the arthur m. blank
family foundation
2002 annual report
connecing
strengths
creating
change
By connectçΩçing
the strengths of partners with the power to
create change, we enhance their ability to
transform society. To have the greatest impact,
we focus on connecting dreamers who get
things done.
At the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, we strive to create opportunities for young people to flourish in the communities that shape their future.
Our goal: to be a catalyst for lasting social change.
We invest in people who take an entrepreneurial approach and who listen
carefully to those they serve. We then work to connect the diverse strengths of our
nonprofit partners. By doing so, we all deliver results with far greater impact.
That’s the power of collaboration.
Our nonprofit partners take many paths to reach the common goal of
enriching youth and building community. As Geoff Canada, head of the Harlem
Children’s Zone, puts it, “We don’t know what will save a child. For some kids it’s
poetry, for some it’s chess, for some it’s sports. Our job is to give children as
many opportunities as possible, until they find what they need to save themselves.”
Look closely at the organizations we support and you see a variety of
strengths. But what these partners all share with the Blank Family Foundation is
an emphasis on excellence, a determination to innovate and a results-driven
approach that responds to community needs.
We encourage our partners to think big, to dream. But it takes more than
dreams to get results. We believe one of the greatest strengths we can offer nonprofit organizations is the ability to connect them with others who can help them
improve effectiveness, increase capacity, develop leadership and clarify strategy.
Building bridges between programs can dramatically increase impact.
That’s why we gathered nearly 400 of our partners in Atlanta at our first
Blank Family Foundation grantees conference. Our partners had the opportunity
to meet with one another – as well as with our staff and members of the Blank
family – to share pioneering ideas and practices. We offered $500,000 in
collaboration grants to those who would work together to share solutions – and
connecing…
partners who
partners who
innovate
collaborate
Ginny Deerin, page 6
Bruce Astrein, page 9
partn
lis
Byron Am
more than 125 organizations responded to the challenge. We expect the connections made at the conference will have a positive ripple effect for years to come.
In addition to amplifying the strengths of our partners through collaboration,
we are exploring ways to increase our own effectiveness as a family foundation. We
are connecting our work with the thinking and efforts of leaders in academia,
government and business. Building bridges among us is vital, because no one
sector can transform society alone.
This report highlights just a few of the many programs we support that deliver
inventive and effective solutions to tough problems – programs run by dreamers
who are creating a future bright with opportunity for young people and the
communities that sustain them.
ers who
partners who
partners who
os, page 10
Geoff Canada, page 13
Teri Lewis, page 14
ten
challenge
deliver
“`ere are no easy answers.
We have to put our financial resources and
right into the middle of the tough problem
with others to make a real difference. If we
I understand that. But there are answers.
our personal resources – I mean ourselves –
s in our communities. We have to join forces
do that, we can be a catalyst for change.”
—Arthur M. Blank
connecing
partners who
innovate
Ginny Deerin is a woman
accustomed to having an impact.
rigorous evaluation of its effectiveness an integral
part of her work. Survey work by University of
South Carolina researchers indicates improvement
in the school behavior and academic performance
of Wings participants.
“I just think it’s the best after-school program
I’ve ever encountered. Its values have permeated
the entire school culture,” says Ann Oplinger,
principal of Memminger Elementary, one of three
schools where Wings operates in Charleston.
With more support from the Blank Family
Foundation, Deerin is spreading her unusual
approach. Right now she’s imparting her ideas and
providing training to another Foundation partner,
the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Lowcountry. Of
special interest is how Deerin motivates staff.
Her faculty turnover rate is only three percent,
compared to an annual turnover rate many times
that for some Boys & Girls Clubs, according to
Marcia Zerler, executive director of the seven
Lowcountry chapters.
“It’s exciting to spread what we’ve learned in
Wings to other programs,” Deerin says. “The Blank
Family Foundation wants partners to think big
and be bold and creative. I think that’s why this
Foundation is going to generate a lot of change.”
In South Carolina she helped to elect a mayor, a
U.S. senator and a governor. She excelled at fundraising, and she rose to the top of a marketing firm
by applying her drive to make businesses flourish.
Yet something was lacking in her life. Then a
speech by the courageous South African leader
Nelson Mandela inspired her with this challenge:
“Who are you serving by living small in the world?”
And so Deerin decided she would “live large,”
by using her entrepreneurial skills to create and
launch Wings for Kids, a program to develop
emotional intelligence through after-school and
summer activities.
Great emphasis is placed on educating young
minds, but Deerin believes to be successful in life,
young people also must have well-developed emotional skills. These skills help children handle their
disappointments, listen and focus, rein in impulse,
feel responsible for their work and care about learning. Strengthen those skills and research shows that
academic achievement improves dramatically.
With support from the Blank Family Foundation and others, the Wings program builds these
skills through what Deerin calls “small lessons” in
the course of activities like art or sports. From the
program’s inception in 1996, Deerin has made
6
connecing
partners who
collaborate
Bruce Astrein seized upon
the opportunity to collaborate
with other nonprofits in Phoenix.
various strengths, if we’re going to have true
impact.”
These organizations run the full spectrum of
service. Special Olympics Arizona, the West Valley
Fine Arts Council and the Girl Scouts Arizona
Cactus-Pine Council are all involved. So are
groups that promote citizenship activities, access
to libraries and free music instruction. Providing
guidance on what’s needed to develop healthy
children is New Directions Institute, which disseminates practical information on the latest
research on infant brain development. By combining such diverse expertise, they plan to develop
a comprehensive approach to delivering options
and opportunities to children in this sprawling
community. Plans are underway for mapping
resources for a directory, publishing an action
guide, designing a Web site for youth and fusing
Maricopa County’s many youth services into a
system far easier for children and parents to
navigate.
“It’s going to take a lot of work to figure out
how we complement each other and get consensus
on action steps to reach the vision,” Astrein says.
“Many foundations would not be willing to fund
that kind of intangible activity. But these elements
of collaboration are vital if we’re going to ‘turn up
the volume.’ ”
In attendance at the Blank Family Foundation
conference in Atlanta last June, he swung into
action as soon as he heard the Foundation’s offer
to fund collaborative efforts. Without waiting to
get back to Arizona, he convened a breakfast meeting with other Phoenix nonprofit leaders at the
conference hotel to kick around ideas about working together in a whole new way.
The result? More than a dozen organizations
focused on youth development joined forces with
the Arizona Community Foundation, where Astrein
serves as senior vice president for programs, in support of a city-wide campaign that will deploy their
combined resources and strengths. Working
together creatively and effectively in order to have
far greater impact on the lives of children is their
goal. Key to their deliberations is finding ways to
make the youth they serve an integral part of the
discussions and decisions about what they need to
lead better lives.
“We acknowledge that this is a big, risky undertaking,” says Astrein. “We know how complicated
the problems are. But our fragmented efforts are
not enough. As Geoff Canada said at the Blank
Family Foundation conference, ‘We need to turn
up the volume.’ We need to have the collective
thinking of our best minds, and then we have got
to connect the dots between our organizations’
9
connecing
partners who
listen
Listen, the way Byron Amos
did, to what the people of Vine
City need to revitalize their
neighborhood.
which make the park both central and safe.
“The right kind of park can be an important
step in stabilizing a neighborhood,” says Sam
Collier, director of the Parc 911 program at Park
Pride in Atlanta. “This is a very underserved community. People here deserve to have a park where
they can gather and connect.”
Collier believes the Vine City park may provide a model for other neighborhoods to follow
at a time when preserving more green space in
Georgia has become a matter of urgent public
policy. The state has allotted some funding for
green space acquisition, and conservation groups
are mobilizing their members into action.
With available land rapidly disappearing to
development – as much as 577 acres per day,
according to the Georgia Conservancy – the need
to preserve more green space cannot be met by
either government or private organizations acting
alone.
That is why the Foundation has made a commitment to grant at least $20 million over a
three-year period to help local groups purchase
and preserve green space within Atlanta’s urban
core – green space like the park that Byron Amos
and his neighbors dream about for Vine City.
His neighbors have many needs – access to strong
schools, quality health care, reliable transportation
and more.
But when Amos listened very carefully, the need
that emerged at the top of the list for his neighbors
in the heart of Atlanta was something that many of
us take for granted.
They want a park.
They want a park so their children don’t have
to play on street corners and vacant lots. They want
a park where they can connect with their neighbors
to build a stronger sense of community. They want
a park that preserves a patch of green space in the
middle of their neighborhood.
“There are many parts of our plan to redevelop
this neighborhood, and a park is so simple,” says
Amos, who leads the Vine City Civic Association.
“A park would be a beacon of hope that shows we
can turn this neighborhood around if we work
together. We have seen a very high level of passion
around this initiative.”
The project unites state and private funds,
including a grant from the Blank Family Foundation, to purchase a 1.76-acre parcel of land, which
will be held in trust by the city once a park is created. Close by are a church and a police precinct,
10
connecing
partners who
challenge
Geoff Canada does not
mince words about the crisis
endangering the future of the
nation’s children.
and measurable results. Canada commits as much
as 20 percent of his time discussing those results
and practices with other nonprofits, because he
believes in the value of collaboration.
In 2001 the Blank family trustees spent time
in Harlem observing and learning from Canada’s
approach. He now operates as a sounding board
and source of inspiration for other Foundation
partners, including Val Joseph, who traveled
recently to Harlem to observe HCZ and consult
with Canada on the growing pains of Inner
Strength, Joseph’s mentoring program for
African-American men in Atlanta.
“This was an opportunity for me to dream, to
see all this man has accomplished. But he’s also
very practical. Geoff Canada’s work showed me
how important constant evaluation and strategic
planning are if you’re going to increase your
impact,” Joseph says.
With careful planning, Canada plans to triple
the reach of his own organization over the next
nine years.
“We must not be afraid to dream,” Canada
says. “But don’t stop there. You can’t have an
impact if your efforts are cobbled together out of
dreams and good intentions. You have to act.”
“You can go from one end of America to the other,
from big cities to small towns that people have
never heard of, and you’ll find the same thing –
huge numbers of children who are underperforming
or failing. And nobody has figured out a strategy to
address the situation,” he says.
The Blank Family Foundation believes Canada’s
groundbreaking work through the Harlem Children’s Zone (HCZ) offers a blueprint for rescuing
poor and disadvantaged children who live in disintegrating communities.
Focused on rebuilding the groups, agencies
and institutions that strengthen community, HCZ
delivers educational, recreational and social services to foster healthy child development at every
stage of life. Services range from a Baby College to
impart parenting skills developed with the help of
Harvard pediatrician T. Berry Brazelton, to the
TRUCE program, which uses the arts and other
activities to help youth achieve academic goals and
go on to college.
The HCZ now provides comprehensive services for more than 12,000 children and adults, most
of whom live in a 24-block area designated as the
focus of the Harlem Children’s Zone Project.
Every component of this model is monitored and
evaluated to allow for systematic course correction
13
connecing
partners who
deliver
`e know-how thatTeri Lewis
brings to the Atlanta Learning Lab
has been sharpened by experience
and by success.
Moving in the Spirit dance program – and much
more. The feedback from evaluations shows that
school personnel, young people and parents
report a marked difference in attitude, school
involvement and behavior.
"One of our major challenges is to make sure
our children have access to supplemental education that enriches and builds upon what occurs
during the school day,” says Dr. Beverly Hall,
superintendent of Atlanta Public Schools.
“Research tells us that out-of-school time has a
huge impact on academic achievement, socialization, delinquency and self-esteem. The
Atlanta Learning Lab is helping to address some
of those challenges, so we can support and expand
programs that truly help improve the lives of
children.”
The process PASE put in place provides
numerous training and networking opportunities for educators and nonprofit partners to share
creative programming ideas that benefit children
and their families, all measured to achieve quantitative and qualitative results.
“You get better outcomes with kids when you
strengthen the people who work with them,” says
Janet Kelley, PASE’s executive director and Teri
Lewis’ mentor in New York. “The Blank Family
Foundation helped us do that.”
“What makes the Lab unique is the range and quality of after-school activities it makes available under
one roof,” Lewis says. “And that has an impact on
whether children stay motivated to keep learning
and striving.”
Lewis came to Atlanta from New York’s
Partnership for After School Education, known as
PASE. Impressed by PASE’s performance in
improving school success in an initial after-school
project in Brooklyn, the Blank Family Foundation funded an effort to share that success with
leaders of the Atlanta public school system and
others who serve youth. The result was the birth of
PASE Atlanta and the Atlanta Learning Lab at
Brown Middle School in the West End neighborhood of the city.
With a proven track record and funding from
sources such as the Blank Family Foundation, PASE
is demonstrating in cities like New York,
Charleston, San Francisco and Atlanta how to forge
a network of community organizations to deliver
top-quality after-school offerings, through methods
that attract and engage students, under one roof.
The 2002 Atlanta program gave children
meaningful opportunities: to play the harp under
the tutelage of a member of the Atlanta Symphony
Orchestra; to learn environmental leadership with
Outward Bound instructors; to dance with the
14
a letter from the board of
The Arthur M. Blank
Family Foundation
We are focused on making sure our own efforts are
as effective as possible. That’s one of the reasons
our dedicated staff makes on-site visits to each and
every one of the organizations we consider for
funding.
We expect our nonprofit partners to engage
in constant evaluation of their efforts, and we
expect the same of ourselves.
To reflect this commitment, we have launched
a strategic planning process to review our own
priorities and capabilities to maximize the impact
of our work and to set a course for the future.
We are fortunate to have on board with us a
talented new president and trustee, Ira A.
Jackson, who brings a fresh perspective to the
work of strengthening community. With
proven success in building bridges to government, business and academia to create lasting
change, his leadership will intensify our efforts.
Creating opportunity in the lives of young
people and communities is our calling as a family.
We are honored to join forces in that work with
extraordinary partners in the communities we
support. As Kenny Blank has said, “When you see
the work they’re doing, and what remains to be
done, you can’t help but roll up your own sleeves
and get involved.”
We salute our nonprofit partners who make
this journey a rewarding one.
`e investment we have made,
as a family, in the innovative
work of our nonprofit partners
since 1995 passed the $100
million mark in 2002. We are
honored to support some of the
most outstanding people and
programs serving youth. We
admire their dedication to
caring for those in need, and
we renew our promise to be a
catalyst for social change through
our collective efforts.
Sincerely,
Arthur M. Blank, Chairman
Stephanie Blank, Trustee
Danielle Blank, Trustee
Dena Blank, Trustee
Kenny Blank, Trustee
Michael Blank, Board Associate
Nancy Blank, Board Associate
Ira A. Jackson, President and Trustee
pictured above, left to right: Stephanie Blank, Nancy
Blank, Danielle Blank, Arthur Blank, Michael Blank, Dena Blank,
Kenny Blank and Ira Jackson.
16
2002 Grantees
The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation
is pleased to have provided support to the following results-driven partners in 2002.
Academy Theatre
Atlanta, GA: $100,000
Academy Theatre
Beaufort, SC: $30,000
Action Ministries
Augusta, GA: $30,000
Active Girls Initiative
Boston, MA: $15,000
Adaptive Learning Center
Marietta, GA: $8,000
Alliance For Justice/
CoMotion Project Atlanta
Washington, DC: $25,000
Alliance Theatre Company
Atlanta, GA: $120,000
Alternatives for Community
& Environment
Roxbury, MA: $30,000
Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation
New York, NY: $15,000
American Friends of
Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam
Mt. Laurel, NJ: $32,500
American Jewish Committee
Atlanta, GA: $15,000
American Red Cross
Macon, GA: $3,500
American Red Cross,
Metropolitan Atlanta Chapter
Atlanta, GA: $40,000
Anti-Prejudice Consortium
Inc.Atlanta, GA: $25,000
Appalachian Mountain Club
Boston, MA: $50,000
Apple Corps
Atlanta, GA: $20,000
ARCH Productions Inc.
Atlanta, GA: $40,000
Arizona Community
Foundation
Phoenix, AZ: $45,000
Arizona Science Center
Phoenix, AZ: $25,000
Arizona Theatre Company
Phoenix, AZ: $35,000
Art Factory, Inc.
Augusta, GA: $29,500
Art Start, Inc.
New York, NY: $20,000
Artists For Humanity
Boston, MA: $20,000
ArtsConnection
New York, NY: $50,000
Asian Pacific American Legal
Center of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA: $53,000
Association of
Village PRIDE, Inc.
Fayetteville, GA:$15,000
Athens Young Women’s
Christian Organization
Athens, GA: $10,000
Atlanta Ballet, Inc.
Atlanta, GA: $100,000
Atlanta Bicycle Campaign
Atlanta, GA: $10,000
Atlanta Botanical Garden
Atlanta, GA: $50,000
Atlanta Contemporary
Art Center
Atlanta, GA: $61,000
Atlanta Historical Society/
Olympic Museum
Atlanta, GA: $500,000
Atlanta Humane Society
Atlanta, GA: $25,000
Atlanta Landmarks/
Fox Theatre
Atlanta, GA: $27,000
Atlanta Opera
Atlanta, GA: $1,500
Atlanta Outward Bound
Center
Clarkston, GA: $40,000
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
Atlanta, GA: $2,500,000
Atlanta Women’s Foundation
Atlanta, GA: $50,000
Atlanta Young Singers
of Callanwolde
Atlanta, GA: $30,000
B.E.L.L. Foundation, Inc.
Dorchester, MA: $50,000
Babson College
Babson Park, MA: $567,000
Ballethnic Dance Company
Atlanta. GA: $44,000
Barton Foundation Fund
Atlanta, GA: $100,000
Big Brothers Big Sisters
of Central Arizona
Phoenix, AZ: $75,000
18
Big Brothers Big Sisters
of Metro Atlanta, Inc.
Atlanta, GA: $60,000
Bluffton Community Center
Foundation
Bluffton, SC: $50,000
Booker T. Washington
Learning Center
New York, NY: $25,000
Boys & Girls Clubs of Augusta
Augusta, GA: $30,000
Boys & Girls Clubs
of Metropolitan Phoenix
Phoenix, AZ: $75,000
Boys & Girls Clubs
of Roberta/Crawford Co.
Roberta, GA: $57,000
Boys & Girls Club
of Valdosta, Inc.
Valdosta, GA: $25,000
Boys & Girls Club
of Hilton Head
Beaufort, SC: $111,000
Boys & Girls Clubs
of Metro Atlanta
Atlanta, GA: $300,000
Boys & Girls Clubs of Scottsdale
Scottsdale, AZ: $45,000
Boys & Girls Clubs
of the Lowcountry
Beaufort, SC: $80,000
Boys & Girls Clubs
of the Lowcountry-Hampton
Beaufort, SC: $40,000
Boys & Girls Clubs
of the Lowcountry-Jasper
Beaufort, SC: $44,000
Boys Choir of Harlem, Inc.
New York, NY: $20,000
Brain Injury Association
of Georgia
Atlanta, GA: $5,000
Bright Future
Youth Center, Inc.
Cordele, GA: $27,000
Bronx Council on the Arts
Bronx, NY: $35,000
Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Brooklyn, NY: $55,000
Brooklyn
Children’s Museum
Brooklyn, NY: $38,500
Brooklyn Youth Chorus
Brooklyn, NY: $33,500
Brotherhood/Sister Sol
New York, NY: $50,000
Business for
Social Responsibility
San Francisco, CA: $50,000
Cabbagetown Initiative
Atlanta, GA: $6,300
California Community
Foundation
Los Angeles, CA: $75,000
Camp Fire
Boys & Girls Council
of Greater Arizona, Inc.
Phoenix, AZ: $50,000
Camp Fire Boys & Girls, Inc.
Atlanta, GA: $25,000
Camp Sunshine
Atlanta, GA: $280,000
The Campaign for Stuyvesant/
Stuyvesant High School
Endowment Fund, Inc.
New York, NY: $25,000
The Carter Center
Atlanta, GA: $400,000
Casita Maria, Inc.
Bronx, NY: $20,000
Center for Latino Outreach
and Research Services at
Georgia Southern University
Statesboro, GA: $14,000
Center for Puppetry Arts
Atlanta, GA: $50,000
Center for Teen Empowerment
Boston, MA: $45,000
Challenged Child
& Friends, Inc.
Gainesville, GA: $500
Charleston
Symphony Orchestra
Charleston, SC: $10,000
Chastain Horse Park
Atlanta, GA: $3,500
Chatham-Savannah
Youth Futures Authority
Savannah, GA: $30,000
Chattahoochee Oconee Forest
Interpretive Association
Gainesville, GA: $15,000
Chess-in-the-Schools
New York, NY: $15,000
Children’s Healthcare
of Atlanta Foundation
Atlanta, GA: $200,000
Children’s Museum
of Atlanta
Atlanta, GA: $1,050,000
Citizen Schools
Boston, MA: $100,000
Citizens Committee
for New York City
New York, NY: $25,000
City Cares of America
Atlanta, GA: $132,000
City Hearts
Topanga, CA: $20,000
City of Atlanta
Housing Authority/
The Villages at Carver
Atlanta, GA: $150,000
City of Hope
Los Angeles, CA: $200,000
City Parks Foundation
New York, NY: $25,000
City School
Boston, MA: $50,000
Clarke County Mentor
Program
Athens, GA: $25,000
Coastal Discovery Museum
Hilton Head Island, SC
$100,000
Cobb Housing,
Inc./YouthBuild
Marietta, GA: $40,000
Collaborative Education
Partnership
Atlanta, GA: $25,000
Colorado Outward
Bound School
Denver, CO: $63,500
Commission Project, Inc.
Staten Island, NY: $10,000
Communities in Schools
of Atlanta, Inc.
Atlanta, GA: $50,000
Communities in Schools
of Berkeley County
Moncks Corner, SC: $30,500
Communities in Schools
of the Charleston Area
Charleston, SC: $50,000
Community Art Center
Cambridge, MA: $20,000
The Community Foundation
Atlanta, GA: $10,000
Community Works
New York, NY: $40,000
The Conservation Fund
Tucker, GA: $2,150,000
Cool Girls
Atlanta, GA: $50,000
Cooper Union for
the Advancement of
Science and Art
New York, NY: $20,000
Cornerstone International
Youth Camp Foundation, Inc.
Atlanta, GA: $26,500
Create Your Dreams
Atlanta, GA: $20,000
Creating Pride, Inc.
Atlanta, GA: $53,500
Creative Spark Center
for the Arts
Mt. Pleasant, SC: $18,500
Crenulated Co., Ltd./
New Settlement Apartments
Bronx, NY: $30,000
Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation
of America
Atlanta, GA: $5,000
19
Dad’s Garage, Inc.
Atlanta, GA: $3,500
Davis Academy
Atlanta, GA: $5,000
DeKalb County/
South Peachtree Creek
Nature Preserve
Decatur, GA: $350,000
The Dolphin Institute
Honolulu, HI: $5,000
Double Discovery Center
New York, NY: $15,000
Dress For Success Atlanta
Atlanta, GA: $15,000
East Atlanta Kids Club
Atlanta, GA: $19,500
East Harlem
Tutorial Program
New York, NY: $50,000
Edgewood
Resident Association
Atlanta, GA: $15,000
Effective Alternative
in Reconciliation
Services
Bronx, NY: $40,000
Emory Institute
for Jewish Studies
Atlanta, GA: $1,000,000
The Empty Stocking Fund
Atlanta, GA: $1,800
Environmental Careers
Organization
Boston, MA: $60,000
Environmental Justice
Resource Center
Atlanta, GA: $50,000
Equal Access
San Francisco, CA: $5,000
Families First
(Child Service and
Family Counseling Center)
Atlanta, GA: $2,500
Family Service Agency
Phoenix, AZ: $40,000
Fernbank Museum
of Natural History
Atlanta, GA: $74,000
Fighting Back
Scholarship Program
Paoli, PA: $10,000
Figure Skating Harlem
New York, NY: $15,000
Food Project
Lincoln, MA: $75,000
Forest Hills
Community House
Forest Hills, NY: $30,000
The Foundation Center
Atlanta, GA: $25,000
Foundation for Excellent
Schools for Winder, Georgia
Cornwall, VT: $30,000
Fowler Center for
Wildlife Education
Berlin Heights, OH: $125,000
Freddie Hendricks
Youth Ensemble of Atlanta
Atlanta, GA: $78,500
Fresh Youth Initiatives
New York, NY: $30,000
Friends of Van Cortlandt Park
Bronx, NY: $10,000
Fund for the City of New York/
Center for Court Innovation
New York, NY: $50,000
Georgia Center for Nonprofits
Atlanta, GA: $200,000
2002 Grantees (continued)
Georgia Council for
the Hearing Impaired, Inc.
Decatur, GA: $10,000
Georgia Shakespeare Festival
Atlanta, GA: $64,000
Georgia Tech Center
for Education Integrating
Sciences, Mathematics
and Computing
Atlanta, GA: $50,000
Girl Scouts Arizona
Cactus-Pine Council, Inc.
Phoenix, AZ: $47,000
Girl Scouts of
Concharty Council, Inc.
Columbus, GA: $25,000
Girl Scouts of Middle Georgia
Lizella, GA: $20,000
Girl Scouts of
Northeast Georgia
Athens, GA; $20,000
Girl Scouts, Central Savannah
River Council
Augusta, GA: $19,000
Girls Incorporated
of New York City
New York, NY; $50,000
Girls Incorporated
of Greater Atlanta
Atlanta, GA: $100,000
Girl’s Outdoor Adventure
for Leadership
Atlanta, GA: $60,000
Girls’ Vacation Fund, Inc.
New York, NY: $15,000
Glenn Pelham
Memorial Fund, Inc.
Atlanta, GA: $50,000
The Global Fund for Children
Washington, DC: $15,000
The Global Fund for Women
Palo Alto, CA: $20,000
Global Habitat Project
Cambridge, MA: $30,000
Global Health Action
Atlanta, GA: $15,000
Golden Gate
Community Center
Phoenix, AZ: $50,000
Grand Strand Miracle League
Myrtle Beach, SC: $15,000
Grand Street Settlement, Inc.
New York, NY: $55,000
Grant Park Conservancy, Inc.
Atlanta, GA: $150,000
Grantmakers for
Effective Organizations
Washington, DC: $5,000
Greater Augusta Arts Council
Augusta, GA: $25,000
Greater Boston
Youth Symphony Orchestra
Boston, MA: $15,000
Greensboro Georgia Dreamers
Greensboro, GA: $28,500
Gwinnett United in
Drug Education, Inc.
Lawrenceville, GA: $25,000
Hands On Atlanta
Atlanta, GA: $150,000
Harlem Children’s Zone
New York, NY: $75,000
Harlem Educational
Activities Fund, Inc.
New York, NY: $15,000
Harlem RBI, Inc.
New York, NY: $15,000
HARMONY: Atlanta’s
International Youth Chorus
Atlanta, GA: $20,000
Heard Museum
Phoenix, AZ: $30,000
Helping Teens Succeed, Inc.
Atlanta, GA: $45,000
Higher Education
Resource Center
Boston, MA: $25,000
Hilton Head Island
Gymnastics Booster Club
Hilton Head Island, SC:
$30,000
Hollins Communications
Research Institute
Roanoke, VA: $25,000
Hollywood Cinema
Production Resources, Inc.
Los Angeles, CA: $10,000
Hope Cottage
of the Lowcountry
Beaufort, SC: $15,000
Horizons for Youth
Sharon, MA: $30,000
Horizons Student
Enrichment Program
Atlanta, GA: $25,000
The Hurricane Island
Outward Bound School
Rockland, ME: $87,000
Hyde Square Task Force, Inc.
Jamaica Plain, MA: $25,000
Ifetayo Cultural Arts Facility
Brooklyn, NY: $25,000
IMAGES, Inc.
Hilton Head Island, SC:
$40,000
Independent Media Artists
of Georgia Etc., Inc.
Atlanta, GA; $25,000
Inner Strength, Inc.
Atlanta, GA: $105,000
Interfaith Neighbors, Inc.
New York, NY: $50,000
International Rescue
Committee – Atlanta
Decatur, GA: $25,000
Investment Atlanta
Atlanta, GA: $32,000
Jewish Atlanta Teen
Community Outreach
Atlanta, GA: $21,500
Jewish Family &
Career Services
Atlanta, GA: $5,000
Jewish Federation
of Greater Atlanta
Atlanta, GA: $633,000
Junior Achievement
of Georgia
Atlanta, GA: $50,000
Kathmandu Environmental
Education Project
Thamel, Nepal: $4,000
Kids In Need — Metro Atlanta
Atlanta, GA: $25,000
Kids In Need of Dreams, Inc.
Atlanta, GA: $20,000
Kids Voting Arizona
Phoenix, AZ: $50,000
Kids Voting Atlanta
Atlanta, GA: $15,000
Kids Voting Georgia, Inc.
Atlanta, GA: $30,000
KiDsGyM USA, Inc.
College Park, GA: $40,000
Kirkwood Neighbors’
Organization
Atlanta, GA: $3,500
Land Trust Alliance
Durham, NC: $15,000
Libraries for the Future
Phoenix, AZ: $46,000
Lincoln Center Institute
for the Arts
New York, NY: $50,000
The Link Counseling Center
Atlanta, GA: $200,000
Lions Foundation of Arizona
Phoenix, AZ: $10,000
Literacy Assistance Center
New York, NY: $30,000
Living Roots
Savannah, GA: $25,000
Los Angeles Boys & Girls Club
Los Angeles, CA: $25,000
Los Angeles Center
for Education Research
Hollywood, CA: $25,000
Los Angeles Conservation
Corps
Los Angeles, CA: $25,000
Los Angeles Master Chorale
Los Angeles, CA: $15,000
Lowcountry Food Bank
North Charleston, SC: $25,000
Lowcountry Open Land Trust
Charleston, SC: $50,000
Lower East Side
Tenement Museum
New York, NY: $20,000
Lower Eastside Girls Club
of New York
New York, NY: $25,000
MACH Academy
of Tennis & Chess, Inc.
Augusta, GA: $13,500
Make A Difference
Phoenix, AZ: $40,000
Marcus Institute
Atlanta, GA: $1,000,000
Mentor’s Project
of Bibb County
Macon, GA: $30,000
Metro Atlanta
Chamber of Commerce
Atlanta, GA: $675,000
Mexican American
Legal Defense and
Educational Fund
Atlanta, GA: $15,000
Morehouse College
National Youth
Sports Program
Atlanta, GA: $20,000
Moving in the Spirit
Atlanta, GA: $75,000
My House
Atlanta, GA: $2,000
NARAL/NY Foundation
New York, NY: $20,000
National Black Arts Festival
Atlanta, GA: $150,000
National Black
College Alliance
Boston, MA: $20,000
National Coalition
Building Institute
Atlanta, GA: $23,000
National Conference
for Community & Justice
Dunwoody, GA: $15,000
National Foundation For
Teaching Entrepreneurship
New York, NY: $25,000
National Guild of Community
Schools of the Arts
New York, NY: $75,000
National Trust for
Historic Preservation
Charleston, SC: $30,000
National Urban Coalition
for Unity and Peace, Inc.
Atlanta, GA: $3,500
National Wildlife Federation
Atlanta, GA: $65,000
Native Island Business
Community Affairs
Association
Hilton Head Island, SC:
$12,500
The Natural Step
San Francisco, CA: $21,000
The Nature Conservancy
of Georgia
Atlanta, GA: $125,000
Neighborhood Music Schools/
Georgia State University
Foundation
Atlanta, GA: $11,000
New Directions Institute for
Infant Brain Development
Phoenix, AZ: $12,000
20
New York Association for
New Americans, Inc.
New York, NY: $15,000
New York Botanical Garden
Bronx, NY: $20,000
New York Cares, Inc.
New York, NY: $25,000
New York City
Outward Bound Center
Long Island City, NY: $90,450
New York Hall of Science
Corona Park, NY: $20,000
Newtown Florist Club
Gainesville, GA: $20,000
North Carolina
Outward Bound School
Asheville, NC: $70,000
North Georgia
Community Foundation
Gainesville, GA; $25,000
Oakhurst Community
Garden Project
Decatur, GA: $27,000
Oberlin College
Oberlin, OH: $1,000,000
Olmsted Linear Park Alliance
Atlanta, GA: $300,000
Our Family Table
Atlanta, GA: $46,500
Overture Associates, Inc.
Decatur, GA: $3,500
Pacific Crest
Outward Bound School
Portland, OR: $90,000
Paradise Valley Fire Service
Paradise Valley, MT: $25,000
Parents Anonymous
of Arizona
Phoenix, AZ: $20,000
Park Pride, Inc.
Atlanta, GA: $50,000
Partnership for
After School Education
New York, NY: $90,000
Partnership for After School
Education — Atlanta
New York, NY: $103,500
PATH Foundation
Atlanta, GA: $500,000
Peace Games
Boston, MA; $45,000
Peachtree Woodall Whetstone
Watershed Alliance
Atlanta, GA: $1,000,000
Pedestrians Educating
Drivers on Safety
Atlanta, GA: $5,000
Penn Center, Inc.
St. Helena Island, SC: $75,000
Performing Arts Program
for Youth
Atlanta, GA: $50,000
Peter Westbrook Foundation
New York, NY: $25,000
Phoenix Boys Choir
Phoenix, AZ: $20,000
Phoenix Family Museum
Phoenix, AZ: $45,000
Phoenix Symphony
Association
Phoenix, AZ: $50,000
Phoenix Zoo
Phoenix, AZ: $28,500
Piedmont Park Conservancy
Atlanta, GA; $25,000
Planned Parenthood of
Central and Northern Arizona
Phoenix, AZ: $20,000
Planned Parenthood
of Georgia
Atlanta, GA; $30,000
The POINT, CDC
Bronx, NY: $25,000
Prevent Child Abuse Georgia
Atlanta, GA: $100,500
Project GRAD Atlanta, Inc.
Atlanta, GA: $200,000
Prospect Park Alliance
Brooklyn, NY: $35,000
Queens Museum of Art
Queens, NY: $20,000
Quinlan Arts, Inc.
Gainesville, GA: $25,000
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
Washington, DC: $30,000
RAW Art Works at RAW Space
Lynn, MA: $55,000
Reece Center for
Handicapped Horsemanship
Ellenwood, GA: $4,500
Refugee Family Services
Clarkston, GA: $43,000
Research Atlanta
Atlanta, GA: $50,000
Reynoldstown Revitalization
Corporation
Atlanta, GA: $13,500
Road Map to Success/
Valdosta Technical College
Foundation
Valdosta, GA: $50,000
Rocking the Boat, Inc.
Bronx, NY: $15,000
Rocky Mountain Mutual
Housing – Arizona
Phoenix, AZ: $20,000
Room to Read
San Francisco, CA: $5,000
Rosie’s House
Phoenix. AZ: $48,000
Rotary Miracle League
Fund, Inc.
Conyers, GA: $50,000
Row As One Institute, Inc.
Westwood, MA: $25,000
Savannah Science Museum
Savannah. GA: $5,000
School’s Out Charleston
Sullivan’s Island, SC: $40,000
Scottdale Child Development
and Family Resource Center,
Inc. of Central DeKalb
Scottdale, GA: $30,000
Second Helpings, Inc.
Hilton Head Island, SC:
$10,000
Seven Stages, Inc.
Atlanta, GA: $25,000
Several Dancers Core
Decatur, GA: $40,000
Shepherd Center
Atlanta, GA: $1,000,000
SistaSpace Collective Inc.
Mableton, GA: $3,500
South Carolina
Aquarium, Inc.
Charleston, SC: $100,000
South Carolina Association
of Nonprofit Organizations
Columbia, SC: $50,000
South Carolina Coastal
Conservation League
Charleston, SC: $50,000
Southern Alliance for
Clean Energy
Atlanta, GA: $30,000
Southern Regional Council
Atlanta, GA: $30,000
Southface Energy Institute
Atlanta, GA: $30,000
Special Olympics Arizona
Phoenix, AZ: $40,000
Special Olympics Georgia
Atlanta, GA: $30,000
Spivey Hall,
Clayton College &
State University
Morrow, GA: $50,000
StreetSquash
New York, NY: $20,000
Student Conservation
Association/New York City
Youth Program
Charlestown, NH: $35,000
2002 Grantees (continued)
Study Hall
Atlanta, GA: $50,000
Summerbridge Atlanta
Atlanta, GA: $40,000
Summerbridge Cambridge, Inc.
Cambridge, MA: $25,000
Take the Field
New York, NY: $40,000
Talent Development Program/
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
Atlanta, GA: $75,000
Teach for America/New York
New York, NY: $25,000
Teach For America/Atlanta
New York, NY: $60,000
Teach For America/Phoenix
Phoenix, AZ: $50,000
Teens At Work, Inc.
East Point, GA: $24,000
The Temple
Atlanta, GA: $25,000
Thompson Island Outward
Bound Education Center
Boston, MA; $90,000
Thumbs Up, Inc.
Port Royal, SC: $12,000
TreePeople
Beverly Hills, CA: $35,000
Trees Atlanta
Atlanta, GA: $50,000
The Trust for Public Land
Atlanta, GA: $1,684,364
The Trust for Public Land/
SC Chapter
Atlanta, GA: $25,000
Tubman
African American
Museum, Inc.
Macon, GA: $50,000
United Jewish Appeal
Hilton Head Island, SC: $500
United States
Olympic Committee
Colorado Springs, CO:
$25,000
United Way of
Metropolitan Atlanta
Atlanta, GA: $1,600,000
University of Georgia/Great
Schools and Families Project
Athens, GA: $115,000
Upper Chattahoochee
Riverkeeper
Atlanta, GA: $20,000
Urban Youth Harp Ensemble
Atlanta, GA: $25,000
Valley Leadership
Phoenix, AZ: $33,500
Valley of The Sun YMCA
Phoenix, AZ: $3,500
Valley Youth Theatre
Phoenix, AZ: $40,000
Venice Arts Mecca
Venice, CA: $15,000
Vine City Civic Association
Atlanta, GA: $125,000
Volunteer Center
of Maricopa County
Phoenix, AZ: $30,000
Volunteers in Medicine Clinic
Hilton Head Island, SC:
$100,000
Voyageur Outward
Bound School
Ely, MN: $91,780
VSA Arts of Georgia
Atlanta, GA: $20,000
Wave Hill, Inc.
Bronx, NY: $25,000
We 7 Collaborative/
Pasadena Foundation
Pasadena, CA: $70,000
West Valley Fine Arts Council
Litchfield Park, AZ; $25,000
Whitefoord
Community Program
Atlanta, GA: $360,000
Whitney Museum
of American Art
New York, NY: $20,000
Wings
Sullivan’s Island, SC: $75,000
Wonderland Gardens, Inc.
Decatur, GA: $52,000
Woodruff Arts Center
Atlanta, GA: $515,798
World Youth Alliance
Atlanta, GA: $15,000
Young Peoples’ Project
Cambridge, MA: $50,000
Youth Communication
New York Center, Inc.
New York, NY: $30,000
Youth Communication
Metro Atlanta, Inc.
Atlanta, GA: $50,000
Youth Ministries for
Peace and Justice, Inc.
Bronx, NY: $25,000
Youth Radio-Atlanta
Berkeley, CA: $25,000
Youth Service Charleston
Charleston, SC; $25,000
YouthBuild USA
Somerville, MA: $75,000
YWCA of Greater Atlanta
Decatur, GA: $100,000
Zoo Atlanta
Atlanta, GA: $1,175,000
[ total:
$34,245,492
]
Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation
This affiliated fund strengthens the capacity of youth organizations in Georgia to operate as teams both on
and off the athletic field.
Aid to Children of
Imprisoned Mothers, Inc.
East Point, GA: $20,000
Amateur Swimming
Foundation
Lawrenceville, GA: $5,400
American Red Cross
Metropolitan Atlanta Chapter
Atlanta, GA: $10,000
Athens Young Women’s
Christian Organization
Athens, GA: $3,500
Atlanta Community
Food Bank
Atlanta, GA: $5,000
Atlanta Community
Tennis Association
Norcross, GA: $50,000
Atlanta Outward Bound
Center
Clarkston, GA: $10,000
Atlanta Youth Academy
Atlanta, GA: $3,000
Attack Youth Soccer Club, Inc.
Lithonia, GA: $5,000
Big Brothers/Big Sisters
Atlanta, GA: $3,000
BlazeSports Georgia
Atlanta, GA: $43,000
Board of Regents of
the University of Georgia
Athens, GA: $48,000
Boy Scouts/
Chattahoochee Council
Columbus, GA: $2,600
Boys & Girls Clubs
of Hall County
Gainesville, GA: $35,000
Boys & Girls Clubs
of Metro Atlanta
Atlanta, GA: $25,000
Brain Injury Association
of Georgia
Atlanta, GA: $3,000
Camp Sunshine
Atlanta, GA: $5,000
Canine Assistants
Alpharetta, GA: $10,000
Challenged Child & Friends
Gainesville, GA: $15,000
Chastain Horse Park
Atlanta, GA: $2,400
CHRIS Homes
Atlanta, GA: $5,000
Clarkston Community Center
Clarkston, GA: $25,000
Concerns Of
Police Survivors, Inc.
Camdenton, MO: $5,000
Families First
Atlanta, GA: $5,000
Fernbank Museum
of Natural History
Atlanta, GA: $10,000
Foundation for
Medically Fragile Children
Atlanta, GA: $2,500
Friends of John A. White Park,
Inc./First Tee
Atlanta, GA: $53,500
Gainesville College Foundation
Gainesville, GA: $2,500
Georgia Center for Children
Atlanta, GA: $2,500
Georgia Council for the
Hearing Impaired
Atlanta, GA: $2,500
Georgia Football Foundation/
Georgia High School
Scholar Athletes
Atlanta, GA: $15,000
Georgia Magic Girls
Basketball Association
Decatur, GA: $5,000
Girl Scouts
of Northeast Georgia
Athens, GA: $2,500
Girls Incorporated of
Columbus and Phenix-Russell
Columbus, GA: $75,000
Girls On The Run of Atlanta
Atlanta, GA: $15,000
Gwinnett Children’s Shelter
Buford, GA: $5,000
Happy Horse Farm, Inc.
Gainesville, GA: $3,000
HeavenSent 2000, Inc.
Atlanta, GA: $2,000
Hemophilia of Georgia
Roswell, GA: $2,000
Henry W. Grady
Foundation, Inc.
Atlanta, GA: $25,000
Investment Atlanta
Atlanta, GA: $3,500
Kids’ Chance, Inc.
Atlanta, GA: $5,000
Muscular Dystrophy
Association/Georgia Chapter
Atlanta, GA: $5,000
Paul Anderson Youth Home
Vidalia, GA: $5,000
Prevent Child Abuse Georgia
Atlanta, GA: $2,500
Quicksilver
Track Club, Inc.
Atlanta, GA: $40,000
Rainbow House, Inc.
Jonesboro, GA: $2,000
Regional Organization
of Camping & Kids
Atlanta, GA: $1,000
Safe Kids of Georgia –
Hall County
Gainesville, GA: $2,000
Silver Sonics
Track and Field Club
Smyrna, GA: $35,000
Special Needs Schools
of Gwinnett County
Lawrenceville, GA: $5,000
Special Olympics Georgia
Atlanta, GA: $17,000
Starlings Volleyball Clubs
Stone Mountain, GA: $12,500
The Bridge, Inc.
Atlanta, GA: $15,000
The First and Ten
Foundation, Inc.
Duluth, GA: $53,500
The Mike Glenn Foundation
Snellville, GA: $10,000
The Y.E.S. Team, Inc.
Zebulon, GA: $15,000
Tony’s Gang
Marietta, GA: $10,000
United Cerebral Palsy – Georgia
Atlanta, GA: $5,000
Veterans’ Community
Outreach Foundation
Gainesville, GA: $1,500
Why Not Sports, Inc.
Atlanta, GA: $30,000
Wilderness Scouts
of America, Inc.
Blairsville, GA: $10,000
YES! Atlanta
Atlanta, GA: $1,500
YMCA of Athens, Inc.
Athens, GA: $21,000
[
total:
$874,900
]
Mountain Sky Guest Ranch Fund
This affiliated fund enhances the quality of life for residents of Park and Gallatin counties in Montana.
ArtsLink – Montana State
University Foundation
Bozeman, MT: $15,000
Big Brothers Big Sisters
of Gallatin County
Bozeman, MT: $25,000
Big Brothers Big Sisters
of Park County
Livingston, MT: $25,000
Boys & Girls Club
of Southwest Montana
Bozeman, MT: $60,000
Community
Mediation Center
Bozeman, MT: $20,000
Gallatin Valley
Land Trust
Bozeman, MT: $5,000
Montana
Conservation Corps
Bozeman, MT: $10,000
Montana Outdoor
Science School
Bozeman, MT: $10,000
United Way
of Gallatin County
Bozeman, MT: $30,000
[
grand total of all grants for 2002 :
total:
$200,000
$35,320,392
21
]
Grant Application Process
grant guidelines
required attachments
The Arthur M. Blank Family
Foundation makes grants to 501(c)(3)
tax-exempt organizations eligible
for funding under the United States
Internal Revenue Code. The Foundation will consider one proposal
from the same organization within a
twelve-month period. The Foundation
does not provide funding for events,
individuals, government agencies,
municipalities, parochial/private
schools or therapeutic programs.
The Foundation funds secular programs and focuses on programs that
function during out-of-school time.
A limited number of in-school programs are considered, provided they
are focused on systemic change.
In 2003, as part of the Foundation's strategic planning process to
identify high-impact priority areas
going forward, the Board will only
consider applications submitted by
current or former grant recipients
that meet Foundation guidelines.
Attach two copies of the following
items to the grant application
(incomplete proposals will not
be reviewed):
• An introductory letter describing
the purpose and amount of the
request. Please include a paragraph
explaining how the past grant
was used.
• A narrative (no more than three
pages) describing when the organization was founded, its history, its
goals and a list of organizational
partners.
• An operating budget.
• A project budget (if applicable).
• A list of other funding sources for
this request. Please list whether
funding is committed, pending
or received from the additional
sources.
• A list of the organization’s major
funding sources for the past two
years.
• A list of the organization’s board
of directors and their community
and professional affiliations.
• An evaluation plan. What goals does
the organization hope to achieve
with the help of this grant? How will
the organization measure the goals?
• An explanation of how the organization heard about the Foundation.
• Any recent printed materials,
including an annual report, media
clippings, etc. (no more than
five pages).
• The organization’s most recent
audited financial statements or,
if not available, a copy of the most
recent IRS Form 990 or 990EZ.
• If the organization will be working
with schools or other nonprofits in
partnership, please include a list of
partners, along with contact information and a letter of agreement
from each partner.
grant geographic
focus areas
Geographic focus areas are:
• the state of Georgia
• Maricopa County, Arizona
• coastal South Carolina (the counties
of Beaufort, Berkeley, Charleston,
Colleton, Dorchester, Georgetown,
Hampton and Jasper)
• New York City (the boroughs of
the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan,
Queens and Staten Island)
Priority is given to requests from
metropolitan Atlanta and coastal
South Carolina.
affiliated funds
Application procedures for the
Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation
and the Mountain Sky Guest Ranch
Fund can be found on their web sites:
www.atlantafalcons.com
www.mtnsky.com
22
• For organizations applying for
organizational effectiveness grants,
please include a letter, signed by the
executive director and chair of the
board of directors, stating the
desired goals to be achieved by
obtaining the grant.
• The organization’s 501(c)(3)
statement/letter from the Internal
Revenue Service.
how to apply
Please send two copies of your application and attachments (double-sided
pages are strongly encouraged) to:
Kristi Day, Grants Manager
The Arthur M. Blank
Family Foundation
3290 Northside Parkway, NW
Suite 600
Atlanta, Georgia 30327
404.239.0600
submission deadlines
In 2003, the Board will meet in May
and December to approve grants.
Following is the 2003 schedule for
submitting applications:
• Proposals received by January 6,
2003, will be considered in May.
Proposals received by August 4,
2003, will be considered in
December. Grantees will be notified
about funding following the board
meeting that corresponds to their
review cycle.
• Proposals for capital gifts in the
Atlanta area only will be accepted on
the same schedule. Send proposals
for capital gifts to:
Elise Eplan, Vice President
The Arthur M. Blank
Family Foundation
3290 Northside Parkway, NW
Suite 600
Atlanta, GA 30327
The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation
2003 Grant Application
Organization name
Date of application
Address
City
State
Organization EIN #
Date of issue
Zip
Executive Director
Contact
Title
Telephone
Fax
E-mail address
Have you applied to us before? Yes No
Amount requested $
Project budget $
Organizational budget this year $
Organizational budget last year $
Type of request: General
Category:
Project
Capital (Atlanta only)
Arts and culture
Education enhancement Fostering understanding
Athletics and fitness
Environment
Organizational effectiveness
Please provide a summary of your organization’s mission.
Summarize your project or operating request.
Please describe how your organization’s staff and board of directors are representative of the community it serves.
Describe the demographic and geographic nature of your work.
Arthur M. Blank, chairman, president & CEO of the Atlanta Falcons and
co-founder of The Home Depot, created The Arthur M. Blank Family
Foundation in 1995 to share his civic values and the joy of giving with his family.
Since that time, the Foundation has granted or committed $100 million to
results-driven initiatives that promote collaboration among nonprofit organizations. The Foundation’s entrepreneurial philanthropy centers on youth and
focuses on improving access to education, sustaining the arts, preserving green
space, fostering understanding, promoting better health and fitness and increasing
the organizational effectiveness of nonprofit organizations.
Many of these efforts are also supported by grants made by the Atlanta Falcons
Youth Foundation and the Mountain Sky Guest Ranch Fund, which are affiliated
philanthropic entities within the family of Blank-owned businesses.
This philanthropic commitment is rooted in the Blank family’s shared belief
that giving back is a fundamental responsibility, and that we share a common calling
to be our brother’s keeper.
the arthur m. blank family foundation staff
Ira A. Jackson, President
Elise Eplan, Vice President
for Special Initiatives
Deva Hirsch, Vice President
for Program
Linda Auxford, Executive Assistant
Kristi Day, Grants Manager
Susan Gingles, Administrative Assistant
Margaret Gray, Program Officer
Shalondra Henry, Program Officer
Darren Long, Program Associate
Atiba Mbiwan, Program Officer
Barbara Saunders, Program Associate
Daniel Shoy, Program Associate
Tricia Woodson, Executive Assistant
connecing
strengths
creating
change
Printed on recycled paper.
photography: Cover photo by Ellis Vener. All other photography by Steve Cord. design: Times 3
The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation
3290 Northside Parkway, NW
Suite 600
Atlanta, Georgia 30327
404.239.0600
www.blankfoundation.org