Kendenda Fund

The work of The Kendeda Fund began in 1993 under the leadership of Diana Blank, a philanthropist with twin passions for social equity and the healing power of our natural environment. Guided by her vision, we support the dignity of individuals and the sustainability of communities through investments in transformative leaders and ideas. For more than a quarter century, Kendeda—named for Diana’s three children—has been making grants to empower communities across the U.S. and around the globe to confront challenges through solutions that increase equity, vibrancy, resourcefulness, and resilience. In all we do, the Fund helps build and sustain social and community capital by supporting underrepresented voices as well as leaders who have the vision to see problems differently and the courage to challenge conventional thinking. The Kendeda Fund has established a core set of programs and invested deeply in them over time. Our People, Place, and Planet program encourages communities to redefine prosperity, making them more vibrant places to live, more resourceful in hard times, and more capable of retaining the wealth they generate. Our Girls’ Rights program empowers girls worldwide by helping create a world in which all girls have the capabilities, choices, and power to fully realize their human potential. Our place-based grantmaking—focused in Atlanta and Montana—prioritizes issues of equity, livability and improved connections to the natural environment. Our gun violence prevention program seeks to unite unexpected partners around replicable strategies for long-term change. And our veterans program promotes healing through nature and activities in the outdoors. The Kendeda Fund has invested almost $800 million since its inception, and currently makes $50 to $60 million in grants annually. We also believe it is important to accomplish as much as possible within the lifetime of our founder, whether through near term philanthropic investments or long term projects that require more time to bear fruit. To that end, we are committed to spending down the majority of our assets by the end of 2023.