Club for the Future, the foundation of Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin, has announced nineteen grants totaling $19 million in support of space-focused charitable organizations.

Made possible by a recent auction of the first paid seat on Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket, grants of $1 million each were awarded to organizations working to inspire future generations to pursue careers in STEM and promoting the future of living and working in space. Recipients include Higher Orbits, which provides an experiential learning lab for secondary school students on the multifaceted worlds of space exploration, research, and spaceflight; the AIAA Foundation, which works to inspire and support the next generation of aerospace professionals; and SciArt Exchange, which supports, prepares, and convenes individuals to discuss and potentially solve space, science, and technology challenges through multidisciplinary art contests, events, training, consulting, and community services.

Additional recipients include the Space For Art Foundation, which works with children in hospitals and refugee centers and through large-scale space-themed art projects to highlight the connection between personal and planetary health; Teachers in Space, which aims to stimulate student interest in STEM by providing teachers with space science experiences and industry connections; and the Planetary Society, which works to advance space science and exploration through education, innovation, advocacy, and global collaboration.

"Our recent auction for the first seat on New Shepard resulted in a donation of $28 million to our nonprofit foundation, Club for the Future," said Blue Origin CEO Bob Smith. "This donation is enabling Club for the Future to rapidly expand its reach by partnering with nineteen organizations to develop and inspire the next generation of space professionals.  Our generation will build the road to space, and these efforts will ensure the next generation is ready to go even further."

For a complete list of recipients, see the Blue Origin website.