Barrow Together is the Foundation’s community grantmaking pool.  Hundreds of donations of all sizes come in from across the community through individuals, companies, churches, and organizations to create a fund to address Barrow County’s most pressing needs.  Through a data collection process that includes reports from schools, governments and other nonprofits, a community impact survey and focus groups with donors, the Foundation establishes funding priorities for each grant round.

Q4 2025 Grantees

New Path 1010 received $30,000 to support its Life Restoration Program.  The program provides transitional housing and supportive case management to empower single mothers who are experiencing homelessness to find meaningful employment and sustainable permanent housing.

Spirit of Sharing received $20,000 to launch Spirit Academy, an affordable, sliding-scale preschool that provides an early literacy and kindergarten readiness curriculum to three-year-old students.

When tragedy struck our community on September 4, 2024, the Barrow Community Foundation responded by establishing the Barrow Community Crisis Fund and designating its proceeds to the Apalachee recovery through June 30, 2025.  More than $1M was raised from individuals, organization, corporations and foundations across the nation and right here at home.  A grantmaking committee was established comprising top leaders in education, mental health, public safety, government, the faith community and business.  The committee granted the funds in six rounds.  Read all the details about the process and the funds awarded.

Crisis funds were awarded to:

ACTION Inc.
Adventure Bags
Amazing Friends Club
Apalachee High School
Barrow County Fire Department
Barrow County School System
Barrow County Sheriff’s Office Employee Fund
Barrow Fire Foundation
Barrow Ministry Village
Bowen Walker Foundation
Brightpaths
Family Counseling Service of Athens
Freedom Path Counseling
Kate’s Club
Project ADAM Community Assistance Center, Inc.
St. Vincent de Paul Winder Conference

Through the generosity of community members, businesses, foundations, and public partners, the Barrow Community Foundation raised more than $5 million to create Winder Legacy Park, a transformational community destination that opened in Summer 2024 on the campus of the Center for Innovative Teaching.

Developed in partnership with the Barrow County School System, the park features a state-of-the-art destination playground anchored by the iconic Barrowsaurus, along with a 28-foot rope-climbing pyramid, swings, slides, a wheelchair-accessible merry-go-round, rock-climbing structures, a zip line, and other inclusive play elements. The park also includes a one-third-mile concrete walking trail and a large event field for community gatherings.

In Spring 2026, the Barrow County School System officially gifted Winder Legacy Park to the City of Winder, ensuring its continued growth and stewardship for generations to come.

Future plans for Phase 2 include a splash pad, food truck circle, sports courts, dog parks, a tree house, and additional amenities designed to further enhance this vibrant community space.

Read more about the park rules and operations.