Chicago public schools receive $48 million in donations from MacKenzie Scott: ‘This gift comes right on time’
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During the week before Thanksgiving, education leaders in Chicago got a pleasant surprise when they learned that philanthropist MacKenzie Scott is gifting a combined $48 million to public schools in the city, adding to the list of other Chicago organizations that have already received contributions from the ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos in recent months.
Scott donated $25 million to Chicago Public Schools, $16 million to the Noble Network of Charter Schools and $7 million to LEARN Charter School Network.
On Monday, she published a letter accompanied by a poem and a list of the various organizations and not-for-profits that have benefited from her philanthropic efforts.
“Over the last seven months, with the help of my team, I gave $1,990,800,000 to 343 organizations supporting the voices and opportunities of people from underserved communities,” Scott wrote.
The grants, which are part of the more than $14 billion Scott has donated since she pledged to do so in 2019, have no restrictions, so institutions can use the money however they want.
“I recently learned a saying used in disability communities: ‘Nothing about us without us.’ For me, it’s another beautiful and powerful reminder. I needn’t ask those I care about what to say to them, or what to do for them. I can share what I have with them to stand behind them as they speak and act for themselves,” she wrote.
In a statement, Mary Fergus, a spokesperson for Chicago Public Schools, said the $25 million donation “will most certainly help change lives” as district officials will be working to invest the money in some of the priorities outlined in the developing blueprint.
“We are honored and extremely grateful that Ms. Scott has recognized the hard work of our teachers, principals and entire staff on behalf of more than 320,000 Chicago children,” Fergus said.
As federal and state funds dry up from the COVID-19 relief programs, “this gift comes right on time to help us continue doing the work that we have been doing and strengthen our operations to serve our students,” said Jennifer Reid Davis, head of strategy and equity at the Noble Network of Charter Schools and a senior executive of the leadership team.
There are 18 Noble campuses in the city with more than 12,000 students.
“We are committed to building schools that center and affirm our Black and brown students and fuel their highest aspirations,” Constance Jones, CEO of Noble Schools, said in a statement. “This investment is the largest unrestricted donation from a single individual in Noble’s history and will help us continue to carry out our critical work.”
The $16 million grant will be used primarily to continue the network’s mission to increase the graduation rate and prepare students for a four-year college, Reid Davis said. The grant will also help add resources for new social and emotional programs for students, she said.
“Even during this unprecedented time in our country, 94% of Noble graduates in the class of 2022 were accepted into college with over $505 million in scholarships and grants, which proves that while the pandemic has changed many things, it has not changed the dreams and aspirations of our students and families,” Jones said.
Students and staff from the LEARN Charter School Network were ecstatic to hear of the surprise donation, said Greg White, president & CEO of LEARN.
“We are all thrilled, they (students and staff) felt a nice validation of their hard work,” White said. “We’re so fortunate.”
The $7 million gift will be invested to help students graduate high school, attend and graduate college, White said. The funds will also be used to train, hire, support and retain teaching staff, he added.
The contribution comes as the network works to raise money for its multiyear $20 million fundraising campaign.
