Trees Atlanta INC

About the Organization

Organization category

Public Charity

Country / State

United States / Georgia

Mission

Trees Atlanta protects and improves Atlanta’s urban forest by planting, conserving, and educating.

Programs or services

Advocacy, Adult education, youth education, workforce development, conservation, tree planting, tree care

Detailed programs

We pursue our mission through a variety of programs, including small and large tree planting, forest restoration, adult and youth education, tree care, and advocacy.

Target Audience

Women, men, children, adolescents, corporations, foundations, community groups, and schools

Geographic Focus

United States, Georgia (USA), Clayton County (GA), Cobb County (GA), DeKalb County (GA), Fulton County (GA)

Current projects

Small and large tree planting, forest restoration, adult and youth education, tree care, and advocacy.

Organization goals

Trees Atlanta protects and improves Atlanta’s urban forest by planting, conserving, and educating.

Leadership

Greg Levine, Executive Director, 404-681-4903, greg@treesatlanta.org; Suzie Sloan, Chief Operating Officer, 404-681-4905, ssloan@treesatlanta.org

Strategic priorities

Our strategic plan aims to create a more sustainable and resilient Metro Atlanta by planting and preserving more trees, with strategies such as leveraging investments in downtown Atlanta’s canopy, creating a tree nursery to resolve supply chain challenges, collaborating with partners to maintain and conserve the Atlanta Beltline Arboretum, and developing new ways of reaching, engaging, and making a difference in our community.

Organizational capacity

Trees Atlanta operates with a strong organizational capacity, supported by a dedicated professional staff, a modern 23,000-square-foot facility, over 11,000 volunteers annually, and ambitious multi-year strategic targets.

Funding Needs

Grant categories you're seeking

Capital Funding, Climate Change, Environment and Conservation, Workforce

Funding needs

Small and large tree planting, forest restoration, adult and youth education, tree care, and advocacy

Impact & Recognition

Outcomes and impact

Trees planted, trees pruned, volunteer occurrences, volunteer hours served, volunteer projects, students served, number of classrooms taught in, number of youth attending camp, number of workforce development participants, number of greenspaces maintained, number of acres of forest restored, number of trees distributed, number of City Forest Certified properties

Success stories

Founded in 1985, Trees Atlanta started as a grassroots initiative to plant 46 trees along Downtown Atlanta's Carnegie Way and has since become a leading urban forestry organization. It was established through collaboration among citizens, the Junior League, Central Atlanta Progress, and the City's Commissioner of Parks. For over 40 years, Trees Atlanta has worked to protect and expand Atlanta's urban forest through planting, conservation, and education, contributing to the city's identity as the "City in the Forest." Currently, Trees Atlanta plants about 11,000 trees each year, manages extensive forest restoration projects over 40 green spaces, and serves thousands of students through environmental education. The organization is the steward of the Atlanta Beltline Arboretum, the world's longest linear arboretum, featuring over 7,000 trees and 700,000 plants.

Organization achievements

We planted our first 46 trees on Carnegie Way in Downtown Atlanta in 1985. We now plant nearly 10,000 trees each year. Trees Atlanta works in five metro counties, including 13 cities. Our foundational program was neighborhood tree planting, which scaled rapidly as volunteers became an important part of the work. We began a significant partnership with Atlanta Beltline to create the world's longest linear arboretum. The need for conservation of natural spaces expanded our work to include Forest Restoration. Formal education programs were added to allow us to teach in schools, open summer camp, and lead training classes, conferences, and the Speaker Series. Our growth and community needs inspired us to make a new home in Southwest Atlanta. In 2023, the Kendeda TreeHouse opened. The range of our community work continues to grow and includes workforce development, advocating for stronger ordinances to protect trees, and a new tree nursery.

Major funders

Chick-fil-A Foundation, Delta Air Lines, The Home Depot Foundation, Smurfit Westrock, Coca-Cola Foundation, Delta Air Lines, The Home Depot Foundation, American Association of Medical Colleges, Arbor Day Foundation (Truist)

Partnerships & Collaborations

In partnership with organizations including Atlanta Beltline, Inc., Atlanta Public Schools, the City of Atlanta, Birds Georgia, Park Pride, The Conservation Fund, and Trust for Public Land, Trees Atlanta is expanding access to green spaces while inspiring the next generation of environmental stewards through youth education, workforce development, and adult learning programs.

Sustainability, dissemination & replicability

Trees Atlanta’s programming achieves long-term viability through a combination of diversified funding, active community stewardship, and scalable education-workforce frameworks.

Internal checks & balances to prevent fraud

Separate financial roles, independent reconciliations, third-party accountant, itemized receipts and invoices, active board involvement, internal spot-checks

Get Involved

How can volunteers get involved?

Sign up at www.treesatlanta.org

How can donors support your mission?

Donate at www.treesatlanta.org

Do you accept partnerships?

Yes

Are you seeking board members?

Yes

Website & Social Media