“Be still and know that I am God,” a familiar verse from Psalm 46, was one of many scriptures that gave John Clause comfort when he faced the daunting task of serving orphaned children in East Africa.
Clause is an entrepreneurial, innovative and passionate national and global nonprofit leader with a background in real estate and law. He was the chief architect and campaign chair of the For Every Child Campaign—a $500 million successful fundraising campaign at World Vision. As the national vice president of development and philanthropy with World Vision for over 17 years, Clause oversaw all of the organization’s major fundraising activities in the United States.
Clause moved to Atlanta in 2016 and now serves as the executive director of the World Children’s Center. The center is a 720-acre, four-phase master-planned community situated 40 minutes outside of Atlanta in Haralson County, Georgia. It is currently being developed to serve underserved children.
Clause will help lead the project’s efforts to provide a safe and stable environment for 800-plus at-risk children through housing, access to education and quality health care while providing the tools necessary to lead meaningful and productive lives.
The center, once complete, will consist of 100 homes, each with surrogate house parents and eight children per home. At the heart of the center, educational programs and facilities will provide a comprehensive learning environment, supplemented by recreational facilities; an art and music center; a pediatric clinic; an international humanitarian development and training center; and a food and clothing distribution center in addition to other planned amenities.
The World Children’s Center has completed Phase I of the development of its 720-acre site. Phase II development is slated to begin early 2017 and upon completion will lead to the opening of the center within the next 24 months.
The extent of child trafficking and the almost doubling of children moving into the foster care system the past three years in Georgia makes the World Children’s Center necessary.
The World Children’s Center was developed through the careful study of the operations and best practices of the renowned Milton Hershey School in Hershey, Pennsylvania, to address immediate needs of at-risk children in Georgia, across the U.S. and throughout the world.
If you have an interest in learning more about the World Children’s Center or becoming a partner and supporter, please contact Clause at or call .