A recent $4.2 million donation from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott will help the Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana become more accessible to girls across the region, said council CEO Nancy Wright, with plans to update facilities, expand science and technology education, hire new staff and create more equitable membership opportunities.

The investment is part of an $84.5 million gift awarded to Girl Scouts of the USA and 29 local councils, marking the largest individual donation the organization has ever received.

“What’s so impactful about this gift is the generosity of MacKenzie Scott to invest in the future of our world through young people, and her generosity is changing lives,” Wright said.

The funds will benefit a variety of programming from Girl Scouts GCNWI, which serves 245 communities across six Illinois counties and four Indiana counties.

A portion of the money will expand efforts to bring scouting to underserved areas, including Chicago’s South and West sides. In the past several months, the group has launched nine new troops in the Douglas, Englewood, West Englewood, Roseland, Morgan Park, New City and Gresham communities.

“What we’re really eager to do, especially on the South and West Side, is be a part of the communities,” Wright said. “We’ve already started this work, but it gives us an opportunity to listen to the girls, listen to the families, on how we can support them and develop the next generation of powerful female leaders.”

Part of that effort is ensuring girls can take advantage of learning opportunities in their own backyards. The organization is working to bring 200 girls from the South Side to a Joffrey Ballet performance of “The Nutcracker” at the Lyric Opera House.

“Many of our girls, even though they may be close to some of the amenities of different museums or cultural experiences, they don’t have access for a variety of reasons,” Wright said. “We are always looking at breaking down those barriers and supporting girls to be able to try these new activities.”

The challenges of the pandemic took a toll on the organization’s membership, which consists of girls ages 5 to 17. Pre-COVID-19, Wright said the group had over 50,000 participants. That number has since dropped to 32,000 girls.

She is optimistic that Scott’s donation will help boost recruitment, describing the funds as “rocket fuel” to accelerate the group’s programs.

While what Wright calls the organization’s “old mantra” of “crafts, camps and cookies” may come to mind, she said the group has shifted its focus to career readiness and leadership to empower young girls. She looks forward to using the donation money to increase opportunities for STEM exploration in coding, robotics, aeronautics and other activities.

Sixteen-year-old Sydney Kirages of Lake Forest shared a similar sentiment. She serves as a Girl Scout representative to the board of directors and is pursuing the organization’s prestigious Gold Award for creating a website to help hospitalized children socialize and fight isolation.

Kirages hopes the donation can help other girls make an impact in their own communities.

“It’s so important for people to see that the Girl Scouts is so much more than just selling cookies — it’s about becoming a leader,” Kirages said. “I think (Scott’s) gift will not only impact those who are in Girl Scouts currently, but also affect the future of other girls who are able to join.”

It’s also about addressing the needs of today’s girls through a holistic, trauma-informed approach.

Wright said the organization noticed girls were experiencing increased stress in recent years and it made the decision to provide trauma-informed training to all staff. The group has now extended that training to volunteers in a program called “Tools of Resilience.”

“Being a trauma-informed organization doesn’t mean we’re clinicians or trauma experts,” Wright said. “But we know that creating a safe environment for girls and having the skill sets to meet them where they are helps their well-being and their development.”

Wright is hopeful Scott’s gift can act as a “multiplier,” inspiring others to support the organization’s growing work in local communities.

“We’re hopeful that it will inspire other people to give generously to support the girls as well because the need is much greater than this very, very generous donation,” Wright said. “We’re beyond grateful for that, but I want to encourage other people to continue to support our girls.”

As for Kirages, she wishes she could express her gratitude for the gift personally.

“I just really wish that I could personally thank Miss Scott for this wonderful opportunity,” Kirages said. “It is so appreciated, and it makes myself and my troop so excited for the future.”

An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Sydney Kirages had already received the Gold Award.