Charitable Connections, Inc. was founded in 1997 by a seven-member steering committee. From 1997 through 2000 as the organization was being established, Michelle Uchiyama provided focus to the organization by creating a team of technical assistance providers to support the capacity building of a multitude of faith and community-based organizations including the Child Abuse Prevention Alliance, Jesse's House (a temporary youth shelter), The Hope Crisis Center, No Longer Bound ( A men's drug and alcohol recovery facility), The Georgia Faith-Based Initiative Task Force, The International Campaign for Victory Over Violence, and many others.

Through training and education programs delivered at Mercer University, West Georgia State University and churches and neighborhoods throughout Georgia, Charitable Connections, Inc. helped to establish over 105 non-profit organizations, training thousands of leaders of non-profits in Georgia, Oklahoma, Texas, California, South Carolina, North Carolina and Florida.

In 2001, Charitable Connections, Inc. in collaboration with People TV trained thirty-two (32) faith and community leaders in television production and editing. By 2002 Charitable Connections developed a strategy for implementation of the community foundation component of our tax exempt status.

In 2003 the board began looking at strategies to effectively develop bridges to a grassroots developed collaborative organizational structure.