FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 29, 2020
CONTACTS:
Christopher Vasquez, NCLR Communications Director
415.365.1337 | cvasquez@nclrights.org
NCLR joins over 116 fellow organizations “driving change” who are beneficiaries of Scott’s charitable generosity in 2020
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Yesterday, philanthropist MacKenzie Scott announced that she has made a major gift to the National Center for Lesbian Right as part of her pledge to give away a majority of her wealth through the Giving Pledge. The charitable donation to NCLR, which was chosen because of “transformative work” the organization has done in the area of LGBTQ+ equity, comes in the form of an impact grant. Scott launched this new charitable campaign during an economic downturn caused by the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic, which has put a strain on many nonprofit organizations worldwide.
“NCLR is immensely honored to be a recipient of Mackenzie Scott’s incredible philanthropic journey,” said Imani Rupert-Gordon, NCLR Executive Director. “In a world where wealth distribution isn’t equitable, Scott’s commitment and practice of sharing power, privilege and resources make us all stronger.”
“Trusting those who are living lives most impacted by structural inequality is a way to rethink philanthropy and the donor’s role in social change,” Rupert-Gordon continued.
“All of these leaders and organizations have a track record of effective management and significant impact in their fields,” said MacKenzie Scott in her statement yesterday. “Every one of them is tackling complex challenges that will require sustained effort over many years, while simultaneously addressing consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. And every one of them would benefit from more allies looking to share wealth of all types and sizes, including money, volunteer time, supplies, advocacy, publicity, networks and relationships, collaboration, encouragement, and trust.”
Scott said that she had made major gifts to 116 organizations who are “driving change,” covering a range of issues including racial, LGBTQ+ and gender equity, economic mobility, functional democracy, public health, global development, and climate change.
The major gift from Scott will allow NCLR to continue to provide COVID-19 related services to the LGBTQ community, including creating policies to decarcerate vulnerable LGBTQ youth during the pandemic and collaborating with the National LGBTQ Anti-Poverty Action Network to connect LGBTQ people with COVID-19 resources. Earlier in 2020, NCLR was also awarded a CARES Grant from Gilead Sciences to provide COVID-19-related services during the global health crisis.
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The National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) is a national legal organization committed to advancing the human and civil rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer community through litigation, public policy advocacy, and public education. Since its founding, NCLR has maintained a longstanding commitment to racial and economic justice and the LGBTQ community’s most vulnerable. https://www.nclrights.org
