Blumenthal Foundation Director Message

The Blumenthal Foundation for Charity, Religion,
Education, and Better Interfaith Relations was estab-
lished in 1953 by my aunt and uncle, Madolyn and
I. D. Blumenthal, and my parents, Anita and Herman
Blumenthal, to give the family an organized avenue for
their philanthropic interests. Philip Blumenthal

When my grandparents came to this country and settled in Savannah, Georgia, they continued to follow the Jewish ethic of tzedakah, the offering of a hand to those less fortunate. This legacy and belief was a guiding principle of both my uncle and father. From the time I was a young child, I can remember hearing these two committed men tell the younger generation, "If your community has been good to you, then you have an obligation to give something back to your community."

The Blumenthal family has been fortunate to prosper in Charlotte, North Carolina, and as a responsibility of this privilege, we feel that it is our obligation to try to effect positive change in the lives of those people who are served through our philanthropic endeavors.

Through our commitment to public service and community involvement, the Board of Trustees has learned that we can have a greater impact on a broader segment of the community if we provide smaller grants for a multitude of nonprofit organizations. Experience has also taught us that these small grants can be of vital importance to nonprofit organizations in the short term, and are used as leverage to encourage other funders to give generously. We look upon ourselves as a partner with our recipient organizations, not as a funder that dictates how its monies must be spent. Nonprofit organizations are in the business of providing a service for the public good, and they usually know how best to accomplish this task. We feel that it is important to provide basic operating funding, not just support for special projects. In this way nonprofits will have the resources necessary to carry out their basic missions.

The Blumenthal Foundation, along with other foundations, will continue to influence how philanthropy will look in the 21st century. Each year foundations across the country receive a greater number of requests. The funding sources that are available to provide for the human needs of a community and deal with the problems of our society are stretched even thinner. With the many changes being made at the government level, foundations are continually looked upon as a source to help replace government funding. Society as a whole, with foundations being an integral part, will have to work together to help secure our country’s future.

Nonprofit organizations working with family foundations, corporations, community foundations and individuals, will have to be stewards for change, and the individuals in our society who are helped through these efforts must take a greater role in accepting responsibility for their own actions. Our goal should be to empower people to help themselves.

In looking toward the future, funding from our foundation will continue to be directed in areas that best provide for the needs of the many. Closer examination will have to be given to each request, and the continued philosophy of meeting the basic needs of nonprofits will be paramount to our central mission.

Our foundation is looking forward to the next millennium, and welcoming a new generation of our family into the decision making process. We are proud of our philanthropic heritage and hope with wise distribution of our grants we can continue to have an impact on shaping our community and society as a whole.

Board of Trustees

Anita Blumenthal

Alan Blumenthal

Philip Blumenthal

Samuel Blumenthal

Staff

Philip Blumenthal, Director

Peggy Gartner, Program Director

Carmen Miller, Financial Analyst