Diana Blank
Diana Blank | |
|---|---|
| Born | Diana Latow September 13, 1942 |
| Occupation | Philanthropist |
| Spouse | Arthur Blank (divorced) |
| Children | 3 |
| Website | http://kendedafund.org/ |
Diana Latow Blank (born September 13,[1] 1942)[2] is an American philanthropist who founded the Kendeda Fund and the former wife of The Home Depot co-founder, Arthur Blank.
Biography
Blank was raised in a middle class, Catholic family.[1] Through her Kendeda Fund, founded in 1993,[3] Blank has historically donated anonymously to various Georgia-based causes including $4 million to the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in the mid-1990s; and $20 million to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta to enable the purchase of Hughes Spalding Children's Hospital, a historically-black hospital in Atlanta,[1] in 2006.[4] In 2015, she was revealed as the person who provided a $30 million grant to Georgia Tech for their Living Building Challenge 3.0.[1] tasked with building the "most environmentally-sound building ever constructed in the Southeast."[5]
The Kendeda Fund donates between $40 million and $50 million annually and has donated over $500 million through 2017 with the goal of spending all its assets by 2024.[6] The name "Kendeda" comes from the names of Blank's three children, Kenny, Dena, and Danielle.[7] Her daughter Dena Blank Kimball serves as the executive director of the Kendeda Fund.[1]
Personal life
She has three children with Arthur Blank (born 1942): Kenny Blank, Dena Blank Kimball, and Danielle Blank Thomsen;[2] they divorced in 1993.[1] Her son, Kenny Blank and his wife Nancy;[8][9] and her daughter Dena and her husband Josh Kimball, serve as directors of The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation.[10][11]
References
- ^ a b c d e f Atlanta Business Journals: "A longtime anonymous donor reveals her identity" by Maria Saporta Sep 18, 2015
- ^ a b Reference for Business: "Arthur Blank" retrieved October 18, 2014
- ^ Inside Philanthropy: "A Top Green Funder Emerges from the Shadows and Steps Up Giving" by Tate Williams " retrieved February 7, 2017
- ^ Children's Hospital of Atlanta retrieved February 5, 0217
- ^ Atlanta Business Journals: "Atlanta to join cutting edge of ‘net zero’ buildings" by Maria Saporta September 18, 2015
- ^ Inside Philanthropy: "Kendeda Fund: Grants for Conservation" retrieved February 7, 2017
- ^ Saporta, Maria (18 September 2015). "A longtime anonymous donor reveals her identity". Atlanta Business Chronicle. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
- ^ The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation: "Kenny Blank, Director" retrieved February 5, 2017
- ^ The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation: "Nancy Blank, Director" retrieved February 5, 2017
- ^ The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation: "Dena Blank, Director" retrieved February 5, 2017
- ^ The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation: "Josh Kimball, Director" retrieved February 5, 2017