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Contact: Brian Farley
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THE ARTHUR M. BLANK FAMILY FOUNDATION
AWARDS $6 MILLION IN GRANTS
ATLANTA, December 4, 2002 -- The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation has recently awarded 112 grants totaling more than $6 million to nonprofit organizations in eleven states to support youth development and other community causes.

The Blank Family Foundation seeks to be a catalyst for positive social change by investing in programs that create opportunities for underserved youth and strengthen the communities in which they live.

It awards funding primarily in five geographic areas: 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 Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island); and Park and Gallatin Counties in Montana, under the auspices of the Mountain Sky Guest Ranch Fund.

Recently approved grants include:

Arts and Culture
  • Apple Corps, Atlanta, Ga.; $20,000 to support the SEEArts program.
  • Arizona Theatre Company, Phoenix, Ariz.; $35,000 to support youth outreach and education initiatives.
  • Artists For Humanity, Boston, Mass.; $20,000 to support the Young Women's Initiative.
  • Atlanta Ballet, Inc., Atlanta, Ga.; $100,000 to support the Centre Dance program.
  • Atlanta Young Singers of Callanwolde, Atlanta, Ga.; $30,000 to support scholarships for students in the All Our Voices in Harmony after-school program.
  • City Hearts, Topanga, Calif.; $20,000 to support general operating costs for the Celebration of Arts program.
  • Community Art Center, Cambridge, Mass.; $20,000 to support the School Age and Teen Media program.
  • Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, New York, N.Y.; $20,000 to support the Saturday and Outreach programs.
  • Dad's Garage, Inc., Atlanta, Ga.; $3,500 for an organizational assessment.
  • Georgia State University Foundation, Atlanta, Ga.; $11,000 to support the Neighborhood Music Schools scholarship program.
  • Heard Museum, Phoenix, Ariz.; $30,000 to support its Native American High School Guides program.
  • Hollywood Cinema Production Resources, Inc., Los Angeles, Calif.; $10,000 to support prop and set design educational programs.
  • Moving in the Spirit, Atlanta, Ga.; $75,000 to support dance programs and organizational development.
  • National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts, Englewood, N.J.; $75,000 to support the Creative Communities initiative.
  • Phoenix Symphony Association, Phoenix, Ariz.; $50,000 to support its One Nation program.
  • Queens Museum of Art, Queens, N.Y.; $20,000 to support the teen docent program.
  • Quinlan Arts, Inc., Gainesville, Ga.; $25,000 to support the Quinlin Arts Partners program and the summer arts camp program.
  • RAW Art Works at RAW Space, Lynn, Mass.; $55,000 to support the Raw Chiefs leadership development program and organizational effectiveness.
  • THE POINT, CDC, Bronx, N.Y.; $25,000 to support arts and culture programs for youth.
  • Valley Youth Theatre, Phoenix, Ariz.; $40,000 to support the After-School Playhouse at Lowell Elementary.
  • Venice Arts Mecca, Venice, Calif.; $15,000 to support the after-school program.

Athletics and Fitness

  • Bluffton Community Center Foundation, Bluffton, S.C.; $50,000 to support the community center at Shultz Park.
  • Hilton Head Island Gymnastics Booster Club, Hilton Head, S.C.; $30,000 to support scholarships.
  • KiDsGyM USA, Inc., College Park, Ga.; $40,000 to support the Performance Team gymnastics program and organizational development.
  • Los Angeles Boys & Girls Club, Los Angeles, Calif.; $25,000 to support the Teen Athletic program.
  • Morehouse College National Youth Sports Program, Atlanta, Ga.; $20,000 to support academic and sports programs for middle and high school students.
  • StreetSquash, New York, N.Y.; $20,000 to support athletic and academic programs for youth.

Education Enhancement

  • B.E.L.L. Foundation, Inc., Dorchester, Mass.; $50,000 to support after-school programs at Boston elementary schools.
  • Booker T. Washington Learning Center, New York, N.Y.; $25,000 for general operating support.
  • Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Phoenix, Phoenix, Ariz.; $75,000 to support the Education Enhancement program at five Boys & Girls Clubs.
  • Boys & Girls Clubs of Roberta/Crawford Co., Roberta, Ga.; $35,000 to support the Project Learn program.
  • Boys & Girls Clubs of Valdosta, Inc., Valdosta, Ga.; $25,000 to support a director of development position.
  • Boys & Girls Clubs of Hilton Head, Beaufort, S.C.; $111,000 to provide comprehensive education programs and outreach services to Latino youth in Beaufort County.
  • Brotherhood/Sister Sol, New York, N.Y.; $50,000 for general operating support for programs and organizational effectiveness.
  • Chess-in-the-Schools, New York, N.Y.; $15,000 to support the after-school chess club program for girls.
  • Citizen Schools, Boston, Mass.; $100,000 to help Citizen Schools grow to scale in Boston and to heighten its impact on middle school students.
  • Communities In Schools of Atlanta, Inc., Atlanta, Ga.; $50,000 to support the FutureForce program.
  • Communities In Schools of Berkeley County, Moncks Corner, S.C.; $30,500 to provide staff support for Communities In Schools after-school programs.
  • Double Discovery Center, New York, N.Y.; $15,000 to provide support for the BOND program, a leadership development program for male high school students.
  • East Harlem Tutorial Program, New York, N.Y.; $50,000 for general operating support.
  • Edgewood Resident Association, Atlanta, Ga.; $15,000 to support the I.M.A.G.E. after-school program.
  • Girl Scouts of Middle Georgia, Lizella, Ga.; $20,000 to support the Direct Delivery of Service program.
  • Girls Incorporated of New York City, New York, N.Y.; $50,000 to support the Training and Technical Assistance program.
  • Harlem Educational Activities Fund, Inc., New York, N.Y.; $15,000 to support the Support Net program.
  • Interfaith Neighbors, Inc., New York, N.Y.; $50,000 to support the after-school programming at GirlSpace: The East Harlem Center for Girls.
  • Junior Achievement of Georgia, Atlanta, Ga.; $50,000 to offer Junior Achievement programs at Boys & Girls Clubs in metro Atlanta.
  • Kids In Need - Metro Atlanta, Atlanta, Ga.; $25,000 to support efforts to provide school and art supplies to teachers of students whose academic success is threatened by poverty.
  • Kids Voting Atlanta, Atlanta, Ga.; $15,000 to implement the Civics Alive curriculum in after-school settings in Atlanta and Fulton County Public Schools.
  • Los Angeles Center for Education Research, Hollywood, Calif.; $25,000 for general operating support.
  • Make A Difference, Phoenix, Ariz.; $40,000 to establish the Effectively Serving Youth Training Series.
  • Mentor's Project of Bibb County, Macon, Ga.; $30,000 for general operating support.
  • Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Atlanta, Ga.; $15,000 to expand the Parent School Partnership program.
  • National Abortion & Reproductive Rights Action League/NY Foundation, New York, N.Y.; $20,000 to support the Teen Outreach Reproductive Challenge peer leadership program.
  • New York Cares, Inc., New York, N.Y.; $25,000 to support the expansion of the Youth Service Initiative.
  • Penn Center, Inc., St. Helena Island, S.C.; $40,000 to support the Teen Leadership Institute.
  • Planned Parenthood of Central and Northern Arizona, Phoenix, Ariz.; $20,000 to support the Positive Force Players program.
  • Project GRAD Atlanta, Inc., Atlanta, Ga.; $200,000 to support the expansion of Project GRAD in Atlanta.
  • Scottdale Child Development and Family Resource Center, Inc. of Central DeKalb, Scottdale, Ga.; $30,000 to expand the Youth Leadership Academy program.
  • Self Enhancement, Inc.(Investment Atlanta), Portland, Ore.; $32,000 to support an after-school program for boys at M. Agnes Jones elementary school in Atlanta.
  • The Study Hall, Atlanta, Ga.; $50,000 for general operating support.
  • Summerbridge, Atlanta, Atlanta, Ga.; $40,000 to support the Teacher Development Program.
  • Teach for America/New York, New York, N.Y.; $25,000 to support the multi-year teacher corps expansion campaign.
  • Teach For America/Phoenix, Phoenix, Ariz.; $50,000 to support the recruitment, selection, training and placement of corps members.
  • Teens At Work, Inc., East Point, Ga.; $24,000 to assist in covering general operating expenses for after-school programs.
  • The We 7 Collaborative, Pasadena Foundation, Pasadena, Calif.; $70,000 to provide support for agencies engaged in the provision of after-school activities for young people.
  • The Young Peoples' Project, Cambridge, Mass.; $50,000 to support the Math Literacy Workers Initiative.
  • Thumbs Up, Inc., Port Royal, S.C.; $12,000 to support general operating expenses.
  • Youth Communication: Metro Atlanta, Inc. (VOX), Atlanta, Ga.; $50,000 to support teen programs and organizational effectiveness.

Environment and Outdoor Activities

  • City Parks Foundation, New York, N.Y.; $25,000 to support the Growing Gardens youth education program.
  • Environmental Justice Resource Center, Atlanta, Ga.; $50,000 to support the development of the Youth Environmental Justice Alliance.
  • The Food Project, Lincoln, Mass.; $75,000 to support general operating expenses related to its community-based youth agricultural program.
  • The Global Habitat Project, Cambridge, Mass.; $30,000 to support the comprehensive environmental education program for urban youth.
  • Newtown Florist Club, Gainesville, Ga.; $20,000 to support the Youth Dioxin Summit and ongoing programming for the Bright Teens for a Future group.
  • The Phoenix Zoo, Phoenix, Ariz.; $28,500 to support the Zoo To You after-school program and organizational effectiveness.
  • Prospect Park Alliance, Brooklyn, N.Y.; $35,000 to support further expansion of Prospect Park youth programs.
  • Rocking the Boat, Inc., Bronx, N.Y.; $15,000 to support general operating expenses for youth environmental education and organizational effectiveness.
  • TreePeople, Beverly Hills, Calif.; $35,000 to expand the Eco-tour and Campus Forestry programs.
  • City of Atlanta, Housing Authority, Atlanta, Ga.; $150,000 to construct a park at The Villages at Carver.
  • Grant Park Conservancy, Atlanta, Ga.; $150,000 to support operating and capital improvement expenses.
  • Olmstead Linear Park, Atlanta, Ga.; $150,000 for park preservation and renovations.
  • Path Foundation, Atlanta, Ga.; $500,000 to support the development of an urban pedestrian and cycling trail system.
  • Wonderland Gardens, Atlanta, Ga.; $27,000 to support capital improvements at Wonderland Gardens.
  • Research Atlanta, Atlanta, Ga.; $50,000 to conduct a study on the barriers to the acquisition and maintenance of adequate green space in Atlanta.
  • Trust for Public Land, Atlanta, Ga.; $25,000 to support operating costs for work in coastal South Carolina.
  • Fowler Center for Wildlife Education, Berlin Heights, Ohio, $125,000 to support Jim Fowler's Life in the Wild Park in Brunswick, Georgia.
Fostering Understanding
  • Academy Theatre, Atlanta, Ga.; $130,000 to support the theatre training program in Fulton County, Georgia and Beaufort County, South Carolina schools.
  • Asian Pacific American Legal Center of Southern California, Los Angeles, Calif.; $53,000 to support the Leadership Development in Interethnic Relations program.
  • Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta, Inc., Atlanta, Ga.; $60,000 to support the expansion of the mentoring program.
  • The Center for Teen Empowerment, Boston, Mass.; $45,000 for general operating support.
  • The City School, Boston, Mass.; $50,000 to support youth leadership development programs.
  • Effective Alternative in Reconciliation Services, Bronx, N.Y.; $36,500 to support the Teen Trainer's Institute.
  • Fund for the City of New York/Center for Court Innovation, New York, N.Y.; $50,000 to support the School Justice Center at Paul Robeson High School.
  • Girl Scouts of Concharty Council, Inc., Columbus, Ga.; $25,000 to support programs that foster mutual understanding.
  • Gwinnett United in Drug Education, Inc., Lawrenceville, Ga.; $25,000 to support the Gwinnett Alliance With Youth.
  • International Rescue Committee - Atlanta, Decatur, Ga.; $25,000 to support the Cross-Cultural Youth program.
  • New York Association for New Americans, Inc., New York, N.Y.; $15,000 to implement an after-school multicultural literacy program at three middle schools in New York City.
  • Peace Games, Boston, Mass.; $45,000 to support Peace Games in the Boston area.
  • Performing Arts Program for Youth, Atlanta, Ga.; $50,000 to support The Long Walk to Freedom project in Atlanta.
  • Youth Radio, Berkeley, Calif.; $25,000 to support the Youth Radio Atlanta affiliate based at Grady High School. Organizational Effectiveness
  • Brooklyn Children's Museum, Brooklyn, N.Y.; $3,500 for an organizational assessment and consulting referral.
  • Brooklyn Youth Chorus, Brooklyn, N.Y.; $3,500 for an organizational assessment and consulting referral.
  • Creating Pride, Inc., Atlanta, Ga.; $3,500 for an organizational assessment and consulting referral.
  • Grantmakers for Effective Organizations, Washington, DC; $5,000 to advance and expand the organizational effectiveness practices in and by the philanthropic community.
  • Valley of The Sun YMCA, Phoenix, Ariz.; $3,500 for an organizational assessment and consulting referral.

Discretionary Grants

  • Babson College, Babson Park, Mass.; $567,000 to support the Home Depot Scholarship Annual Fund and the Blank Entrepreneurial Endowment.
  • Paradise Valley Fire Department, Paradise Valley, MT, $25,000 to purchase a water truck.
  • United Jewish Appeal, Hilton Head, S.C.; $500 to support the United Jewish Appeal Campaign.
  • National Black Arts Festival, Atlanta, Ga.; $75,000 to support the Festival as an Institutional Partner.
  • The Captain Planet Foundation, Atlanta, Ga.; $20,000 to support the Empowering Women/Vision and Voices event.
  • Prevent Child Abuse Georgia, Atlanta, Ga.; $100,000 to support the work of its Healthy Families program in the Whitefoord Community.
  • Whitefoord Community Program, Atlanta, Ga.; $340,000 to support the Child Development, Violence Prevention and Evaluation programs.
  • Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Ga.; $200,000 to support the expansion of the Center for Advocacy and Protection at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta.
Arthur M. Blank founded The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation in 1995 to share his civic values and the joy of giving with his family. Since that time, Foundation and personal grants paid total more than $86 million. Mr. Blank co-founded The Home Depot, the world's largest home improvement retailer, in 1978 and retired from the company as co-chairman in 2001. He is owner and CEO of the Atlanta Falcons.