The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation has announced a first round of grants totaling $10 million from its Democracy program area in support of nonprofits working to advance voting rights and civic engagement.

The foundation awarded grants to twelve diverse organizations with a strong presence in Georgia and the Southeast that are working to protect the right of all eligible Americans to vote and participate fully in the democratic process. The grants are designed to provide key democracy organizations with consistent funding during local, state, and federal election cycles to enable them to build strength and resilience in the ongoing fight for voting rights. In addition, the foundation will convene grantees in a learning community where each will contribute to a deep learning experience, yielding a dynamic portfolio with opportunities for cross-fertilization of ideas and potentially new collaborations.

The inaugural grant recipients are Asian Americans Advancing Justice Atlanta, the ACLU of Georgia Foundation, Black Voters Matter Capacity Building Institute, the Brennan Center for Justice, the Center for Election Innovation & Research, Common Cause Education Fund, Fair Count, GALEO Latino Community Development Fund, the Georgia Alliance for Progress Education Fund, NEO Philanthropy, the New Georgia Project, and ProGeorgia.

The Democracy program is one of three new grantmaking areas created earlier this year, along with the Environment and Youth Development.

"My family and I have a shared interest in preserving and strengthening our democracy. We believe the right to vote is sacred and must be protected," said Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation chair Arthur M. Blank. "We acknowledge that we don't have all of the answers to address the critical issue of voting rights, but we are committed to listening and responding to the people who have made this their life's work and to the citizens they serve. We're honored to work with and learn from these grantees to make a difference now and to shape the future work of our foundation."

(Photo credit: GettyImages/LPETTET)