5 Puerto Rico nonprofits receive $9M from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott
In her latest funding initiative, philanthropist MacKenzie Scott’s Yield Giving foundation awarded $9 million to five Puerto Rican nonprofits, part of a global $640 million donation to 361 organizations this week, from more than 6,300 applicants.
The local recipients, nonprofits Iniciativa Comunitaria, Corporación La Fondita de Jesús, Proyecto Matria, and Taller Salud, each received $2 million, while Intercambios Puerto Rico was granted $1 million.
Iniciativa Comunitaria will invest its donation in the Brega Bien program, a mental health clinic for children and young people, and their families.
The funds will support the restoration of the program’s headquarters on Bolivia Street in Hato Rey, allowing it to begin offering community services.
Brega Bien will offer outpatient services including psychology, psychiatry, social work, alternative medicine, occupational and recreational therapy. The program will include technology, media, dance and art workshops, alongside tutoring, all available during flexible hours to accommodate children and their families.
“With this donation, we will be able to open a healing space for the children and young people of our island. This program was born from the need that we have seen in the past years in the thousands of families we serve. Brega Bien will be a gateway to mental health treatment for all of them,” said Yorelys Rivera-Amador, executive director of Iniciativa Comunitaria.
Additionally, the feminist and human rights organization Proyecto Matria, established more than 20 years ago, was chosen for funding. The organization combines direct service with education, citizen empowerment and public policy advocacy to address the social structures that perpetuate inequality and violence against women, LGBTTIQ+ individuals and those in poverty.
In March 2023, Yield Giving issued an open call for community-led organizations focused on providing critical resources for substantial improvements in well-being.
Nonprofits from across the U.S. and its territories that are dedicated to improving the well-being of individuals and families in their communities, were encouraged to apply and highlight their impact.
The Yield Giving open call was overseen by Lever for Change, a nonprofit that identifies and funds solutions to global challenges such as racial inequity, gender inequality, economic disparities and climate change.
“We’re excited that our partnership with Yield Giving has resonated with so many organizations,” said Cecilia Conrad, CEO of Lever for Change. “In a world teeming with potential and talent, the Open Call has given us an opportunity to identify, uplift and empower transformative organizations that often remain unseen.”
Yield Giving, established by Scott to distribute wealth generated by countless individuals, operates on the principle of adding value by relinquishing control. Its network has directed more than $17.3 billion to more than 2,300 nonprofit teams, empowering them to determine the best use of the funds for the benefit of others.
