ATLANTA – March 9, 2022 – In response to the conflict in Ukraine and resulting humanitarian crisis, The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation will grant $250,000 to UNICEF to assist with immediate relief.
“I am pained by the human suffering that we’re seeing in Ukraine,” said Arthur M. Blank, chairman, The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation. “In this moment of crisis, we must do what’s right and support our brothers and sisters who have been forced to flee their homes or who are trapped in an escalating conflict. Our hearts go out to the Ukranian people who are in a desperate situation to save their homes, their families and their lives. We encourage others to join us, so that together we can all play a part in providing much needed humanitarian aid.”
UNICEF, a nonprofit committed to improving the lives of children, is increasing their efforts to deliver aid to hundreds of thousands of children and families who are caught in the conflict. Read more about UNICEF’s work in Ukraine here.
The Blank Family Foundation is also supporting aid for the Ukranian people via CARE USA. In 2019, the foundation made a multi-million-dollar grant to CARE, including support of its Humanitarian Surge Fund, which allows CARE to move rapidly with response in these very situations. As the need grows with each passing hour and day, CARE is working with local organizations on the ground to bring desperately needed basic supplies to Ukrainians — durable food, hygiene items, diapers, sleeping bags and sleeping mats.
About The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation
After 25 years and more than $800 million in giving, The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation has committed to significantly accelerating the impact of its philanthropy over the next 10+ years.
The Board is embarking on a journey of deeper learning and strategy setting for its new collective areas of giving, which include: Youth Development, with a focus on workforce development and economic mobility; Democracy, with a focus on key areas of Voting Rights, and Journalism; and Environment, with a focus on key areas of Conservation and Climate Resiliency. Across these portfolios, the foundation will look for opportunities to address the growing crisis of disconnection in our nation. Geographically, much of the work will continue to prioritize Georgia (with a focus on Atlanta) and Montana, while also considering the potential for greater national impact and influence.
In addition to the collective areas of giving, the foundation will continue to oversee a large portfolio of founder-led initiatives, including investment in the transformation of Atlanta’s Westside neighborhoods, mental health and well-being, veterans and the military, and stuttering, among others. The foundation will also continue to guide the seven Associate-led giving committees operating across the Blank Family of Businesses.
Mr. Blank, chairman of the foundation, co-founded The Home Depot, the world’s largest home improvement retailer, in 1978 and retired from the company as co-chairman in 2001.
For more information and to stay up to date, visit www.blankfoundation.org.
###
