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Blackstone Charitable Foundation

Annual Giving
$20.5M

Blackstone Charitable Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $20+ million
  • Success Rate: N/A (invitation only)
  • Decision Time: N/A (strategic partnerships)
  • Grant Range: Varies by partnership
  • Geographic Focus: Global, with emphasis on US

Contact Details

Overview

The Blackstone Charitable Foundation is a corporate foundation established in 2008 (EIN: 26-0462996) with total assets of $142 million as of 2024. The foundation distributes over $20 million annually, focusing on fostering career and economic mobility by leveraging financial and human capital to bridge opportunity gaps and strengthen communities. Led by Executive Director Maura Pally, the foundation operates through strategic partnerships with educational institutions and nonprofit organizations rather than accepting unsolicited applications.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Blackstone LaunchPad

  • Supports first-generation and low-income college students
  • Operates on over 75 college and university campuses
  • Provides skill-building and paid internship opportunities

Blackstone Connects

  • Global employee engagement program
  • Supports local communities through volunteering and giving
  • 88% employee participation rate in 2024

Strategic Partnership Grants

  • CUNY Inclusive Economy Initiative: Creates career opportunities for 1,200+ CUNY students annually
  • LA Wildfire Relief: Support for Altadena's Odyssey Schools
  • Blackstone Gives Back Challenge: $1 million in grant funding

Priority Areas

  • Career and economic mobility
  • First-generation and low-income college student support
  • Workforce development and career readiness
  • Community strengthening initiatives
  • Education and skill development

What They Don't Fund

  • Individual requests
  • General unsolicited proposals
  • Organizations outside their strategic partnership framework

Governance and Leadership

Key Leadership:

  • Sean Klimczak - President & Director
  • Verdun S Perry - Board Chair & Director
  • Maura Pally - Executive Director

Maura Pally states: "I'm thrilled about the opportunity to bring together Blackstone's incredible scale and resources... to build on our commitment to serving the communities where we live and work."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process. Grants are awarded through strategic partnerships established at the foundation's discretion. Organizations cannot submit unsolicited proposals or letters of inquiry.

Getting on Their Radar

The foundation works exclusively with established partners including:

  • Nonprofit Partners: America Needs You, America on Tech, BASTA, Braven, Career Spring, City Harvest, College Track, Posse Foundation, Prince's Trust, Robin Hood Foundation, SEO, Year Up
  • Academic Partners: Arizona State University, Company Ventures, DivInc, HBCU Founders Initiative

Organizations seeking partnership should have programs aligned with career mobility for underserved populations, particularly first-generation and low-income college students.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - partnerships are developed through strategic initiatives

Success Rates

Not applicable - invitation only funding

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - no public application process

Application Success Factors

Since the foundation operates through invitation-only partnerships, organizations should focus on:

  • Building programs that align with career and economic mobility for underserved populations
  • Demonstrating impact in supporting first-generation and low-income students
  • Developing innovative approaches to workforce development
  • Establishing credibility in the education and career readiness space
  • Creating scalable models that could benefit from Blackstone's resources and network

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • The Blackstone Charitable Foundation does not accept unsolicited grant applications
  • Funding is distributed through strategic partnerships with select organizations
  • Focus areas center on career mobility and economic opportunity for underserved populations
  • The foundation leverages Blackstone's business resources and employee engagement alongside financial support
  • Organizations must align with specific program areas (LaunchPad or strategic initiatives) to be considered
  • Building visibility and credibility in career readiness and workforce development sectors is essential
  • Partnerships often involve multi-year commitments and integration with Blackstone's broader corporate engagement

References

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