The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation

There is no offseason for democracy.

The Challenge

America has long struggled to deliver a fair and equitable democracy to all of its citizens. Our history of voting rights is a constant struggle, a repetitive cycle of expansion followed by restriction.

In a time when more than half of Americans are dissatisfied with the state of our democracy, the most powerful way to demonstrate and have our voices heard is through the vote. However, many Americans are still being denied access to their vote and their ability to fully participate in our democracy.

We believe the right to vote is sacred and should be protected, so that we can have an active and engaged citizenry that participates in our democracy year-round, not just during presidential election cycles. Our democracy is made stronger when we hear from all Americans on the issues of our day whether they be national or local. This must happen more than every four years, because there’s no offseason for democracy.

Our Response

Our family foundation seeks to preserve and strengthen our democracy, and we’ve chosen this as one of our new collective areas of giving. We believe that voting rights are critically important, and our home state of Georgia is at the center of the struggle.

We don’t have the answers, but we are committed to listening and responding to the people who have made this their life’s work and to the citizens they serve. In Fall 2021, we launched our new Democracy program area with $10 million in grants – designed to strengthen key democracy organizations to be resilient for the long haul of this work. We expect to learn a great deal from these groups and have that learning inform our strategy on voting access and civic participation in Georgia and beyond.

The portfolio includes nearly $10 million in grants to 12 nonprofits that represent a diverse set of organizations with a strong presence in Georgia and the Southeast. Over the next two years (2021-2023), we will create an inclusive relationship with and among these grantees to share ideas, best practices, lessons and challenges.

Grantee Spotlights View our Grant List Read our Press Release

Grantee Spotlights

Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Atlanta

Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Atlanta is the first nonprofit legal advocacy organization dedicated to protecting the civil rights of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander (AANHPI) and Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim, and South Asian (AMEMSA) communities in Georgia and the Southeast. Through their work, we envision a social movement in which communities of color are fully empowered, active in civic life, and working together to promote equity, fair treatment, and self determination for all.

Founded in 2010 as the Asian American Legal Advocacy Center (AALAC), the organization became part of the Asian Americans Advancing Justice affiliation in 2014. Since then, they have re-organized their focus areas more specifically into four groups: policy advocacy, organizing and civic engagement, impact litigation, and legal services.

Center for Election Innovation & Research

Voting

The Center for Election Innovation & Research (CEIR) mission is to ensure elections are secure, voters have confidence in election outcomes and democracy thrives as civic engagement grows. CEIR works to build voter trust and confidence, increase voter participation and improve the efficiency of election administration. The organization works directly with election officials to maintain accurate and complete voter lists and to secure their election technology infrastructure.

GALEO Latino Community Development Fund

GALEO strives for a better Georgia where the Latino community is engaged civically, and its contributions and concerns are recognized. When GALEO was established, Georgia’s Latino community was not well represented, nor was it a viable electoral force; today, there are over 385,000 registered Latino voters in the state. There are nearly one million Latinos in Georgia, with one of the fastest growth rates of the Latino population in the nation. GALEO engages in advocacy, creates opportunities for engagement and networking, and develops leadership skills for Latino community members. During the past year, GALEO staff and volunteers have participated in events at food banks, churches, and schools, where they provide information while assisting with free COVID-19 testing and food distribution. GALEO has also handed out flyers at city events, supermarkets, and churches that target Latinos. In 2022, they plan to connect with over 1 million voters/ potential voters through phone banking, text banking, in-person canvassing events, and going door to door.