Goodwill of Colorado Receives Generous Donation from MacKenzie Scott to Help Job Seekers Secure Employment
Colorado Springs/Denver, Colo., December 17, 2020 —Thanks to the incredible generosity of philanthropist and author MacKenzie Scott, Goodwill of Colorado is receiving a charitable donation of $15 million that will significantly advance the nonprofit’s mission to help more Coloradans in need. Scott’s financial gift to Goodwill of Colorado represents the largest single cash gift the Colorado nonprofit has received in its 102-year history and serves as a strong endorsement of Goodwill’s successful and ever-expanding mission: helping change lives through the power of work.
As part of their selection process, Ms. Scott and her advisory team conducted extensive research to choose 384 recipient nonprofit organizations—among the 6,490 initially reviewed—based on their significant impact, data-driven outcomes and overall capacity to utilize charitable gifts effectively and strategically to best serve individuals and families in need.
“We are honored and profoundly humbled to be singled out by MacKenzie Scott to receive this critical funding for job training, support and placement programs that are needed in our state now more than ever,” said Goodwill of Colorado President & CEO Karla Grazier. “Ms. Scott’s transformational gift underscores her support, shared vision and trust in our organization and its critical programs and services. Furthermore, her immense generosity and heart for individuals with disadvantages closely align with the perspective of our sustaining donors, community partners and job-support initiatives planned for 2021—including an ‘Excel Center,’ which will provide job seekers 18 years and older a recognized High School diploma and wrap-around services like childcare, transportation and accreditations. This center will focus on strengthening families and ensuring their future financial and personal success.”
Goodwill of Colorado has provided life-changing opportunities to Coloradans with barriers to employment for over 100 years—including over 10,000 individuals who received job training and support, and nearly 5,000 job seekers who were placed into community employment in 2019 alone. The nonprofit’s impactful workforce programs focus on breaking the cycle of poverty in Colorado through job-skills training and certification in the fields of health care, IT, retail, banking and logistics, in addition to mentoring opportunities for high school youth, creating independence for people with disabilities and providing resources for immigrant populations.
For more information on Goodwill of Colorado’s community impact, visit:
https://www.discovermygoodwill.org/wp-content/documents/2019%20Impact%20Report.pdf
See Ms. Scott’s full blog post, here.
About Goodwill of Colorado
Discover Goodwill of Southern & Western Colorado and Goodwill Industries of Denver (collectively known as Goodwill of Colorado) provides career development resources for more than 141,000 Coloradans with disadvantages each year—including military veterans, seniors, youth, and individuals with developmental and economic challenges. Through its thrift retail operations, donations, corporate partnerships and recycling processes, Goodwill has worked for more than a century in Colorado to ensure individuals have access to career and life pathways that allow them to live to their fullest potential. Visit DiscoverMyGoodwill.org and GoodwillDenver.org to learn more.
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