Today, Boys & Girls Clubs of Dane County (BGCDC) announced in a press release Thursday that they are receiving a major gift from novelist and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. This significant support is part of a larger collective gift of $281 million to 62 local Boys & Girls Clubs across the nation. The release did not specify the amount BGCDC would receive but indicated it was a “7-figure gift,” meaning it exceeds $1 million.
“This gift is one of the largest individual donations in Boys & Girls Clubs of America 160-year history. We are appreciative of Ms. Scott’s enormous generosity and will use our portion of this unrestricted gift as a challenge grant to help us raise the needed funds for our McKenzie Regional Workforce Center which is scheduled to open in spring of 2023. The center will provide Dane County’s young people with job training and placement in careers such as plumbing, construction, HVAC, welding, and wealth building,” said Michael Johnson, President & CEO of BGCDC. “We are extremely thankful to be selected by MacKenzie Scott and her gift will be sent to the Madison Community Foundation towards our endowment to support an earmarked challenge grant to help with the sustainability of this transformational workforce project in the years and decades to come.”
This unrestricted gift will be set up as a challenge grant to help Boys & Girls Clubs of Dane County and Madison Area Builders Association to achieve their $35 million capital campaign goal to refurbish a buiding on Madison’s southwest side to become a regional workforce training center. As of today, they have raised $20.1 million. Details are being finalized with the McKenzie Regional Workforce Center Board and BGCDC Board of Directors on the announcement of the gift; details of the challenge grant and additional information will be released at a future press conference.
“Gifts like this are rare and have incredible impact. It’s a historic moment for our organization and the Clubs that received MacKenzie Scott’s significant support,” said Jim Clark, President and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of America. “We know now, more than ever, that with the right support system, positive mentorship and opportunities, kids can thrive. Thanks to this generous gift, Boys & Girls Clubs can continue to reach even more youth, as we support millions of kids and teens on their journeys to great futures.”
This week the Boys & Girls Clubs of Dane County won the National Champion for Youth Award from Boys & Girls Clubs of America for its advocacy achievements. The organization was also instrumental in spurring a nationwide partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America and National Association of Home Builders which was announced last month.
Scott made waves at the end of 2020, quietly giving $4 billion in unrestricted funds to hundreds of nonprofit organizations nationwide, including YWCA Madison.
