Diana Blank pledged to give away $1.2 billion by 2024 and has stuck to it.
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One of Atlanta’s most prominent philanthropists will achieve her goal of giving away over $1 billion this year.
Her name is Diana Blank; let’s quickly examine her story.
The Atlanta philanthropist
Diana is the former wife of Arthur Blank. Arthur is the co-founder of Home Depot and also the owner of the Atlanta Falcons in the National Football League and Atlanta United in Major League Soccer.
When they divorced in 1993, Diana focused on philanthropy by creating the Kendeda Fund- named after her three children, Kenny, Dena, and Danielle. Diana is the sole source of funds for Kendeda.
“When I first started, I did not know where to put my focus. I was exposed to so many needs across our country. What do I focus on? How could one thing be better than anything else?” Diana Blank
The Kendeda Fund offers grants focused on Atlanta and Montana that prioritize “issues of equity, livability, and improved connections to the natural environment.” They also have a gun violence prevention program and a veterans program.
Some of the grants include:
- $4 million to the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
- $20 million to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
- $30 million grant to Georgia Tech for their Living Building Challenge 3.0
It is worth noting that Diana Blank made all her donations anonymously and was only revealed to be a generous donor after an interview in 2015 with the Atlanta Business Chronicle.
Giving it all away
Many philanthropists make the promise to give away their fortune but fail to follow through on this promise.
But Diane Blank isn’t like most other philanthropists. In 2013 she pledged to give away as much as possible in her lifetime. The Kedenda Fund will distribute all its funds and assets by the end of 2023. She would have made more than $1.2 billion in grants by this stage.
“We give away between $40 million and $50 million a year. A billion dollars? That’s a lot of money. You just hope you are supporting initiatives that have value.” Diana Blank
Your thoughts
What do you think of Diana Blank’s charitable efforts? What Atlanta organizations do you think deserve support?
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