During our September board meeting, the board of directors approved six grants totaling more than $24 million.

These grants span our Atlanta's Westside, Environment and Youth Development giving areas. They reflect the foundation's unwavering commitment to driving positive change in the communities we serve, addressing immediate needs and fostering long-term progress.

In response to the recent wildfires in Maui, we announced a $100,000 grant to the Maui Strong Fund of the Hawai'i Community Foundation (HCF). The funds will address immediate needs and long-term recovery for Maui's communities affected by the devastating wildfires in early August.

The Molly Blank Fund has granted $1.5 million to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum for its 30th anniversary campaign, Beyond Our Walls: Ensuring the Relevance of Holocaust for New Generations. This funding will teach Holocaust history and crucial lessons about hatred and antisemitism beyond the museum's confines, especially to underserved communities and youth.

After a successful $1 billion fundraising campaign, the museum aims to revitalize its permanent exhibition, expand its online Holocaust Encyclopedia users, and establish a Holocaust Education Research Center. These efforts are vital as the Holocaust's eyewitness generation diminishes and antisemitism rises.

Since 2019, the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation has supported the annual Beloved Benefit dinner and concert fundraiser in Atlanta, uniting with partners like The Home Depot, Chick-fil-A and Georgia Power to combat pressing issues, particularly income inequality. A remarkable $20 million has been raised as a result of this year's event - breaking the previous record of $8.8 million - to benefit organizations focused on economic mobility and mental health. Beneficiaries include the Urban League of Greater Atlanta, Boys & Girls Club of Metro Atlanta and more.

Students from the Arthur M. Blank School for Entrepreneurial Leadership (the Blank School) at Babson College recently visited Atlanta and were hosted at the Arthur M. Blank Family Office. During their visit, they met our chairman and Babson alum, Arthur Blank, and leaders from the Blank Family of Businesses. Students also attended an Atlanta Falcons pre-season game, visited the Atlanta United training ground and toured Atlanta's Westside.

Supported by a $50 million grant from the Blank Family Foundation, the Blank School fosters empathy, morality and a drive for positive impact among our future entrepreneurial leaders. The Atlanta visit was part of a course on law, ethics and leadership in sports businesses. It profoundly impacted the students, inspiring them to incorporate our Core Values into their future endeavors.

Park County, Montana, is taking a proactive step toward nurturing the health and well-being of its youth with the launch of Communities That Care (CTC). CTC promotes healthy youth development, improves youth outcomes and reduces problem behaviors. Youth in CTC communities have proven to be less likely to initiate tobacco use by 33%, alcohol use by 32% and delinquent behavior by 25%. Funded by grants from the Montana Department of Health and Human Services and the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, CTC promises a brighter future for Park County's youth.

Q3: You and your daughter love Taylor Swift! What are your top three favorite Taylor Swift songs?

Lea: Just three?? How about four? 😊 Currently I'm obsessed with "The Last Great American Dynasty," but "Shake It Off" always makes me turn the radio up. I love "22" because my daughter Rachel turned 22 this year, and we sang the song together at the top of our lungs at Taylor's concert. "Long Live" holds a special place in my heart for all the years I spent volunteering with DVA Drama and Johnson High School Starry Night theatre kids.