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The Blumenthal Foundation
was established 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 can be 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.
Each year foundations across the country receive a greater number of requests. The funding sources that are available to provide for the needs of a community and deal with the problems of our society are stretched ever thinner. Our government has many priorities that have required the cutting of programs that provide funding to our states and local communities. These cuts in turn have put more pressure on foundations to help in providing for the needs of the less fortunate.
Nonprofit organizations working with family foundations, corporations, community foundations and individuals, will have to be stewards for change. The goal should always be the empowerment of people to help themselves.
In looking to the future, funding from the Blumenthal 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.
The next generation of our family has started to meet and gain a greater understanding about the giving model used by our foundation. In the future we look forward to involving them in the decision making process. We are proud of our philanthropic heritage and hope that with the wise distribution of grants we can continue to have an impact on shaping our community and society as a whole.
Board of
Trustees
Alan Blumenthal
Philip Blumenthal Samuel
Blumenthal Staff
Philip Blumenthal, Director Peggy Gartner,
Program Director
Carmen Miller, Financial
Analyst
The
Blumenthal Foundation
P.O.
Box 34689
Charlotte, NC 28234-4689
704-688-2305
•
704-688-2301 (FAX)
e-mail: foundation@rscbrands.com
Copyright
©2001 The Blumenthal Foundation. All Rights Reserved
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