Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation Grants Nearly $4.5 Million To Boost Workforce Development in Atlanta’s Westside

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New Grants Aim to Empower English Avenue and Vine City Residents with Skills Training and Job Placement Opportunities

ATLANTA – Sept. 20, 2024—Three Georgia-based organizations will receive grants totaling nearly $4.5 million from the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation to advance financial security for residents of Atlanta’s Historic Westside neighborhoods of English Avenue and Vine City. These grants will provide critical workforce development support, empowering residents with the education, training and job placement opportunities needed for economic mobility.

“The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation’s enduring commitment to Atlanta’s Westside is guided by collaboration and the insights of our partners. We recognize that financial security is essential to the stability of residents, and addressing the wage gap is key to preventing displacement,” said Danny Shoy, Jr., managing director of Atlanta’s Westside and Youth Development at the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation. “Through our new grantee partnerships, we’re focused on providing essential workforce development opportunities. By offering diverse training programs, we aim to strengthen the Westside’s workforce, equipping residents with the skills needed for emerging industries, enabling them to earn a thriving wage and achieve lasting financial security.”

$2.5 million will fund Atlanta Technical College’s (ATC) Westside High Growth Industry Pathways program, offering career training to 400 residents in high-demand fields such as electrical linework and transportation, distribution and logistics (TDL). Graduates will earn industry-recognized credentials and have direct job placement opportunities with connected employment partners.

Goodwill of North Georgia will receive $1.5 million to train 250 Westside residents through its high- demand career programs. The programs will focus on clean tech industries like solar technology and electric vehicle charging. Participants will benefit from industry-specific certifications, career coaching and the chance to earn additional credentials for career advancement.

A $486,000 grant will support the Atlanta Department of Labor and Employment Services (ADOLES) in launching the Pathways to Career Empowerment program. This initiative will assist Westside residents aged 18-30, particularly those facing barriers to employment, by offering paid job experience, skills training and job placement.

“Some of the programs that our grantee partners offer include the opportunity for participants to ‘earn as they learn,’ providing stipends while they undergo training. Incentives such as these are crucial in removing barriers that might otherwise prevent individuals from accessing and benefiting from these programs, ensuring more residents have the chance to build skills and pursue sustainable careers,” Shoy, Jr. added.

The foundation’s evolved funding strategy in Atlanta’s Westside acknowledges that positive changes are happening in the neighborhood, yet legacy residents are at risk of being displaced by the rapid pace of growth. Over the next decade, the foundation aims to increase economic mobility for these residents by increasing the permanent and green, when possible, affordable housing supply to meet their needs and contribute to greater financial security. Over the past two years, the foundation has significantly invested in affordable housing, both rental and home ownership. The foundation’s financial security pathway will prioritize workforce development interventions and additional innovations, like guaranteed income, to help reinforce residents’ income so they can fully participate in career development and withstand financial shocks.

With the three newest grants, the foundation has invested more than $106 million in Atlanta’s Westside since 2007.

About the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation

The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation is a philanthropy founded to help transform lives and communities by uniting people across differences to find common cause. Started in 1995 by Arthur M. Blank, co-founder of The Home Depot, the foundation has granted more than $1.3 billion to charitable causes. Our collective giving areas are Atlanta’s Westside, Democracy, Environment, Mental Health and Well-Being, and Youth Development. Across these areas, we take on tough challenges by uniting the courage and compassion of our communities so we can all thrive together.

In addition to the priority areas of giving, the foundation oversees a large portfolio of grants including support of essential Atlanta nonprofit institutions, such as Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Shepherd Center, and enduring founder-led initiatives, such as veterans and the military and stuttering, among others. For more, visit www.blankfoundation.org.