Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation

OVERVIEW: The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation supports education, parks and greenspace, youth development, community redevelopment and the arts. It prioritizes the state of Georgia, but has funded organizations in other states.

IP TAKE: The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation invests in a broad range of issues through a variety of avenues. It may be confusing for first-time grantseekers to find the program that is best suited for their work. It’s also not an accessible funder; however, the foundation permits brief inquiries through its website. Most get lost in the ether, so try and network with someone at the foundation assuming your work prioritizes Georgia on some level.

PROFILE: The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation was established in 1995 by Arthur M. Blank, the co-founder of the Home Depot home improvement retail chain. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, the foundation “promotes innovative solutions to transform the lives of youth and their families, seeking results that move communities beyond what seems possible today.” It invests in education, parks and greenspace, youth development, community redevelopment and the arts through grants and a variety of signature in-house programs.

The Arthur M. Blank Foundation distributes its grants through a variety of sub-funds, some of which have their own program areas. The largest and most diverse of these is AMB West Philanthropies, but the Blank Foundation also manages Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation, Atlanta United Foundation, Molly Blank Fund, the Overwatch Fund and the PGA Superstore and First Tee program.

Grants for ECE and Youth Development

The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation invests in education broadly. Through the AMB West Community Fund it supports a range of educational and youth services in Montana. It is particularly interested in early childhood development, and it funds programs that “promote healthy parent-child relationships and connections to community resources.” It also funds Youth empowerment and development initiatives that “empower youth” and “cultivate young stewards of land and wildlife through education, challenges of physical activity, wilderness experiences and outdoor adventure.” The foundation may also support services for at-risk youth through the Molly Blank Fund, which pursues a range of interests of importance to the chairman’s late mother.

The Blank Foundation’s PGA Superstore and First Tee program, which provides children with the opportunity to develop character, life skills and confidence through golfing experiences. The First Tee program operates as a signature program, creating events for kids surround PGA tour stops.

Grants for Environmental Conservation

The Blank Foundation conducts some environmental giving in Paradise Valley, Montana, through the AMB West Philanthropies, which supports “programs, policies, and leadership that enable human and ecological communities in the Paradise Valley to thrive.” AMB West may fund direct services, program specific support, general operating support, scientific or social research, policy reform, and advocacy. Its current focuses are the upper Yellowstone River watershed, wildlife conservation, and “working landowner sustainability.” Grantees include Ecology Project International, Yellowstone Forever, Urban Land Institute, and Trust for Public Land.

Grants for Community Development and Economic Opportunity

The Blank Foundation’s Westside Neighborhood Prosperity Fund is dedicated to the “catalytic, positive neighborhood transformation of Atlanta’s historic Westside communities” through strategic investments and partnerships. It seeks to support programs that “demonstrate an understanding of the overall needs of the neighborhoods,” “accelerate quality-of-life improvements,” “improve the health, education and welfare of residents,” and “attract new investment, new jobs and new businesses to the stadium neighborhoods.” Grantees include Historic Westside Gardens, Center for Working Families, and Integrity Transformations. 

Grants for Public Health and Mental Health

The Blank Foundation broadly supports a holistic approach to wellness and mental health, promoting programs that offer access to outdoor recreation, physical activity, and green urban spaces. The AMB West Community Fund has a focus area in Happiness & Health Through Wellness that funds programs that “create or enhance existing services that support the development of wellness and foster resilience.” It is particularly interested in initiatives that integrate wellness approaches such as “yoga, meditation, outdoor recreation and nutritional education” into services like mental health treatment, juvenile justice, and family counseling. AMB West also has a special focus area to address Youth Suicide in Park County, Montana.

The Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation seeks “innovative approaches to increase time kids spend in physical activity” in order to combat obesity and improve physical fitness throughout the state of Georgia. It funds in-school, after-school, and out-of-school programs aimed at helping children get active and eat healthier. While it primarily partners with individual schools and school systems, other grantees include Community Farmers Markets, East Point Velodrome Association, PASS Inc, and USA Football. The Atlanta United Foundation funds organizations dedicated to “extending soccer programs and participation to children and adults who would not otherwise get to participate.” It seeks to “stress the importance of physical fitness while building a supportive culture of play and sportsmanship.”

Grants for Arts and Culture

The Blank Foundation’s Molly Blank Fund pursues a range of interests of importance to the chairman’s late mother. Grantees include Wonderroot, the Theatrical Outfit, Bozeman Art Museum and the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival. 

Grants for Military and Veterans

The Blank Foundation’s Overwatch Fund funds nonprofit organizations that support military veterans in the state of Georgia. It primarily seeks to fund programs that address issues related to “mental health, homelessness and successful transition from service.” To that end, the fund offers two types of grants. Innovation Grants support “design of and/or testing of a new program or policy that holds promise for producing systemic change for veterans,” while Listen and Respond grants work to “deepen and broaden engagement with nonprofit organizations serving veterans” through annual workshops funded by the Blank Foundation.

Important Grant Details:

Grants generally range from $5,000 to $50,000 and have been awarded to organizations of all sizes. While the foundation may award grants to organizations anywhere in the United States, the majority of its programs center around either Montana or Georgia. Information about past grantmaking is available on each individual program page.

The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications for funding, but potential applicants working in the foundations’ areas of grantmaking interest may submit brief inquiries to an appropriate staff member.

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