The Arthur M. Blank Foundation, one of the largest philanthropic organizations in Atlanta and around the country, has reached the $8 million mark in grant-giving under its mental health and well-being portfolio this year.
That amount is $3 million more than what was committed to mental health and well-being-focussed organizations last year, according to a release from the foundation. The announcement comes at a time when Americans are dealing with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) during the holidays, according to data provided by the Office of the Surgeon General.
Last year the Arthur M. Blank Foundation gave grants to organizations, both big and small, according to Brown. The Carter Center received a half-million-dollar program grant to support its public education around mental health parity. Hopelab, a San Francisco-based social innovation lab focused on designing science-based technologies to improve the health and well-being of teens and young adults, received a $300,000 grant.
Up to 95% of youth ages 13-17 use a social media platform, according to the U.S. Surgeon General. A recent survey showed that teenagers spend an average of 3.5 hours a day on social media and when asked about the impact of social media on their body image, nearly 50% of adolescents aged 13-17 said social media makes them feel worse, according to the survey.
Another organization that the foundation has given funding to, Kate’s Club, is geared towards supporting young people. Kate’s Club, an Atlanta-based organization that assists kids with grieving the loss of a loved one, received a $250,000 general operating support grant.
The Atlanta Voice spoke to an Atlanta-area pediatrician about the need for funding mental health education and training for youth/teens. “Mental healthcare often has poor reimbursement, especially for patients with Medicaid, so access is an issue,” he said. “Nonprofits can help subsidize care.”
Black Girls Smile, an Atlanta and New York City-based organization that works to encourage positive mental health education for Black women and girls, has been granted funding from the foundation.
Five to 10 years ago funding was going to healthcare organizations, with hopes that mental health education and training would be a part of the work being done. Now it’s being earmarked for mental health specifically, Brown explained.
Future endeavors for the foundation’s philanthropy include children and infant mental health, maternal mental health, climate anxiety, digital mental health, and loneliness.
“In the next year we are still learning quite broadly in this space,” Beth Brown, Arthur M. Blank Foundation managing director of mental health and well-being told The Atlanta Voice. “We will have a more found strategy and a very specific role for the foundation.”
The Arthur M. Blank Foundation recently reached the $1 billion mark in overall giving during the life of the organization.
A full list of grants from the 2023 Mental Health and Well-Being portfolio is available on the Arthur M. Blank Foundation website.