The Georgia accounting community raised $363,162.91 through the 2026 Georgia Accounting Food Fight, a statewide competition that benefits local food banks. The total translates to 1,452,652 meals for Georgians facing hunger, according to a joint announcement from The Georgia Society of CPAs (GSCPA) and Feeding Georgia. The campaign involved 53 team fundraising pages and more than 4,400 employees from accounting firms and industry accounting departments across the state.
The significance of the effort extends beyond the dollar figure. Funds raised by participating teams stay local, directly supporting the food bank that serves each team's community. The campaign is timed to help food banks replenish resources after the increased demand of summer months, when many families lose access to school meal programs. This localized structure means the impact is felt immediately in communities where accounting professionals live and work, strengthening the state's hunger-relief network at a critical time.
Julie Kuykendall, Executive Director of Feeding Georgia, praised participants. "To every accounting professional who competed, donated, rallied a team or encouraged a colleague - thank you," she said. "Your generosity strengthens the work of food banks and hunger-relief partners serving communities across our state. We are deeply thankful to The Georgia Society of CPAs and the accounting professionals who turned friendly competition into meaningful support for Georgia families. What you accomplished this year matters, and we hope it inspires even more people to join us. In 2027, we want to build on this momentum, welcome new teams to the competition and show just how much more we can accomplish together."
Top honors went to Nichols Cauley, named the Statewide Hunger Champion for raising $53,405.16 across its combined teams, and Underwood Advisors, LLC, named the Statewide Food Fight Hero for raising $2,061.88 and earning the most points per employee statewide. Other winners included Deloitte Atlanta Audit & Assurance (Big Four), Forvis Mazars, LLP (Large Firm Overall), Cherry Bekaert (Large Firm Per Employee), Smith Adcock and Company LLP (Medium Firm), Rumph & Associates (Small Firm), and Teradata Corporation (Industry Accounting Department).
Boyd Search, CEO of The Georgia Society of CPAs, highlighted the profession's long-term commitment. "The Georgia Accounting Food Fight continues to demonstrate what our profession can accomplish when we come together in service to our communities," he said. "Since this effort began in 2014, Georgia's accounting community has raised $3,289,797.51 - helping provide 13,159,190 meals to our neighbors across the state. We are incredibly proud of the firms, companies and individuals who continue to make this campaign such a meaningful reflection of the spirit of our profession."
Since its inception in 2014, the Georgia Accounting Food Fight has raised a cumulative $3,289,797.51, equivalent to 13,159,190 meals. The 2026 campaign's success reflects a sustained partnership between GSCPA and Feeding Georgia, which unites eight Feeding America food banks and partners with more than 2,000 food pantries to reach 156,500 Georgians in need each week. For more information about the campaign, visit https://feedinggeorgia.org/georgia-accounting-food-fight/. To learn more about The Georgia Society of CPAs, visit www.gscpa.org.
The 2026 results underscore how a professional community can leverage friendly competition to address a persistent social issue. With food insecurity remaining a challenge across Georgia, the accounting community's ability to mobilize thousands of employees and raise hundreds of thousands of dollars in a single campaign offers a model for sustained, localized philanthropy. As Kuykendall noted, the goal for 2027 is to build on that momentum and expand participation, suggesting the initiative's impact will continue to grow in the years ahead.
