United Way doles out remainder of $5M donation from billionaire MacKenzie Scott
Photo | Matt Wright
Tim Garvin and Naomi Sleeper from United Way (center) stand with members of the community organizations who benefited from MacKenzie Scott's $5-million donation.
Four years after the United Way of Central Massachusetts had $5 million dropped into its bank account courtesy of billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, the Worcester-based human services nonprofit has donated the final segment of its Nov. 2020 surprise gift.
UWCM announced on Wednesday its board had settled on three Worcester nonprofits to split the remaining $200,000 in funding provided by Scott, who had a net worth around $55 billion at the time of the donation. She was an early employee of the online retail giant and the ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.
UWCM’s most recent round of donations centered on offering essential support to families, vulnerable citizens, and childcare providers in the community, according to a Wednesday press release.
The three Worcester nonprofit recipients are:
- Central Massachusetts Housing Alliance received $100,000 to support renovations of the building located at 134 Gold St. in Worcester as the CMHA works in collaboration with the City of Worcester to establish a Day Resource Center for the community’s unhoused population. The project is expected to cost between $10 and $15 million with an anticipated opening in 2026.
- Meryl’s Safe Haven, a shelter for youth aging out of the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families care, received $80,000. The shelter was set to close on May 30 of this year but is now looking to continue operations until June 2025. The UWCM funds will contribute to the $160,000 needed to remain open through the entire Worcester Public Schools’ academic year.
- The Guild of St. Agnes, an early education and care agency, received $20,000 for its staff’s ongoing involvement in the trauma-informed, play-based professional development program Playmaker Project. The initiative, provided through the nonprofit division of the Boston-based Life Is Good Company, works to combat burnout in early education providers.
“This gift focuses on three critical areas: keeping families sheltered, supporting our vulnerable citizens, and empowering childcare providers. These investments reflect our mission to connect people and resources to address urgent local needs,” Beth Helenius, vice president of commercial sales and community impact at Mass General Brigham Health Plan, said in the release.
In 2023, UWCM generated $9.98 million in revenue and had $15.75 million in assets, according to nonprofit financial tracker GuideStar.
Mica Kanner-Mascolo is a staff writer at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the healthcare and diversity, equity, and inclusion industries.
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