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Grantee Spotlight

285 South Is a Lifeline for Atlanta-Area Immigrants

285 South

Atlanta, GA

years active

2024 - 2025

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Two women smiling and holding an award in front of a Atlanta Press Club banner.
Atlanta Press Club Awards on April 29, 2025. 285 South was a finalist in the Digital News category and 285 South reporter Gabriela Henriquez Stoikow won the Rising Star Award. Photo courtesy of 285 South.

With The Pivot Fund’s support, Atlanta-based 285 South has undergone a remarkable transformation, evolving from a Substack newsletter into a thriving news outlet driving real-world change and amplifying the stories of immigrants navigating life in Georgia.

Sophia Qureshi launched 285 South in 2021 to serve Metro Atlanta’s immigrant and refugee communities, bringing her journalism background from CNN, Al Jazeera Media and the Center for Public Integrity. With Pivot Fund’s investment, she expanded the outlet’s digital presence, hired contributors from several of the communities the outlet serves, and strengthened financial and legal infrastructure. 

The outlet’s journalism had a real impact. Stories about immigrant women’s quest for driving licenses prompted a change in state testing procedures and enough donations to save a free instructional program. Another, about phones being taken away at an ICE detention center, led to a campaign that allowed detainees to resume contact with their families.

285 South teamed up with Tomorrow Pictures to produce “The Third Country,” a documentary about young Burmese refugees who fled Myanmar and settled in Georgia. 

285 South launched its own website in April 2024 while growing to 14,000 subscribers across its newsletter and social channels. Qureshi also struck media partnerships to widen the reach of the outlet’s content. She attracted additional funding from Press Forward, the national initiative to support local journalism.

Growth + Capacity Building

  • Launched a standalone website with organized content categories and donation tools.
  • Hired full-time reporter and part-time editor, plus diverse freelance contributors.
  • Established financial and legal systems with UGA Business Law Clinic support.

Audience + Community Impact

  • Gained 5,600+ website users from April to December 2024; built social/newsletter following to 14,000+.
  • Exposed the imminent closure of a free driving school for refugee women, prompting immediate donations that saved the program. Our coverage of immigrant women seeking driving permits led the state to expedite tests. 
  • Highlighted the loss of phone access at an ICE detention center, leading to a successful campaign to restore communication with families.
  • Published high-impact stories that changed state policy and preserved community services.
  • Partnered with local/national outlets for broader reach.

Revenue Growth + Partnerships

  • Secured $100,000 Press Forward grant (two years)
  • Formed partnerships with Mundo Hispanico, Prensa Atlanta, ABC News, and others.

Recognition + Future Plans

  • Reader recognition included this quote: “Thank you for what you do, which is to value community and people over ideology.”
  • Plans to develop a subscription program and diversify revenue beyond grants.

Woman and 4 men gathered outside an apartment building looking at their cell phones together and talking.
Sophia Qureshi of 285 South interviewing members of the Afghan community about issues they were having in their apartment complex. Photo courtesy of 285 South.

Small crowd of people gathered at the top of a mountain overlooking a valley below.
285 South reporter Gabriela Henriquez Stoikow interviews a woman who joined hundreds of others to walk up Stone Mountain to mark Good Friday on April 18, 2025. Photo courtesy of 285 South.
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The investment from the Pivot Fund enabled us to build a community of journalists around 285 South who are dedicated and passionate to telling the stories of immigrants in Metro Atlanta.

Sophia Qureshi, Founder of 285 South