10,000Charitable
Lekotek of Georgia Inc
$10,000Charitable
Neighborhood Cooperative Ministries
$10,000Charitable
Families 4 Families
$10,000Charitable
Neighborhood Meals on Wheels
$10,000Charitable
The Elaine Clark Center
$10,000Charitable
National Incarceration Association
$10,000Charitable
Serenade Heights
$9,000Charitable
