Kansas City nonprofits receive millions from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — MacKenzie Scott, a billionaire, philanthropist and author, has donated $3 million to two Kansas City-area nonprofits.
On Tuesday, Kansas City nonprofits KC Healthy Kids and Amethyst Place announced they received grants from Scott through her organization, Yield Giving.
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Amethyst Place received $2 million, which will support its affordable housing expansion project. The nonprofit is a long-term supportive housing program for women and children recovering from generational substance use, poverty and trauma.
“We are incredibly honored to be among the leading nonprofits in the country working toward transformational community change,” Starla Wulf Brennan, the Executive Director of Amethyst Place, said.
“This gift nearly closes the gap on our capital campaign, ensuring affordable housing for 32 more families by the end of 2024. We can’t wait to bring these families off our year-long waitlist and home to heal.”
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KC Healthy Kid’s $1 million grant is the largest award in its 20-year history and is a nod to their efforts to advance the health and wellbeing of kids in the Kansas City area.
“This award represents the largest gift in our nearly two-decade history, and recognizes and confirms our impact advancing the health and well-being of kids in our community,” said Danielle Robbins-Gregory, president and CEO of KC Healthy Kids.
“This generous contribution sets the stage for expanding our efforts and deepening our partnerships to create environments that promote healthy living for kids and families in our region.”
In March 2023, Yield Giving launched an open call for community-led, community-focused organizations that aim to enable individuals and families to improve their well-being through foundational resources.
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Amethyst Place’s spokesperson, Sarah Knopf-Amelung, said that group requested $1 million in aid from Yield Giving, money that would be used to offset the $16 million price tag of those new living quarters. Instead, Scott’s philanthropy delivered $2 million — twice the price Amethyst Place had asked for.
‘We were in complete shock,” Knopf-Amelung said on Tuesday afternoon. “It’s a rare project to be owned by a non-profit. We’re going to be able to afford this long-term. We’re not going to convert it to market rate. We’re going to stick to our mission.’
Scott’s generosity seems American nonprofits that provide indispensable services to their community.
Splitlog Farms, an urban grower that sits in the Bethany neighborhood in Kansas City, Kansas, is also on the list of groups enjoying donated dollars. The farm is operated by KC Healthy Kids, a community group that raises fresh produce on that farm and distributes it to community agencies in need. Some of those groups use the vegetables to give kids healthy snacks and lunches.
KC Healthy Kids received $1 million from Yield Giving, according to Rachael McGinnis Millisap, one of that group’s vice-presidents.
“It just validates the work we do. It fills in the gaps of everything from keeping the lights on to growing more fruits and vegetables out here — or getting Tracy Flowers, our farmer out here — help she needs to grow two thousand pounds of food and distribute it in the community,” Millsap said.
Scott promised to give $1 million each to 250 organizations last year through an open call for applications. On Tuesday, she announced she would give $640 million to 361 organizations instead. Scott received over 6,000 applications during her open call.
