Novelist, billionaire and venture philanthropist MacKenzie Scott announced $4.2 billion in charitable giving to 384 organizations, providing the YWCA Glendale with a historic $1M gift. This latest round of funding is part of Scott’s pledge to donate a majority of her fortune. Over 6,500 organizations were vetted through a rigorous, data-driven approach that engaged hundreds of funders, field experts, and advisors who assessed proven leadership, evidence of impact, program outcomes, and ability to strategically employ funds.

“In a year that has brought tremendous hardships and widening inequities for the families we serve and our community at large, we are honored and humbled to receive this transformative donation for our work on the front lines of addressing gender-based violence and advancing racial justice and gender equity. As we approach our 95^th-year anniversary in 2021 and build upon the vision we articulated in our five-year strategic plan, this timely and game-changing investment will help ensure our future impact. This gift will support our organizational growth and long-term sustainability by financially positioning us to respond to the greatest needs of our community for years to come,” said Tara Peterson, CEO, YWCA Glendale.

Scott has been lauded for thoughtfully and strategically accelerating her philanthropic giving to distribute her wealth to organizations addressing poverty, racial injustice, food insecurity, and civil rights. In her Medium announcement, she writes, “This pandemic has been a wrecking ball in the lives of Americans already struggling. Economic losses and health outcomes alike have been worse for women, for people of color, and for people living in poverty. Meanwhile, it has substantially increased the wealth of billionaires.”

The announcement brings Scott’s 2020 philanthropic investments to $6 billion.

The mission of the YWCA Glendale is to eliminate racism, empower women and promote peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. Its purpose is to ensure the health, safety and economic empowerment of women, children and families and to strengthen communities to prevent and break the cycle of domestic violence. 

YWCA programs include a 24/7 Crisis Hotline, a 16-bed Domestic Violence Emergency Shelter, a Domestic Violence Community Services Center that provides case management, legal services, adult and child counseling, trauma-informed childcare, and housing navigation support, a Violence Prevention Education and Outreach Program, a Girls Empowerment Program that offers after school programming, summer camp and STEAM education workshops and mentorship, and the Coalition for an Anti-Racist Glendale.

For more information, please visit www.glendaleywca.org.