CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont says its received a $10 million donation from billionaire philanthropist and author MacKenzie Scott. It's the largest donation in the nonprofit's history.
The organization says the gift will be used to accelerate efforts to provide the community with support to get back to work.
Scott, ex-wife of Amazon's Jeff Bezos, has donated more than $4 billion of her money to organizations all over the country in the past several months. Scott's team evaluated 6,490 organizations to identify those which support the local communities they serve and will make the most effective use of the funding.
“I cannot express the depth of our gratitude for this historic and extraordinary gift. As the Charlotte region’s largest workforce development nonprofit, Goodwill is uniquely positioned to lead the way in ensuring everyone in our community has the opportunity to achieve prosperity - no matter their circumstances,” said Chris Jackson, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont.
The gift comes at a time when unemployment is at historic levels in the community and more people than ever before are reaching out for help.
"This will propel us forward in our unwavering dedication to closing the skills gap and eliminating the challenges created by inequities," Jackson said. "MacKenzie Scott’s support is a demonstration of confidence in this essential work.”
When announcing the gift, Scott described the pandemic as "a wrecking ball in the lives of Americans already struggling."
Goodwill has been serving the greater Charlotte area for 55 years and offers job trainings in a variety of industries for people in the Charlotte area including IT, construction and customer service. Virtual training programs, career coaching and employment opportunities are made available free of charge to those in need.
Scott, one of the three richest women in the world, also made a $20 million donation to Claflin University in South Carolina. It is the largest donation in the school's history.