1. Courtney Goldman Photography
Best Weddings of 2011
Non-Profit Partners
Please select a non-profit organization that you would like to
represent during the Best Weddings of 2011 contest. Don’t see the
organization you would like to represent in the list below? No
worries, when completing the contestant form select ‘Other’ and
then indicate the name of the non-profit you would like to
represent. Note: Please refrain from selecting strictly political (i.e.
political parties such as Democratic Party or Tea Party or Political
Action Committees (PACs) dedicated to advancing specific
political agendas) or religious (Churches, Mosques, Temples,
Synagogues, etc.) organizations. Community organizations that
promote political involvement (i.e. Rock the Vote) or
organizations devoted to community enrichment sponsored by a
religious institution (food banks, soup kitchens, etc.) are
permitted.
If you arevoted the winner of the contest the non-profit you
choose will receive $250 (or $500 if you opt not to redeem the
$250 in Courtney Goldman Photography services credit).
American Cancer Society --- www.cancer.org
Founded in 1913 by 15 well-known doctors and business
leaders in New York City, the American Cancer Society (ACS) is the
nationwide community-based voluntary health organization
dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by
preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from
cancer, through research, education, advocacy, and service. The
American Cancer Society consists of a National Home Office with
13 chartered Divisions throughout the United States and a
presence in most communities. More than two million volunteers

2. carry out the Society's mission of eliminating cancer and
improving quality of life for those individuals facing the disease.
American Red Cross --- www.redcross.org
Since its founding in 1881 by visionary leader Clara Barton,
the American Red Cross has been the nation's premier emergency
response organization. As part of a worldwide movement that
offers neutral humanitarian care to the victims of war, the
American Red Cross distinguishes itself by also aiding victims of
devastating natural disasters. Over the years, the organization has
expanded its services, always with the aim of preventing and
relieving suffering. Today, in addition to domestic disaster relief,
the American Red Cross offers compassionate services in five
other areas: community services that help the needy; support and
comfort for military members and their families; the collection,
processing and distribution of lifesaving blood and blood
products; educational programs that promote health and safety;
and international relief and development programs.
The ASPCA --- www.aspca.org
Founded in 1866, the American Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) was the first humane organization
established in the Americas, and today has more than one million
supporters throughout North America. The ASPCA's mission is to
provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals
throughout the United States. The ASPCA provides local and
national leadership in animal-assisted therapy, animal behavior,
animal poison control, anti-cruelty, humane education, legislative
services, and shelter outreach. The New York City headquarters
houses a full-service, accredited animal hospital, adoption center,
and mobile clinic outreach program. The Humane Law

3. Enforcement department enforces New York's animal cruelty
laws.
Athens Canine Rescue --- www.athenscaninerescue.com
Athens Canine Rescue is a non-profit organization of foster
homes in Athens, Georgia. We have no shelter facility and we rely
upon a network of foster homes to house our dogs until they are
placed in permanent happy homes of their own. ACR only takes in
dogs that are friendly, companion animals. As rescue dogs, ACR
pups have often been neglected by previous owners, and rarely
arrive impeccably trained. They are very trainable however!
Whether young or adult, ACR dogs are invariably loving, willing to
please and incredibly grateful.
Atlanta Community Food Bank --- www.acfb.org
Founded in 1979, the Atlanta Community Food Bank (ACFB)
currently distributes almost two million pounds of food and other
donated grocery items monthly to more than 800 nonprofit
partner agencies in 38 counties in Metro Atlanta and North
Georgia. ACFB supports a wide range of people in need, from
children to the working poor. Food pantries, community kitchens,
childcare centers, night shelters and senior centers are among the
agencies that receive product from the Food Bank and provide
food and other critical resources for low-income Georgians who
suffer from hunger and food insecurity. The Food Bank also
operates several community projects to aid our agencies in
community building, technical assistance and advocacy efforts.

4. Boys and Girls Club of America --- www.bcga.org
Formed in 1906, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (B&GCA)
serves more than 4.8 million youth in more than 4,300 club
locations. B&GCA works to enable all young people, especially
those who need it most, to reach their full potential as productive,
responsible and caring citizens. B&GCA has a lineup of tested and
proven nationally recognized programs that address today's most
pressing youth issues, teaching young people the skills they need
to succeed in life. National programs are available in the areas of
education, the environment, health, the arts, careers, alcohol/drug
and pregnancy prevention, gang prevention, leadership
development and athletics.
Canine Assistants --- www.canineassistants.org
Canine Assistants, founded in 1991, trains and provides
service dogs for children and adults with physical disabilities or
other special needs. In addition to physically assisting those with
disabilities, Canine Assistants service dogs are instrumental in
removing many of the barriers faced by the disabled in today's
society. Most Canine Assistants service dogs are born, raised, and
trained at our facility in Alpharetta, Georgia, while some are
occasionally adopted from local organizations or breeders. The
majority of our service dogs are retrievers, including both goldens
and labradors.
Community Connection of Georgia ---
www.communityconnection211.com
In 1981, a small group of local citizens convened to inventory
existing local disability services, in an effort to identify the
primary gaps and to develop a program that would provide
services to fill that gap. Upon gathering, individuals in this group
found that less gaps existed than expected: the true issue was that

5. while each individual was aware of some of the services available,
only by compiling their collective knowledge could they optimize
their access to local resources. With the understanding that the
disabled population needed services not exclusive to their
disability, the group expanded their inventory to all community
resources. Once the inventory was complete, the group would
then identify the unmet needs and work to fill them. Community
Connection of Northeast Georgia was established in 1983 as the
first information and referral service launched as a computer
based service.
The mission of Community Connection of Northeast Georgia
is to nurture, develop, and maintain information &systems which
empower individuals and communities to access needed
resources and services. Today, Community Connection of
Northeast Georgia serves our community in three primary
ways. We connect individuals in the 14 county area to resources
via our 2-1-1 Information and Referral Helpline which provides
more than 30,000 referrals to the individuals in need of services
each year. We connect thousands of interested citizens to
volunteer opportunities in our community via our HandsOn
Northeast Georgia program. We connect organizations to
resources (including each other) via our Non-Profit Development
Alliance, which helps non-profit organizations receive the training,
support and assistance they need while ‘incubating’ new programs
to fill gaps in services.
Georgia Historical Society --- www.georgiahistory.com
Chartered by the Georgia General Assembly in 1839, the
Georgia Historical Society (GHS) is the state's oldest cultural
organization and first and only statewide historical society. GHS is
an educational and research institution created to preserve and
interpret Georgia history and the state's role in American history

6. through a variety of educational programs, publications, and
research services. Headquartered in Savannah with an office in
Atlanta, GHS has 6,000 individual members and nearly 200
affiliate chapters.
Habitat for Humanity International --- www.habitat.org
Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI) seeks to eliminate
poverty housing and homelessness from the world, and to make
decent shelter a matter of conscience and action. Habitat invites
people of all backgrounds, races and religions to build houses
together in partnership with families in need. Habitat has built
more than 300,000 houses around the world, providing more than
1.5 million people in more than 3,000 communities with safe,
decent, affordable shelter. Habitat is founded on the conviction
that every man, woman and child should have a simple, decent,
affordable place to live in dignity and safety.
Hands On Atlanta – www.handsonatlanta.org
Hands On Atlanta helps individuals, families, corporate and
community groups strengthen Greater Atlanta through service at
more than 400 nonprofit organizations and schools. Hands On
Atlanta volunteers are at work every day of the year tutoring and
mentoring children, helping individuals and families make
pathways out of poverty, improving Atlanta’s environment, and
more. Hands On Atlanta is an affiliate of the HandsOn Network, an
association of 250 volunteer service organizations across 16
countries. Hands On Atlanta builds community and meets critical
needs through volunteer service and civic engagement.

7. Heifer International --- www.heifer.org
Founded in 1944, Heifer Project International is a
humanitarian assistance organization that works to end world
hunger and protect the earth. Through livestock, training and
passing on the gift, Heifer has helped 8.5 million families in more
than 125 countries improve their quality of life and move toward
greater self-reliance. Heifer helps build strong communities
because each project participant agrees to pass on the gift of
animal offspring, training, or skills to another family in need.
National Alliance to End Homelessness ---
www.endhomelessness.org
The National Alliance to End Homelessness is a nonpartisan,
mission-driven organization committed to preventing and ending
homelessness in the United States and is a leading voice on the
issue of homelessness. The Alliance analyzes policy and develops
pragmatic, cost-effective policy solutions. We work collaboratively
with the public, private, and nonprofit sectors to build state and
local capacity, leading to stronger programs and policies that help
homeless individuals and families make positive changes in their
lives. We provide data and research to policymakers and elected
officials in order to inform policy debates and educate the public
and opinion leaders nationwide.
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation --- www.nfwf.org
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation was created by
Congress in 1984 to protect and restore our nation's fish, wildlife,
and habitats by investing federal dollars in the most pressing
conservation needs and matching those dollars with private funds.
The Foundation has proudly awarded 10,800 grants to 3,700
organizations and leveraged $680 million into $1.6 billion for
conservation on the ground.

8. Open Hand --- www.projectopenhand.org
Founded in 1988, Open Hand helps people prevent or better
manage chronic disease through Comprehensive Nutrition Care,
which combines home-delivered meals and nutrition education as
a means to reinforce the connection between informed food
choices and improved quality of life. Our programs and services
are designed to help clients meet their personal goals and
objectives for good health and to assist clients and healthcare
providers in the early identification and treatment, as well as the
prevention or progression of many nutrition-related illnesses.
Open Hand seeks to eliminate disability and untimely death due to
nutrition-sensitive chronic disease. We aim to serve our
community by empowering people to live healthier, more
productive lives.
Operation Smile --- www.operationsmile.org
Operation Smile is an international children's medical charity
that heals children's smiles, forever changing their lives. As a
children’s charity, we measure ourselves by the joy we see on all
of the faces we help. At Operation Smile, we're more than a
charity. More than an NGO. We're a mobilized force of medical
professionals and caring hearts who provide safe, effective
reconstructive surgery for children born with facial deformities
such as cleft lip and cleft palate. Every three minutes a child is
born with a cleft — often unable to eat, speak, socialize or smile. In
some places these children are shunned and rejected. And in too
many cases, their parents can't afford to give them the surgeries
they need to live a normal life. That's where we come in as an
international charity providing much needed surgical services.
Since 1982, Operation Smile — through the help of dedicated
medical volunteers — has provided more than 2 million patient
evaluations and over 200,000 free surgeries for children and
young adults born with cleft lips, cleft palates and other facial

9. deformities. As one of the most prominent children’s charities in
the world and with a presence in over 60 countries, we are able to
heal children’s smiles and bring hope for a better future. Thanks to
the generosity and spirit of volunteerism shown by our
supporters, we heal thousands of children per year.
The Orange Duffle Bag Foundation ---
http://www.orangeduffelbagfoundation.org
The Orange Duffel Bag Foundation provides coaching,
training and ongoing mentoring to at-risk youth; support to their
guardians and caring adults; and service to the community in a
spirit of offering hope and enriching young lives.
The Sierra Club Foundation ---
www.sierraclub.org/foundation
The Sierra Club Foundation was founded in 1960 to provide
financial support to the Sierra Club and other environmental
organizations for tax deductible work. We fund a range of
environmental projects which fall into the three general categories
of public education, litigation, and training. Since 1960, The Sierra
Club Foundation has funded tens of millions of dollars worth of
important work, from small local projects costing a couple of
hundred dollars, to large, multi-year campaigns which require
millions of dollars to support. Our work reflects the core values of
people everywhere: that we all have a right to a safe and healthy
environment, clean air, clean water, open space, wild lands, and a
healthy and diverse ecosystem.

10. Sheltering Arms --- www.shelteringarmsforkids.com
Founded in 1888, Sheltering Arms is Georgia's oldest
nonprofit early childhood education program, and one of its most
respected. Our mission is to serve working families with high
quality, affordable child care and education and comprehensive
support services, as well as to provide professional development
for early childhood educators and community outreach. Founded
by Atlanta volunteers, Sheltering Arms now annually serves more
than 3,600 children, ages six weeks to five years old, and their
families, in 17 centers in seven metro Atlanta counties.
Teach for America --- www.teachforamerica.org
Teach For America is the national corps of outstanding
recent college graduates who commit to teach for two years in
urban and rural public schools and become lifelong leaders in
expanding educational opportunity. Teach For America's mission
is to build the movement to eliminate educational inequity by
enlisting the nation's most promising future leaders in the effort.
In the 2010-11 school year, more than 8,200 first- and second-
year Teach For America corps members are teaching in 39 regions
across the United States. Since 1990, Teach For America corps
members have reached more than 3 million students. Teach For
America's 20,000 alumni are providing critical leadership -- as
teachers, school and district leaders; elected officials and policy
advisers; and founders and leaders of education and social reform
initiatives -- to ensure all children have the opportunity to attain
an excellent education.
United Way Worldwide --- www.liveunited.org
Founded in 1887, United Way Worldwide's mission is to
improve lives by mobilizing the caring power of communities.
United Way is a national network of nearly 1,300 local

11. organizations that work to advance the common good by focusing
on education, income and health. United Way Worldwide is the
national organization dedicated to leading the United Way
movement. Local United Ways create long-lasting community
change by addressing the underlying causes of the most significant
local issues. Common focus areas include helping children and
youth achieve their potential, promoting financial stability and
independence, and improving people's health. Our goal is to create
long-lasting changes by addressing the underlying causes of
problems.
Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper ---
www.chattahoochee.org
The Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper's (UCR) works to
advocate and secure the protection and stewardship of the
Chattahoochee River, its tributaries and watershed, in order to
restore and preserve their ecological health for the people, fish
and wildlife that depend on the River system. Established in 1994,
UCR is an environmental advocacy organization with more than
5,000 members dedicated solely to protecting and restoring the
Chattahoochee River Basin - drinking water source for 3.5 million
people. UCR actively uses advocacy, education, research,
communication, cooperation, monitoring and legal actions to
protect and preserve the Chattahoochee and its watershed.
Woodruff Arts Center --- www.woodruffcenter.org
The Woodruff Arts Center is the heartbeat of Atlanta's arts
community. Located in midtown, the Center offers Atlantans a
bold variety of performing and visual arts - both traditional and
avant-garde. For 30 years, Woodruff Center has set the arts
standard for Atlanta and the Southeast. Since its inception, the
Woodruff Arts Center has grown into the most dynamic center for

12. the visual and performing arts in the South and is among the top
such centers in the nation. Today the Woodruff Arts Center
includes the Alliance Theatre, High Museum of Art, Young
Audiences, 14th Street Playhouse and the Atlanta Symphony
Orchestra.
World Wildlife Fund --- www.worldwildlife.org
Founded in 1961, World Wildlife Fund's (WWF) mission is
the conservation of nature. Using the best available scientific
knowledge and advancing that knowledge where we can, we work
to preserve the diversity and abundance of life on Earth and the
health of ecological systems by: protecting natural areas and wild
populations of plants and animals, including endangered species;
promoting sustainable approaches to the use of renewable natural
resources; and promoting more efficient use of resources and
energy and the maximum reduction of pollution. We are
committed to reversing the degradation of our planet's natural
environment and to building a future in which human needs are
met in harmony with nature. We recognize the critical relevance of
human numbers, poverty and consumption patterns to meeting
these goals.