Wildlife and nature

Animal shelters and rescues

Theater and dance

Rivers, parks and trails

Hunger and food

Schools and learning

Housing and homelessness

Community health

Mental health

Mentoring and foster care

Legal help and rights

Jobs and money help

Atlanta

The Triangle

Everywhere

The Collective Workshop

Royal Animal Refuge

Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Atlanta

Georgia Advancing Communities Together

Atlanta Writers Club

Cobb Collaborative

Bosleys Place

Jewish Fertility Foundation

Do you know those times when teachers or students get together and start dreaming out loud about improving their schools and someone says, “ Wouldn’t it be great if… ”? or “ you know what our school needs? ”
DEF Grants were meant to fuel THOSE ideas, both big and small. DEF understands that our teachers and staff know how best to reach ALL of our students in creative and inspiring ways, and we want to support as many of those ideas as possible.
With these grants we hope to support single-year projects and/or provide seed funds for pilot projects that can then be continued by CSD, PTAs/PTOs, or the schools.
Projects must be approved by School Principal and Wilson Center Staff must have support of their Director .
Travel and Field Trip Requests must show a financial need for students attending. (Example 100 students attending 10 requested financial support.)
It varies based on the project submitted, but historically awards range from $200-$3000.
Any teacher or staff member in the City Schools of Decatur is eligible to apply for funds! We can’t wait to hear your ideas.
From Regulation to Readiness: Executive Functioning Foundations
STEAM Night: Igniting Young Minds Through Ecosystems, Engineering, and Sustainable Innovation

"Gas Station" Drugs: What You Don't Know Can Hurt Them

Give

Fall 2026 Teacher and Staff Grants

Speaker Series

Supper & Sips

DEF invites you to join Circle of Stars

ASIST Trainings

Speaker Series event- Aug 27

DEF helps families prepare for the start of school</span#x3E;

Thank You! Step Up For Teachers

DEF Awards Scholarships to CSD Graduates and Teachers

Mascots of Decatur tshirts

Step Up For Teachers

Def Impact Report 2022 2023

Meagan Berardi

Merry Pope

Rhonda Wildman

Lori Heemann

Still need a reason to get your Supper & Sips tickets? Here are a few more! #supperandsips #ourkids #communityiseverything @polly_holliday @oakhurst_market @decaturpackagestore @rivegauchewineco @butterandcreamatl @dhsbulldogchef @cityschoolsofdecatur @collegeheightspto @clairemontpta @glennwoodpto @oakhurstelementary @westchesterpta @wpespta @favepto @talleypto @bhms_pta @decaturhighptsa

Okay, Decatur, time to start working on your bidding plan! This next one is a crowd favorite… 👀 A private, at-home concert with Emily Saliers, Decatur’s own Indigo Girl, for you and 30 friends! 🎸 Come to Supper & Sips for the food, drinks, and live music. Stay to win the ultimate house party. And know that every bid supports DEF’s work in our schools and community. 🎟️ Tickets are available at bit.ly/suppersips. Get yours now! #supperandsips #DEFauction #IndigoGirls #ourkids

Let's show a big welcome to our new neighbors! @muchachoatl is givng DEF $1 for every burrito purchased this opening weekend!

Make your voice heard. See you at the polls!

DEF is proud to have received a gift from the Preventive Measures Foundation! This grant will support DEF's Behavioral Health Fund. We were honored to meet Dwayne Jones, Robin McCrear and our own Kasim Reed for the check presentation!

Let your voice be heard! Vote for Decatur Education Foundation in the Nonprofit category on the Best of @decaturish ! https://www.decaturish.com/best_of_decaturish_2026/#//

Speaker Series presentation is TONIGHT - October 15! See you at the DHS Media Center at 6:30pm

Supper & Sips, DEF’s fall FUNdraiser, is just over a month away! Get your tickets on our website or by using the link in our bio! Not able to make it to the Supper? You can still help us raise funds to support kids across Decatur AND have a chance to win your choice of one of these amazing trips: Italy, Portugal, or the Dominican Republic! 🌍 Buy your chances using the QR code or the link in our bio! A ticket will be drawn at the event on Nov. 19th, but you don’t have to be present to win! The more chances you purchase, the better your odds! #supperandsips #goldenticketraffle #ourkids #communityiseverything

DEF is honored to be the beneficiary of the 2026 @madavederby on October 24th! Mad Ave Derby is looking for volunteers to help to set up, manage the course, work the bake sale and beer tents, and clean up. Sign up for a volunteer slot on their webpage https://www.madavederby.org/events/volunteer-tix Thanks for your support of DEF and this fun community event!

On October 7, 2026, Decatur Education Foundation put $40,144.00 into our community with the first cycle of our 2026-2027 Teacher and Staff grants. DEF understands that our teachers and staff know how best to reach ALL our students in creative and inspiring ways, and we want to support as many of those ideas as possible. The list of recipients for this Fall 2026 cycle is at https://www.decatureducationfoundation.org/.../fall-2026... Our work only possible through generous donors. Thank you to everyone who supports DEF!

DEF is proud to support these free presentations! Thanks Decatur Prevention Initiative for our great partnership! Check our social or our webpage for info on the October 15th presentation.

Decatur Education Foundation is proud to support this free, informative Speaker Series! Join the Decatur Parents Network for our next Speaker Series featuring Dr. Merrill Norton, pharmacologist and addiction specialist. We’ll talk about substances like kratom, Delta-8, phenibut, 7-OH, and tianeptine, including what they are, where young people may encounter them, and the potential risks. Thursday, October 15, 2026 6:30 - 8pm Decatur High School Media Center Register at QR code on flyer or https://sites.google.com/decaturparents.net/decatur-parents-network/events/speaker-series/gas-station-drugs-what-you-dont-know-can-hurt-them

Thank you, @decatur.housing for inviting us to participate in National Night Out!

ASIST Training this week! Decatur Education Foundation is committed to making the Decatur community more suicide-safe. To do this, DEF partners with City Schools of Decatur to utilize the LivingWorks Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) program. This program is an evidence-based suicide intervention model designed for “natural helpers” and clinicians, that teaches participants how to recognize and intervene when needed, and to develop a collaborative safety plan to keep someone safe and alive. This program is open to all adults with special pricing for City Schools of Decatur (CSD) employees, City of Decatur employees (CoD), and Decatur community members. Register at bit.ly/defasist

TODAY - food, music, fun and great deals! We are so very honored to be the beneficiary of this wonderful night! Thank you @intownacehardware !

We’re proud to announce that DEF Executive Director Meagan Berardi has been selected for the Leadership DeKalb Class of 2027. She joins leaders from government, business, education, healthcare, nonprofits, and other sectors across metro Atlanta who will spend the year learning about DeKalb County and helping shape its future. Leadership DeKalb works to build a diverse network of bold leaders who drive transformative change through informed civic engagement, purposeful action, and a collaborative spirit. Congratulations to the entire Class of 2027! #LeadershipDekalb #BestClassEver

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October 2026