The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta has announced the launch of the second phase of Giving: A Shared Inheritance, a two-part research initiative focusing on African-American philanthropy in the Atlanta region.

The first phase of the project, which was conducted by the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University, found that African Americans in metro Atlanta tend to give to charities that benefit the African-American community directly, give a greater percentage of their income to charity than their white counterparts, volunteer at a higher rate than whites, and direct most of their charitable giving and volunteering toward religious causes. The analysis was based on three previous studies that surveyed a total of 5,400 individuals.

Phase two of the project, to be conducted by Atlanta-based market research firm Shapiro Research Group, will involve a team of community leaders and advisers and include focus groups and in-depth interviews to ensure the broadest possible application of the studies' findings.

The entire project, which is expected to be completed by May 2005, is being funded by Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta and the Atlanta-based Arthur M. Blank Foundation. To view the findings from phase one, visit: http://www.atlcf.org/Webdata/Documents/49/AAPFinalReport%20PDF.pdf.