From 1993 through 2023, the Kendeda Fund supported the dignity of individuals and the sustainability of communities through investments in transformative leaders and ideas.
The Kendeda Fund’s journey began with Diana Blank's curiosity, discomfort, and sense of urgency. Her curiosity arose from the joy and wonder she found in the natural world, leading to her mantra, "I wonder what this will be like?" Her discomfort centered around her own unexpected wealth and privilege. And her sense of urgency led her to think big, defy philanthropic conventions, and trust deeply in others.
Doing as much as possible in one lifetime. Fully using the resources at your disposal. Embracing risk and uncertainty. And leaving a path for those who may follow. These are the reasons why the Kendeda Fund's story ends here. They are also why we've created this website, and all resources herein — as an invitation and an offering for others making their own way within this inspiring and transformational context.
At the end of 2023, the Kendeda Fund will wrap up three decades and more than $1 billion dollars of grant making on many of the most challenging issues of our time – from climate change and land conservation, to girls’ rights and gun violence prevention, to the creation of a more racially just and equitable economy for all.
Diana's decision to spend out rather than operate in perpetuity is not unique. Many other philanthropists, from Julius Rosenwald to Chuck Feeney, long-ago demonstrated the power of “giving while living” strategies. But the context in which Diana’s giving unfolded and the methods she used to carry it out, were entirely her own.
Diana’s 30-year philanthropic journey unfolded organically, over three informal phases.
Diana initially gave quietly, with the majority of support and guidance coming from her personal wealth advisor.
She made grants anonymously, and mostly in and around Atlanta. Recipients tended to be well-known arts organizations, hospitals, parks, and other established civic institutions.
During this early period, Diana had no formal giving vehicle, and there was little visibility around her charitable choices. No professional staff. No website. No ribbon-cuttings or public promotion. And little to no formal documentation or record keeping. It was fairly traditional “checkbook philanthropy,” done by an inexperienced donor, unsure of how to build a more structured giving strategy that was consistent with her values.
As Diana’s interests broadened, however, so too did her strategy.
The next phase of her giving began with the addition of a single, experienced philanthropic advisor. Diana’s attention slowly expanded beyond Atlanta and into national work.
With the aid of her advisor, and a donor-advised fund providing grants administration and back office support, Diana began investing in a wider, more complex set of social and environmental challenges.
When it became clear that her giving was likely to deepen further, Diana created a Trust and named her financial advisor as its lone trustee in 2007. Resources from the Trust passed through a newly established grantmaking entity, which she called the Kendeda Fund (to honor her three children, Kenny, Dena and Danielle). This unique structure allowed Diana to maintain her anonymity as a donor for nearly another decade, even while increasing the size and frequency of her gifts.
During this period, Diana’s philanthropy became fully realized under the Kendeda name, entering its third and final phase.
In 2013, Diana’s daughter, Dena Kimball assumed leadership as the executive director. Shortly thereafter, trusted consultants transitioned into staff members, and they all came together as a highly-experienced, nine-member team.
In 2015, Diana shed her long-held anonymity, and the enterprise moved fully into the sunlight. Kendeda’s small staff articulated programmatic goals to catalyze Diana’s vision for change, and the team has made an average of $70 million in grants annually ever since. Inspired by Diana’s values, the team pioneered a unique model – one that relied on trust, creativity, long-term relationships, a lean operating and governance model, and the ability to act with responsive agility.
Explore Our Virtual Garden
30 years of grantmaking visualized