MacKenzie Scott gives millions to Northeast Ohio groups in latest round of donations

Philanthropist MacKenize Scott has announced a new round of donations via her Yield Giving organization, and several Northeast Ohio groups are among the recipients.

In Ohio, a total of $13 million was spread across seven different groups, including four in Northeast Ohio.

Towards Employment, which trains local job seekers and connects them with businesses across the region, received $2 million.

In a press release, Jill Rizika, Towards Employment president and CEO, said, “For our board, staff and partners who care about our work, this is a dream come true. The world of work is rapidly changing, and this is a great opportunity to thoughtfully identify how this one-time investment can be a catalyst that ensures high-impact equitable community change.”

The LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland also received $2 million. In the center's announcement about the gift, executive director Phyllis Harris said, “We are sincerely moved by this transformative gift supporting the LGBT Community Center of Cleveland, fueling our unwavering dedication to service excellence. The LGBTQIA community can trust in the Center’s leadership to be visionary and accountable stewards of this invaluable support.”

Birthing Beautiful Communities, a group of birth workers who support expectant mothers who face a higher risk of infant mortality during the prenatal period, also received $2 million. The group has locations in both Akron and Cleveland.

And the Fairfax Renaissance Development Corporation, the community development nonprofit based in Cleveland's Fairfax neighborhood, received $1 million.

Scott previously gave $20 million to the Cleveland Metropolitan School District and $2.5 million to the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland.

Other organizations in Ohio that received donations in this round include $2 million for Justice for Migrant Women and $2 million for HER Cincinnati. Women Helping Women, an organization fighting gender-based violence in Southwestern Ohio, also received $2 million.

In a post to the Yield Giving website on Tuesday, March 19, Scott said, From a pool of over 6,000 applicants, each of these 361 community-led non-profits was elevated by peer organizations and a round-2 evaluation panel for their outstanding work advancing the voices and opportunities of individuals and families of meager or modest means, and groups who have met with discrimination and other systemic obstacles. Grateful to Lever for Change and everyone on the evaluation and implementation teams for their roles in creating this pathway to support for people working to improve access to foundational resources in their communities. They are vital agents of change."

According to a count by the Associated Press, this round of giving by Scott totaled $640 million across those 361 organizations.