JANESVILLE, Wis. – Billionaire philanthropist Mackenzie Scott is giving a one million dollar donation to the YWCA of Rock County.
The gift came as a surprise from Scott, who has vowed to donate $4.2 billion to 384 organizations this holiday season.
“It was a complete surprise, so at first it seemed to good to be true,” said Jen Draz of the YWCA of Rock County. “It seemed like it was a scam. But after digging into it a little bit more, there was phone conversations with her team.”
Draz said Scott selected the organization to receive the money based on the services they provide as well as the needs they had.
“Mackenzie Scott and her team actually emailed our Executive Director,” Draz said. “It kind of came out of nowhere.”
The million dollar gift makes up half of yearly budget for the non-profit, which works to provide childcare, housing and other necessities to victim of domestic violence, while working for racial equality.
“It’s really an investment into the future of the YWCA in Rock County,” Draz said. “It’s an investment in our programs. It’s an investment that will help us grow strong not only into the new year, but well beyond as well.”
Draz said the donation will impact nearly every level of services the YWCA provides. While it will make a difference for years to come, Draz said it could not be coming at a better time.
“2020 was a rough year for pretty much everybody. I don’t think I’ve met anybody or heard of anybody who hasn’t been impacted by the pandemic in some way shape or form to varying degrees,” she said. “When families come to us, sometimes they come to us with absolutely nothing. That can mean not having a coat for themselves or their children…This kind of money will really help us keep up with what the community needs and really find great ways to utilize this money to help those people.”
Still, Draz said the organization still has needs for the future that are unmet. To learn more about how to contribute, you can visit the organization’s website, linked here.
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