[ad_1]
The· Greater Charlotte’s YMCA Decided how to spend $ 18 million, the largest single donation in the history of a nonprofit organization nearly 150 years ago.
Billionaire philanthropist and writer Mackenzie Scott made an official announcement in December. Her blogNamed Charlotte Y as one of 384 organizations receiving over $ 4.1 billion in funding. Scott, the ex-wife of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, called the coronavirus pandemic “a destructive ball in the lives of Americans already suffering.”
Y’s president and CEO Todd Tibbits said in a news release that the donation was made when Y faced a $ 40 million drop in revenue due to a pandemic.
“We knew that on the other side of the pandemic, we needed to be another organization with an evolved business model and focused priorities,” says Tibbits. “Scott’s gift allows us to put those plans into action and carry them out in a way that is greater than originally expected.”
Y is a Christian-based organization that promotes a healthy mind, mind and body through gym branches and community programs. website..
How money is spent
On Monday, Y’s board unanimously adopted a Task Force recommendation to spend money on health equity initiatives and programs that help break the vicious cycle of poverty through youth and teenage opportunities. According to Y, the task force is made up of community leader volunteers.
“We have so many important jobs to do that we can’t do it alone,” Teresadrew, chairman of the YMCA Board of Directors of Greater Charlotte, said in a news release.
Health equity initiatives include increased access to healthy food and nutrition education and care and mental health services, and expanded chronic disease prevention services. Y plans to transform some of its existing locations into health equity campuses.
The Adolescent and Adolescent Opportunity Initiative focuses on underserved areas based on the success of Y’s summer program.
Y’s first focus will be on the West Boulevard and Beatty’s Ford corridors.
“This is not a” one-off “project. This is the beginning of an exciting transformation for our organization and will require strategic partnerships and philanthropic investment to maintain this bold and catalytic vision over the next few years. “Chibit said. “We’ve always gone far beyond’gym and swimming’and now we can improve our community activities more than ever. “
Y has 19 membership locations and 2 overnight camps in the Charlotte area.
COVID-19 affects Y
Y has suspended access to all Mach 20 programs and their branches and camps due to a coronavirus pandemic. According to Y, many of the 240 full-time employees and 3,500 part-time employees have been dismissed.
Y’s programs and membership make up almost 90% of revenue, Tibbits told observers last April.
During the pandemic, Y continued to provide free child care to essential healthcare professionals, collected personal protective equipment, acted as a COVID-19 testing site, and distributed groceries to troubled neighbors. ..
Charlotte Goodwill also donated millions
At the time of the announcement four months ago, Y was not sharing the amount of the donation.
Another Charlotte organization, Goodwill Industries of Southern Piedmont, also received the largest single donation of $ 10 million in the 55-year history of a nonprofit organization. How CEO and President Chris Jackson is an Observer Call from Scott’s team I was surprised. Goodwill helps thousands of people in the Charlotte area find employment by providing vocational training, career development and employment placement.
Scott’s team considered 6,490 organizations as areas of greatest impact based on food insecurity, racial inequity and poverty rates. The other seven North Carolina groups were also recipients.
In addition, donations were made to three universities: Elizabeth City State University, North Carolina A & T State University, and Winston Salem State University.
Scott said the donation decision was based on “not only being likely to have an impact, but also paving the way for a one-sided and unexpected gift given with complete trust and no strings attacheded.” It was.
[ad_2]