Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation is a left-of-center grant making foundation that was founded in 1995 by Home Depot co-founder and Democratic Party donor Arthur M. Blank. ^{1 2} In 2023, the foundation surpassed $1 billion in total giving, with a focus on charitable organizations based in Georgia and Montana. ^{3 4}

History and Leadership

Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation was founded in 1995 by Home Depot co-founder and National Football League team owner Arthur M. Blank. ⁵

As of October 2023, Blank is the foundation’s chairman. ⁶ Blank is a signer of The Giving Pledge, ⁷ a pledge to give all or some of his wealth away during his lifetime, and is a major financial supporter of Democratic Party politicians and campaign committees. In 2023, Blank contributed $406,600 to support the re-election of President Joe Biden, $41,300 to the Democratic National Committee (DNC), and $6,903 to the Democratic Party of Kentucky. ⁸

In 2022, Blank contributed $400,000 to the Democratic Grass Roots Victory Fund, $36,500 to the DNC, and $7,1257.50 to more than 40 state-level Democratic Party organizations. He also made similar contributions to state-level Democratic Parties in 2021. ⁹

Fay Twersky is the president and director of the Blank Family Foundation. Prior to joining the foundation, Twersky was the vice president of the left-of-center William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, where she led its Effective Philanthropy Group. She was also the founding co-chair of the Fund for Shared Insight. Twersky is a trustee of the Bernard Van Leer Foundation and has held other senior roles at the Rothschild Family Foundation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Youth Truth, and Informing Change, a strategic consulting firm that works with nonprofits. ¹⁰

Activities and Funding

Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation’s grant making is focused on youth development, democracy, environmentalism, mental health and well-being, and Atlanta’s Westside neighborhood. ^{11 12}

In 2023, the foundation surpassed $1 billion in total giving since its founding. These grants have primarily been made in Georgia and Montana, with grants totaling more than $670 million and $28 million, respectively. ^{13 14}

The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation’s democracy work claims to support what it identifies as American democratic norms, practices, and institutions. ¹⁵ Wendy Feliz leads the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation’s democracy and public policy efforts. She is the founding director of the Center for Inclusion and Belonging at the pro-immigration American Immigration Council and was an inaugural member of New Pluralists. ¹⁶

The foundation’s mental health grantee partners include The Carter Center, Hopelab, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. ¹⁷ The foundation’s environmentalist work focuses on expanding access to nontraditional energy in the Intermountain West and Southeast. ¹⁸ It has also donated at least $7 million to support COVID-19 related projects.  ¹⁹

The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation provides financial support to the Responsible Technology Youth Power Fund to support forming what it calls “safe and inclusive online spaces.” As of 2023, partner organizations in this fund support left-of-center developments in technology policy and include the left-of-center Omidyar Fund, Archewell (a philanthropic organization co-founded by Prince Harry of the United Kingdom and his wife, actress Meghan Markle), Carmel Hill Fund, New Media Ventures, Oak Foundation, Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. ²⁰

In 2021, the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation issued $104,227,118 in grants. These grants included $3,847,000 to the Boulder Crest Foundation, $4,450,000 to the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, $3,000,000 to the Cooper Institute, $1,660,331 to Care USA, $1,000,000 to ProGeorgia, $800,000 to Georgia Democratic Party politician Stacey Abrams’ New Georgia Project, $700,000 to NEO Philanthropy, $650,000 to Rock the Vote, $500,000 to the American Red Cross of Georgia, $560,000 to Local Initiatives Support Corporation, $500,000 to the Black Voters Matter Capacity Building Institute, $450,000 to Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Atlanta, $400,000 to the Alive and Well Foundation, $300,000 to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Foundation of Georgia,  $200,000 for the Alliance for Media Arts and Culture, $250,000 to the William J. Brennan Center for Justice, $150,000 to New American Pathways, $150,000 to the Southern Center for Human Rights, $150,000 to the Common Cause Education Fund, $148,000 to Resilient Georgia, $127,830 to Latin American Association, $114,000 to Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, $100,000 to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) Southeast, $100,000 to Fugees Family, $100,000 to the National League of Cities Institute, $70,000 to the American Jewish Committee – Atlanta, $68,745 to One Valley Community Foundation, $50,000 to ADL of Arizona, and $25,000 to One Montana. ²¹

Funding

In 2021, the Blank Family Foundation reported revenue of $84,889,977 and expenses of $94,963,896. ²² In 2020, the foundation reported revenue of $271,568,859 and expenses of $274,522,033 in 2020. This revenue included $267,745,000 from foundation president Arthur M. Blank and $199,500 from the National Football League Foundation. ²³

1. “Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation.” LinkedIn. Accessed October 19, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/company/blankfoundation/.
2. “Individual Contributions.” Search Results for Arthur Blank in the Federal Election Commission Individual Contributions Page. Federal Elections Commission. Accessed October 18, 2023. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=arthur%20blank.
3. “Blank Family Foundation reaches $1 billion in giving.” Candid. April 20, 2023. Accessed October 19, 2023. https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/blank-family-foundation-reaches-1-billion-in-giving.
4. “About.” Blank Foundation. Accessed October 18, 2023. https://blankfoundation.org/about/.
5. “Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation.” LinkedIn. Accessed October 19, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/company/blankfoundation/.
6. “Arthur M. Blank.” Blank Foundation. Accessed October 18, 2023. https://blankfoundation.org/member/arthur-m-blank/.
7. “Blank Family Foundation Reaches $1 billion in giving.” Candid. April 20, 2023. Accessed October 19, 2023, https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/blank-family-foundation-reaches-1-billion-in-giving.
8. “Individual Contributions.” Search Results for Arthur Blank in the Federal Election Commission Individual Contributions Page. Federal Elections Commission. Accessed October 18, 2023. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=arthur%20blank.
9. “Individual Contributions.” Search Results for Arthur Blank in the Federal Election Commission Individual Contributions Page. Federal Elections Commission. Accessed October 18, 2023. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=arthur%20blank.
10. “Fay Twersky.” Blank Foundation. Accessed October 18, 2023. https://blankfoundation.org/member/fay-twersky-2/.
11. “Arthur M. Blank.” Blank Foundation. Accessed October 18, 2023. https://blankfoundation.org/member/arthur-m-blank/.
12. “Areas of Giving.” Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation. Accessed October 19, 2023. https://blankfoundation.org/our-work/.
13. “Blank Family Foundation reaches $1 billion in giving.” Candid. April 20, 2023. Accessed October 19, 2023. https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/blank-family-foundation-reaches-1-billion-in-giving.
14. “About.” Blank Foundation. Accessed October 18, 2023. https://blankfoundation.org/about/.
15. “Democracy.” Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation. Accessed October 19, 2023. https://blankfoundation.org/area-of-giving/democracy/.
16. “Wendy Feliz.” Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation. Accessed October 19, 2023. https://blankfoundation.org/member/wendy-feliz/.
17. “Mental Health & Well-Being.” Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation. Accessed October 19, 2023. https://blankfoundation.org/area-of-giving/mental-health-well-being/.
18. “Environment.” Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation. Accessed October 19, 2023. https://blankfoundation.org/area-of-giving/environment/.
19. “Arthur M. Blank.” Blank Foundation. Accessed October 18, 2023. https://blankfoundation.org/member/arthur-m-blank/.
20. “Young Leaders in Technology Granted $2 Million to Create Safe and Inclusive Spaces Online.” Omidyar Network. August 2, 2023. Accessed October 19, 2023. https://omidyar.com/young-leaders-in-technology-granted-2-million-to-create-safe-and-inclusive-online-spaces/.
21. The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation. Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF). 2021. Part XIV. https://blankfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/2021-AMBFF-990-PF-Public-Disclosure-Copy.pdf.
22. The Arthur M. blank Family Foundation. Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF). 2021. Part I. https://blankfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/2021-AMBFF-990-PF-Public-Disclosure-Copy.pdf.
23. The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation. Return of Private Foundation. (Form 990-PF). 2020. Part I. https://blankfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/AMBFF-2020-Form-990-PF-Public-Disclosure-Copy.pdf.