Imago
ATLANTA, GA – DECEMBER 29: Falcons owner Arthur M. Blank claps his hands as the Falcons beat the Rams in the Monday night NFL, American Football Herren, USA game between the Atlanta Falcons and the Los Angeles Rams on December 29, 2025 at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire NFL: DEC 29 Rams at Falcons EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon9532512292594
Imago
ATLANTA, GA – DECEMBER 29: Falcons owner Arthur M. Blank claps his hands as the Falcons beat the Rams in the Monday night NFL, American Football Herren, USA game between the Atlanta Falcons and the Los Angeles Rams on December 29, 2025 at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire NFL: DEC 29 Rams at Falcons EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon9532512292594
Arthur Blank is one of the most prominent names when it comes to investing in sports and charity as an NFL owner. The Atlanta Falcons were his first sporting purchase, and since then, he has also bought Atlanta United, Atlanta Drive GC, and the latest being the NWSL expansion team in Atlanta. However, he also actively donates to communities, and his most recent one has especially been significant.
“I am incredibly grateful to the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation for their extraordinary $1 Million donation to The Trevor Project and everyone at the Atlanta Falcons for their heartfelt support,” wrote former NFL star Carl Nassib in a LinkedIn post.
The Trevor Project stands as the world’s largest suicide prevention and mental health organisation for LGBTQ+ young people. Founded in 1998, it provides 24/7 crisis intervention services through phone, text, and chat, alongside advocacy, research, and educational programs. Its ultimate goal is to create a safer world for queer and trans youth.
For billionaire Arthur Blank, it presented a unique opportunity to invest for the benefit of the LGBTQ+ youth. Over the years, Blank has always grabbed attention with his investments in the field of sports. Take his $545 million purchase of the Atlanta Falcons in 2002 as an example. After 24 years, that acquisition is now valued at $5 billion.
Carl Nassib became the first active NFL player to publicly come out as gay in 2021. And shortly after that, he became associated with the LGBTQ+ initiative. As of now, Nassib stands as one of the Board of Directors of The Trevor Project.
“This donation helps fund counsel or training, enhance volunteer services, and ensure our critical programs reach LGBTQ+ youth in their most vulnerable moments. Thank you again to the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation. This gift will save lives,” Nassib added.
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The Trevor Project operates five key programs each year. It includes crisis services, peer support through TrevorSpace, research, advocacy, and education & public awareness. The Atlanta Falcons owner’s $1 million would help the team to further scale and enhance their services.
However, Blank is not the only one from the NFL community investing in The Trevor Project. In addition to Carl Nassib, there is another former NFL star, along with the leading American football league itself.
A look into the NFL’s involvement with Arthur Blank’s latest “The Trevor Project” investment
The NFL has been in partnership with The Trevor Project since 2020. Their goal was to promote inclusion and raise awareness about mental health within the league and among LGBTQ+ youth. In 2021, the NFL boosted its financial support following former NFL star Carl Nassib’s public disclosure of his sexuality and advocacy for the community.
After announcing that he was gay in 2021, Nassib made a personal donation of $100,000 to The Trevor Project. Later, the NFL and the Las Vegas Raiders came in to join hands with the initiative.
Meanwhile, the league viewed its partnership with The Trevor Project as part of its broader “Football is for Everyone” initiative.
“We are deeply grateful for the NFL’s continued and generous support of our life-affirming work to support LGBTQ young people,” said Michael Mendillo from The Trevor Project. “Together, we are not only shaping the future of sports but also forging a path toward a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive world. With the NFL’s unwavering commitment, this partnership is a beacon of hope for LGBTQ communities everywhere, showing them that they are valued, accepted, and celebrated for who they are.”
Gradually, the movement began to attract more attention. Former Dolphins WR Preston Williams was one of the players to choose an LGBTQ-specific cause for the My Cause My Cleats campaign. He promoted it through his gear. While his initiative did not specifically support The Trevor Project, it still addressed the broader community that the organization serves.
It is great that initiatives like the Trevor Project are around to help people in the LGBTQ+ community. However, it would be difficult for them to exist without Falcons owner Arthur Blank and the Raiders player, who has supported the initiative.
