Groundswell Helps Make Westside Homes Healthy, Safe and Energy Efficient

Marla and Vernon were grateful to own their own home in Atlanta’s Westside neighborhood. They saw it as their sanctuary. But when they discovered that the home was not insulated, it became a burden. Their monthly electric bill was $849—more than the mortgage—but that still wasn’t enough to keep the family warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Worst of all, the situation was becoming hazardous for their daughter, who had been diagnosed with cancer. Marla felt she had only one thing to do—start praying.

Those prayers were answered when Groundswell came to Marla’s church and chose her to receive critical home repairs and energy-efficient upgrades. Contractors came and insulated Marla and Vernon’s home from floor to ceiling, sealed off gaps where air was coming in and installed a new air conditioning unit. For Marla, her home no longer feels like a burden: “It’s a breath of fresh air.”

Advancing Hope for ALS Patients

New grantmaking is helping drive critical progress in the fight against ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), a devastating neurodegenerative disease, by supporting three initiatives focused on accelerating research, expanding access to clinical trials and improving understanding of why certain populations—including athletes—are at greater risk for the disease. The funding priorities were informed by former NFL players and ALS advocates Steve Gleason and Tim Green, whose lived experience has helped shape efforts to drive meaningful breakthroughs for patients and families.

The investments will help move potential therapies more quickly into clinical testing, connect more patients to promising treatment opportunities and advance research aimed at uncovering the causes of ALS. As Arthur Blank said, “Together, we are optimistic that we are moving closer to life-changing treatments.” At a time when research funding remains limited, these grants represent an important step toward faster, meaningful breakthroughs and better outcomes for those affected by the disease.

Creating the Next Generation of Leaders in Rural Communities

Across the United States, civic participation is in decline, and in rural communities, young people often find few perceived ways to engage in community life or influence change. The Trust for Civic Life is working to change that by investing in locally led programs that bring people together, create deeper connections and explore innovative ways to get involved. As part of its two-year Civic Education and Engagement learning portfolio, the Blank Foundation is supporting the Trust’s grantmaking to projects that focus on empowering young people to become the next generation of civic leaders.

Young people tend to be skeptical of anything that’s labeled as “civic engagement,” so these programs strive to engage them in places where they already feel comfortable and find meaning. For example, the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio’s Growing Home Fellowship program gives young people the chance to develop solutions to problems in their communities, such as raising livestock to be donated to a food pantry. “It was a no-brainer for me to apply to the Fellowship program,” said Devan Eier, a fellow from Morgan County, Ohio. “And since I’ve been in the program, I’ve never felt like I was alone. All the connections that I’ve made have really helped me make an impact in the community.”

Café Momentum Gives Justice-Involved Youth Hope for the Future

When young people come out of the justice system, they often have nowhere to turn and no one to help them find a new path forward. Chad Houser, a successful chef in Dallas, felt he had the recipe to change that. So he founded Café Momentum, a nonprofit restaurant that gives justice-involved youth ages 15-19 the opportunity to participate in a paid internship program that provides hands-on experience, real-world skills and hope for the future.



Café Momentum in Atlanta was selected as the featured grantee story by Generosity Builds, a national campaign led by the Council on Foundations. The campaign highlights the impact of charitable foundations and their nonprofit partners across the country, showcasing one grantee story from each state.

To help tell Café Momentum's story, Atlanta-based content creator Corey Jones partnered with the organization to create engaging social content highlighting the impact of its work and the young people it serves.