When Mackenzie Scott Calls: Leveraging Historic Gifts for High-Impact Equitable Community Change

The City Club of Cleveland Podcast

Last month, billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott announced she was gifting $640 million to 361 small nonprofits out of 6,000 that responded to an open call for applications. It was another round of jaw-dropping and transformative gifts that Scott pledged to dole out \"until the safe is empty\" following her divorce from Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos.\r\n\r\nOn the receiving end are four Cleveland nonprofit organizations--providing a catalyst for high-impact equitable community change right here in our neighborhoods. Each of these organizations shares a mission that aligns with Scott\'s goal to \"advance the voices and opportunities of individuals and families of meager or modest means, and groups who have met with discrimination and other systemic obstacles.\"\r\n\r\nBirthing Beautiful Communities, the LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland, and Towards Employment each received $2 million in gifts; and Fairfax Renaissance Development Corp. received $1 million of the latest round of Scott\'s donations.