Contact: Brian Farley
(404) 367 2070

ATLANTA, July 30, 2003 -- The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation recently approved 55 grants totaling more than $8.1 million to nonprofit partners in Georgia to create opportunities for underserved youth, preserve green space, sustain the arts and spark community collaboration.

The Blank Family Foundation strives to be a catalyst for positive social change. It currently awards funding primarily in four geographic areas: Georgia; coastal South Carolina; Maricopa County, Arizona; and Park and Gallatin Counties in Montana, under the auspices of the Mountain Sky Guest Ranch Fund.

The grants in Georgia include:

Arts and Culture

• Alliance Theatre Company, Atlanta, Ga.; $100,000 to support the Student Reviewers Circle and The Collision project.
• Art Factory, Inc., Augusta, Ga.; $30,000 for general operating support.
• Atlanta Historical Society, Atlanta, Ga.; $60,000 to support the 2003-2004 Museum Fellows program.
• Atlanta Landmarks/Fox Theatre, Atlanta, Ga.; $18,000 to support Camp Broadway and Camp Performing Arts.
• Freddie Hendricks Youth Ensemble of Atlanta, Atlanta, Ga.; $75,000 for general operating support.
• High Museum of Art, Atlanta, Ga.; $30,000 to support the Art Ambassadors program.
• Moving in the Spirit, Atlanta, Ga.; $75,000 for general operating support.
• Sautee-Nacoochee Community Association, Sautee-Nacoochee, Ga.; $10,000 to support the after-school arts program.
• Several Dancers Core, Decatur, Ga.; $20,000 to support the Rising Stars Creative Arts program.
• Spivey Hall, Clayton College & State University, Morrow, Ga.; $50,000 to support The Spivey Hall Children’s Choirs.

Education Enhancement

• Boys & Girls Clubs of Augusta, Augusta, Ga.; $50,000 to support the Educational Horizons program.
• Bright Future Youth Center, Inc., Cordele, Ga.; $35,000 for general operating support and arts and culture programs.
• Center for Latino Outreach and Research Services at Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, Ga.; $14,000 to support and expand the after-school educational programs for Latino children.
• Cornerstone International Youth Camp Foundation, Inc., Atlanta, Ga.; $40,000 to support operating costs for the 2003 Summer Camp program and organizational effectiveness.
• East Atlanta Kids Club, Atlanta, Ga.; $28,000 for general operating support for the after-school program and organizational effectiveness.
• Families First, Inc., Atlanta, Ga.; $50,000 to support the after-school Math and Reading Lab and the Youth Leadership Initiative at the Capitol Area Mosaic site.
• Girls Incorporated of Greater Atlanta, Atlanta, Ga.; $100,000 to support the “Reaching More Girls” initiative.
• Girl's Outdoor Adventure for Leadership, Atlanta, Ga.; $63,500 to support general operating costs and organizational effectiveness.
• Glenn Pelham Memorial Fund, Inc., Atlanta, Ga.; $50,000 to support the Atlanta Urban Debate League's summer debate institute and year-round debate center.
• Horizons Student Enrichment Program, Atlanta, Ga.; $26,300 to expand the summer enrichment program and organizational effectiveness.
• Inner Summit, Inc., Decatur, Ga.; $30,000 to support the Sisters Taking Active Responsibility for Self program.
• Progressive Redevelopment, Inc., Decatur, Ga.; $35,000 to support the Learning Link after-school program in the Hampton Oaks community
• Refugee Family Services, Clarkston, Ga.; $50,000 to support the after-school program.
• SciTrek, Atlanta, Ga.; $35,000 to provide scholarships to the Challenger Learning Center's Space Camp and support the SciTrek To Go program.
• Teach For America/Atlanta, Atlanta, Ga.; $100,000 to support the expansion of Atlanta corps members in Atlanta Public Schools.

Environment and Outdoor Activities.

• Blue Heron Nature Preserve, Atlanta, Ga.; $18,500 to support capital improvements and organizational effectiveness.
• Cabbagetown Initiative, Atlanta, Ga.; $200,000 to support capital costs for creation and maintenance of a new community park in the Cabbagetown neighborhood of Atlanta.
• City of Atlanta Housing Authority, Atlanta, Ga.; $369,200 to support capital costs for the creation of a community park.
• City of Decatur, Decatur, Ga.; $250,000 to support master planning, land acquisition and capital costs for creation of a preservation corridor in Decatur.
• City of East Point, East Point, Ga.; $16,000 to support renovation of recreational equipment and creation of a walking and jogging trail in East Point’s Brookdale Park.
• DeKalb County Government, Decatur, Ga.; $1,549,050 to support the development of board walks and walking trails at Constitution Lakes and for the acquisition of priority conservation lands in DeKalb County.
• First Christian Church of Decatur, Decatur, Ga.; $12,000 to support the improvement of a community park in Decatur.
• Freedom Park Conservancy, Atlanta, Ga.; $13,500 to support the expansion of Freedom Park and organizational effectiveness.
• Friends of Peachtree Hills Park, Atlanta, Ga.; $40,000 to reclaim and restore the green space and creek at Peachtree Hills Park.
• Grant Park Conservancy, Atlanta, Ga.; $36,500 to support general operating costs and organizational effectiveness.
• Living Roots, Savannah, Ga.; $25,000 to support the Living Roots after-school and summer programs.
• Olmsted Linear Park Alliance, Atlanta, Ga.; $300,000 to rehabilitate Olmsted Linear Park.
• Park Pride, Inc., Atlanta, Ga.; $50,000 to support the implementation of the Mayor's Task Force recommendations for Atlanta.
• PATH Foundation, Atlanta, Ga.; $500,000 to support capital costs for construction of three new PATH trails.
• Piedmont Park Conservancy, Atlanta, Ga.; $135,000 to support capital costs for master planning to improve 50 acres of unused parkland and for the Junior Master Gardener program.
• Sidney Marcus Awesome Restoration Team, Atlanta, Ga.; $25,000 to support capital costs for recreational equipment and park improvements in Sidney Marcus Park.
• The Trust for Public Land, Atlanta, Ga.; $1,131,556 for land acquisitions to preserve green space in metro Atlanta.
• Trees Atlanta, Atlanta, Ga.; $87,000 to support the development of an Urban green space Management program.Fostering Understanding
• Academy Theatre, Atlanta, Ga.; $130,000 to support the Bullies & Bystanders program in Fulton County, Ga. and Beaufort County, S.C.
• Anti-Defamation League, Atlanta, Ga.; $61,000 to support “A World of Difference” Peer Training program in Henry County, Ga. and Beaufort County, S.C.

Organizational Effectiveness

• Dad's Garage, Inc., Atlanta, Ga.; $12,500 for strategic planning.
• The Georgia Land Trust, Alpharetta, Ga.; $3,500 for organizational effectiveness.
• Inner Strength, Inc., Atlanta, Ga.; $15,000 for board, staff and fund development plans.
• National Urban Coalition for Unity and Peace, Inc., Atlanta, Ga.; $7,500 for strategic planning.
• Shut-In Outreach Ministry, Inc., Atlanta, Ga.; $3,500 for organizational effectiveness.
• SistaSpace Collective Inc., Mableton, Ga.; $8,300 for strategic planning.

Discretionary Grants

• Atlanta Leadership Development Foundation, Atlanta, Ga.; $10,000 for scholarship support.
• City of Hope, Atlanta, Ga.; $3,000 for the annual Lauren's Run – Children’s Fun Run event.
• Marcus Jewish Community Center, Dunwoody, Ga.; $3,000 to support the Habima Theatre.
• Metro Atlanta YMCA, Atlanta, Ga.; $2,000,000 to support the Carver Homes project and the After-School Youth Center at the Southwest Family YMCA.

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, the Foundation has awarded more than $100 million in grants to community causes.

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.