Girl Scouts Receives $84.5 Million Donation from MacKenzie Scott

This gift will help significantly advance the organization's mission to provide life-changing experiences, mentorship, and programming.

NEW YORK, Oct.18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) announced an $84.5 million donation from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. The donation, awarded to GSUSA and 29 local councils selected by Ms. Scott, will accelerate GSUSA's initiatives that give girls the tools to become the next generation of powerful women leaders.

This investment is the largest donation from a single individual in the organization's history and will build upon GSUSA's vision to support all Girl Scouts as they pursue their dreams and turn compassion into action in their communities.

"We are so appreciative of MacKenzie Scott's gift to Girl Scouts. This is a great accelerator for our ongoing efforts to help girls cultivate the skills and connections needed to lead in their own communities and globally," said Girl Scouts of the USA CEO Sofia Chang. "The support from all our donors, including this generous donation from Ms. Scott, is critical in delivering on our work of reimagination and transformation. We're excited to prove how Ms. Scott's investment in girls will change the world—because when one girl succeeds, we all succeed."

The Grant Impact
Ms. Scott's gift to GSUSA's national organization and recipient councils will enable Girl Scouts to expand its investment in girls and advance the organization's recovery from the effects of COVID-19. The gift will:

• Create more equitable membership opportunities in communities that have been under engaged. This includes diversity, equity, inclusion, and racial justice (DEI/RJ) initiatives; reimagining the troop experience model to break down accessibility barriers; and partnering with families and communities to holistically support the well-being and development of all girls.
• Foster meaningful program innovation informed by the current interests and needs of girls to prepare them for leadership, including an expanded focus on career readiness and mental wellness. Integral to this work is expanding girls' access to STEM exploration, building upon exciting areas of interest such as hands-on coding, aeronautics, and sustainability.
• Bolster the "foundations" of the Movement in critical areas such as research, staff, and volunteer training. This investment will provide the ability to be visionary about the role Girl Scouts plays in the lives of girls and women while shaping the health and well-being of the communities the organization supports.
• Future-proof its facilities, including the iconic Girl Scout camp properties. This includes diverse investments such as making climate-resiliency improvements, reimagining its physical presence in communities, and expanding both accessibility and high adventure elements at camp.

The Girl Scouts Difference: Developing the Leaders of Tomorrow

Today's challenges are complex, interconnected, and more than ever, global. Solving them will demand collaborative leadership and innovative perspectives. Girls represent the world's greatest untapped talent pool and investing in them will produce the greatest return in economic development, social progress, and public health, improving not only individual lives but the fabric of society overall. However, prior to Ms. Scott's generous giving, less than two percent (2%) of annual giving benefitted girl and women-focused organizations. Her donation will build upon GSUSA's commitment to champion all Girl Scouts as they take action and create long-term impact.

With 111 councils nationwide, GSUSA has a presence in every zip code. Each new investment enables Girl Scouts to become a unifier at the broadest level, harnessing the leadership skills of generations to come and ensuring a future that is inclusive, empathetic, united, and equitable.

We're Girl Scouts of the USA

Girl Scouts bring their dreams to life and work together to build a better world. Through programs from coast to coast, Girl Scouts of all backgrounds and abilities can be unapologetically themselves as they discover their strengths and rise to meet new challenges—whether they want to climb to the top of a tree or the top of their class, lace up their boots for a hike or advocate for climate justice, or make their first best friends. Backed by trusted adult volunteers, mentors, and millions of alums, Girl Scouts lead the way as they find their voices and make changes that affect the issues most important to them. To join us, volunteer, reconnect, or donate, visit girlscouts.org.

SOURCE Girl Scouts of the USA