Arthur Blank Family Foundation

ATLANTA, January 21, 2004 -- The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation has approved 13 grants totaling $472,000 to nonprofit organizations in Maricopa County, Arizona to create educational opportunities for underserved youth, sustain the arts and support community collaboration.

Phoenix-area resident Michael Blank is a Board Associate of the Foundation. “The work of these local partners is essential to our community,” said Mr. Blank. "Together, we need to ensure that young people in Maricopa County find paths to opportunity and hope."

The Blank Family Foundation seeks to be a catalyst for positive social change. It awards funding primarily in Georgia; Maricopa County, Arizona; and coastal South Carolina.

Recently approved grants in Arizona include:

Arizona Science Center, Phoenix; $35,000 to support the Teen Training Program.
Arizona State University Foundation, Tempe; $20,000 to support scholarships to Camp Broadway for low-income students.
Arizona Theatre Company, Phoenix; $25,000 to support Project After-School.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arizona, Phoenix; $70,000 to support mentoring services in the Phoenix metropolitan area.
Camp Fire Boys & Girls Council of Greater Arizona, Inc., Phoenix; $45,000 to support Camp Fire Teen programs in South Scottsdale.
Girl Scouts -- Arizona Cactus-Pine Council, Inc., Phoenix; $42,000 to support the Girl Scouts Beyond Bars program.
Make A Difference, Phoenix; $40,000 to assist in the support of 17 AmeriCorps members with Make A Difference.
Phoenix Boys Choir, Phoenix; $20,000 to support general operating expenses related to outreach in the Latino community.
Phoenix Zoo, Phoenix; $25,000 for the Head Start to Caregiving Program.
Valley Leadership, Phoenix; $35,000 to support the Valley Teen Leadership program.
Volunteer Center of Maricopa County, Phoenix; $30,000 to support youth programming.
West Valley Fine Arts Council, Litchfield Park; $30,000 to provide support to the Gallery 37 program.

Michael Blank’s brother, 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 support youth development, the arts, education and the preservation of green space and parks.

Michael Blank is an active volunteer with the Volunteer Center in Phoenix and the Senior Corps of Retired Executives, an associate agency of the Small Business Association in Phoenix.

Arthur M. 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.