Photo | Courtesy of United Way of Central Massachusetts
Tim Garvin, president & CEO of the United Way of Central Massachusetts, in Worcester
December 16, 2020
Billionaire Amazon philanthropist awards transformative grant to United Way of Central Mass.
Photo | Grant Welker
The Denholm building at 484-500 Main St. in Worcester
By Grant Welker
The United Way of Central Massachusetts has received a $5-million grant from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott in what its president and CEO said Wednesday will be transformative for the Worcester nonprofit.
The grant appears to be one of only three given to Massachusetts-based nonprofits among 384 such donations announced Tuesday by Scott, a philanthropist, author and the ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, estimated to be one of the richest women in the world with a net worth around $55 billion. The others went to the YMCA of Greater Boston and to Easterseals Massachusetts, a human services nonprofit that also has offices in Worcester, which said it will use the funds to fight for equal rights for those with disabilities.
"It's exhilarating," said Tim Garvin, the United Way of Central Massachusetts president and CEO. "It's transformative for the United Way and our community."
The grant amount nearly equals the United Way's annual budget of $5.5 million, and adds to a flood of financial gifts made to the United Way and partners during the coronavirus pandemic. The
Worcester Together initiative, done in partnership with the Greater Worcester Community Foundation, raised more than $10 million through the spring and summer to benefit local communities disproportionately hit by the pandemic and the related economic recession.
Among other work the United Way and partners have done during the pandemic is a remote learning hub that's helped roughly 1,000 students with their education at a time when Worcester Public Schools and others aren't having classes in person. That initiative includes local YMCA, YWCA, Boys & Girls Club and other partners.
It'll take a couple months for the United Way to figure out how best to spend the $5 million, Garvin said, but he has a few areas in mind, including poverty disruption, low-income housing, youth development, and education.
"We want to be thoughtful and strategic, but we also want to be nimble because the needs are here and now," he said.
Garvin doesn't know why the United Way of Central Massachusetts was chosen by Scott. He can only guess someone did some research and liked what they saw about what the nonprofit does locally, he said.
In all, Scott gave nearly $4.2 billion in the past few months to 384 organizations nationally, she posted on Medium. Among them are many Goodwill, Meals on Wheels, United Way, YMCA, YWCA and similar groups whose missions are aimed at helping those who were in need long before the pandemic and who've often suffered disproportionately.
"She's basically turned philanthropy on its head, by going out and identifying nonprofits that are deeply involved in the community," Garvin said. "She wants to support that work, rather than tell people what to do."
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Anonymous
December 22, 2020
This is amazing and well-deserved!
Anonymous
December 17, 2020
What a phenomenal gift! MacKenzie Scott's extreme generosity is such a blessing to so many. I also appreciate the research that she did to identify the highest needs paired with the proof of best leadership to multiply the intender outcomes. Obviously she has seen that Tim Garvin's leadership at the United Way is trustworthy and deserving of such a significant investment for the people of Worcester. Congrats!
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