Plank Family Foundation
/OVERVIEW: The Plank Family Foundation primarily funds grantmaking related to education, youth, religious institutions and entrepreneurship. It also earmarks funds for other causes like health and human services.
IP TAKE: The foundation keeps a low public profile, which limits information available on its grantmaking priorities and activities.
PROFILE: Founded in 2007, the Plank Family Foundation was established by billionaire couple Kevin Plank and Desiree Jacqueline Guerzon. Kevin Plank graduated with a bachelor’s degree from University of Maryland, where he played football, and received his M.B.A. from University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business in 1996. Plank built a popular sportswear brand Under Armour in the 1990s, selling his first shirts from his grandmother's basement. He also launched Plank Industries, which serves as the family office and investment arm. Desiree Jacqueline Guerzon studied nursing at Georgetown University.
The foundation does not maintain a website, which makes it difficult to understand its grantmaking priorities and strategies. According to tax filings, the Plank Family Foundation primarily funds grantmaking related to education, youth, religious institutions and entrepreneurship. It has also made grants for health and human services. Grantmaking is mainly limited to Maryland.
Grants for K-12 and Higher Eduation
Kevin Plank is a major patron of his alma mater University of Maryland, giving a $25 million gift to his school in support of a planned academic, research and athletics complex.
The couple also made a $5 million donation the Living Classrooms Foundation for a youth recreation center renovation.
They are steady backers of St. Paul’s School in Maryland and made a 7-figure gift to The CollegeBound Foundation, which helps Baltimore city graduates attend and complete college.
The family also has a strong interest in fostering entrepreneurship, including through Cupid's Cup, a nationwide competition which identifies and supports young entrepreneurs.
Other:
The Plank family’s giving also touches other causes including health and human services, and religious institutions.
Grantees have included New Psalmist Baptist Church, Children’s Tumor Foundation, Church of the Nativity, Medstar Harbor Hospital, and Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals. The foundation has also backed African-American outfits like NAACP’s Baltimore City Branch. Plank also donated $1 million to the Archdiocese of Baltimore in 2016.
Important Grant Details:
Grants range from $1,250 to $10 million. Annual grantmaking varies widely, having ranged from $17.9 million to $3 million in recent years. Grantees have included Saint Johns College High School (which Plank attended), Johns Hopkins University, New Psalmist Baptist Church, Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals and NAACP Baltimore City Branch. For additional information about Plank’s past grantmaking, see the foundation’s recent tax filings.
The foundation does not offer any specific application guidelines but accepts letters of inquiry via mail at the address provided below. Inquiries may be directed to Kristi Adkins at (410) 634-5360.
PEOPLE:
Search for staff contact info and bios in PeopleFinder (paid subscribers only).
CONTACT:
The Plank Family Foundation
P.O. Box 907
Brooklandville, MD 21022
