DETROIT (WWJ) - Four organizations in Detroit are part of over 360 small nonprofits from across the country selected receive millions of dollars from billionaire philanthropist and author MacKenzie Scott.
Scott announced on Tuesday, March 19, through her Yield Giving website that she is giving $640 million to 361 organizations in response to an application process she launched in 2023.
Her website lists Downtown Boxing Gym Youth Program, Avalon Healing Center, Detroit's People Platform and Detroit Justice Center -- all based in Detroit -- as among the recipients of her latest gift which will receive grants of $2 million or $1 million.
As reported by the Associated Press, Yield Giving’s first round of donations is over double what Scott had initially pledged to donate through the application process. Scott has been giving away her fortune she came into after divorcing Amazon founder Jeff Bezos in 2019.
To date, she has gifted over $17,300,000,000 to more than 2,300 non-profit teams.
In a note posted to her website, Scott wrote she was grateful to Lever for Change, the organization that ran the open call process, and the evaluators 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.”
Elisha Smith Arrillaga, vice president at The Center for Effective Philanthropy, told the AP that an increase in both the award amount and the number of organizations that will receive it was a “a pleasant surprise."
Complied by Yield Giving, the local organizations selected and their gift are as follows:
Downtown Boxing Gym Youth Program
$2,000,000
Through education, athletics, mentorship, and intervention, the Downtown Boxing Gym (DBG) inspires youth to be positive and productive members of society.
Avalon Healing Center
$1,000,000
Avalon inspires healing and empowerment for those affected by sexual violence through free and immediate comprehensive services; promotes public awareness; and advances social change.
Detroit People's Platform
$2,000,000
Detroit People's Platform is building a Detroit where race and the priorities of majority Black Detroit are centered. Our work advances racial and economic justice by organizing with community residents to build grassroots power and transform systems and structures to make real the vision for a more racially just Detroit.
Detroit Justice Center
$2,000,000
The Detroit Justice Center (DJC) is a non-profit law firm working alongside communities to create economic opportunities, transform the justice system, and promote equitable and just cities.