Blank was raised in a middle class, Catholic family. and through it initially donated anonymously to various Georgia-based causes. This included $4 million to the
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in the mid-1990s; and $20 million to
Children's Healthcare of Atlanta to enable the purchase of
Hughes Spalding Children's Hospital, a historically-black hospital in
Atlanta, In 2015, Blank was revealed as the person who provided a $30 million grant to
Georgia Tech for the construction of what became known as
The Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design. The
Living Building Challenge 3.0. From 1993 through 2023, the Kendeda Fund donated more than $1 billion to support the dignity of individuals and the sustainability of communities. Through Kendeda, Blank made grants to hundreds of organizations, focusing
on the issues of climate change, community wealth building, racial and economic equity, resource conservation, girls' rights, gun violence prevention, and veterans. Though she supported nonprofit organizations across the country and around the world, Blank's giving was concentrated heavily in Montana and Georgia. The name "Kendeda" comes from the names of Blank's three children, Kenny, Dena, and Danielle. Her daughter Dena Blank Kimball served as the executive director of the Kendeda Fund during its final ten years. The Kendeda Fund closed at the end of 2023, documenting Blank's 30-year philanthropic journey with a legacy website and podcast. ==Personal life==