'A transformational gift.' Habitat for Humanity gets a $4.5 million from MacKenzie Scott

CANTON – An out-of-the-blue phone call has led to a massive donation for the Canton-based Habitat for Humanity East Central Ohio.

The agency is getting a $4.5 million unsolicited gift from author-philanthropist MacKenzie Scott.

Habitat Executive Director Beth Lechner said the money will help the ministry mitigate rapidly rising costs for home construction and serve more families seeking affordable housing in Stark and surrounding counties.

More: SE Canton church, neighborhood getting boost from Habitat for Humanity

Lechner made the announcement Monday at Habitat's offices at 1400 Raff Road SW before a small gathering of board members, longtime volunteers and homeowners.

"It's a transformational gift," she said.

Scott's foundation is donating a total of $436 million to Habitat for Humanity, with $411 million benefiting 84 of its 1,200 U.S. affiliates and Habitat for Humanity International, and $25 million to promote policies and legislation for equity and access to affordable housing.

Habitat for Humanity East Central Ohio serves Stark, Carroll, Tuscarawas, Harrison and Jefferson counties.

More: Students build houses, learn lessons at Habitat for Humanity summer program in Canton

Because Scott's foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funding, and because Lechner had not contacted them, she thought the initial phone call was a scam.

Getting $4.5M in a very 'cool phone call'

Once Lechner became convinced it was authentic, the process didn't take long.

"That was a really cool phone call," she said. "All they ask of us is to send them a letter once a year to let them know how we're doing."

In 2019, Scott signed The Giving Pledge, a promise by 230 of the world's most wealthy people to donate at least half of their wealth. So far, Scott has donated $8.5 billion to various causes.

In addition to Monday's announcement, Lechner gave a presentation illustrating how material costs have jumped 132% since 2020. The lead time for materials, she said, has gone up 200%, and subcontractor costs have risen 60% since 2019.

Habitat for Humanity seeing more applications for help

The average price for a new Habitat home is around $100,000.

The ministry has seen a 154% increase in applications for new housing since 2020. Requests this year are already outpacing the numbers for previous years during the same time period.

Lechner said the gift is the equivalent of 45 new homes. Habitat also does renovations of existing homes.

The Rev. Doyle Luckenbaugh, a retired United Church of Christ pastor and Habitat volunteer for 28 years, credits Lechner and the ministry's transparency for the affiliate's success.

"This has been an incredible organization," he said. "I trust the leadership here to use this to the maximum."

Dave Meier, an early board member and volunteer since "House 2," said he would like to see 100% of the gift go toward building new homes.

This year, the affiliate will build its 600th new residence.

Daisy Bynum, whose family purchased their home in 1994, was happy to hear about the unexpected gift.

"Its awesome. It's fantastic," she said.

Bynum was renting in southwest Canton when she applied for a house. She later encouraged others to do the same.

"It's a blessing. The people are phenomenal," she said of the Habitat staff.

How Canton's Habitat affiliate makes an impact

Deidra Alexander and Sherill Williams were neighbors as renters before they became neighbors as Habitat homeowners. Both families are among the 109 affiliate homeowners who have paid off their mortgages.

"It's been a great experience," Alexander said.

Williams said Habitat doesn't just hand families a house — the ministry also offers training and support services.

"It's a very nice program, I recommend it to anybody," said Williams, who also advises aspiring homeowners to work hard on their credit scores.

A smiling Aimee Tyson not only got a house last September, she also got a new job at Habitat's warehouse facility.

"It's a wonderful organization; God is so good," she said. "It's not just a job, it's a ministry."

Lechner urged people to continue to support the ministry. Earlier this month, the affiliate donated $100,000 to its affiliate in Poland to help people there house Ukrainian war refugees.

More: 'I feel like God is calling us.' Habitat donates $100,000 for Ukraine refugees

"Don't stop giving, don't stop volunteering, don't stop praying," she said.

To learn more visit www.habitateco.org or call 330-915-5888.

Who is MacKenzie Scott?

A native of San Francisco, Scott helped her ex-husband, Jeff Bezos, create Amazon by writing the company's first business plan.

Scott, 51, owns 4 percent of Amazon ,for a net worth on $62.2 billion.

A graduate of Princeton University, Scott, who is remarried, is the mother of four children with Bezos.

She has written three books, including two novels.

Reach Charita at 330-580-8313 or charita.goshay@cantonrep.com

On Twitter: @cgoshayREP

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Canton's Habitat for Humanity gets $4.5M surprise from MacKenzie Scott