YMCA of Greater Spartanburg Receives Transformational Seven-Figure Gift from Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott

Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has given a transformational donation to the YMCA of Greater Spartanburg, the largest gift the organization has ever received.

“We were one of only 43 YMCAs from around the country included in the 384 nonprofits that were fortunate enough to receive funding,” said Claude Saleeby, Board Chair. “The YMCA Board and Staff understand the responsibility that comes with this donation and have begun to evaluate how to use this gift to create a deep and lasting impact in our community.”

Nearly 6,500 nonprofit organizations across the country were vetted, according to Scott’s recent blog post. She hired a team of experts that “took a data-driven approach to identifying organizations with strong leadership teams and results.” The Spartanburg YMCA is one of the smallest organizations selected, in one of the smallest cities. Many of the other recipients were located in huge metropolitan areas like Dallas, New York and Los Angeles. The gifts were unrestricted and paid in full up front. Scott hopes to “pave the way for unsolicited and unexpected gifts given with full trust and no strings attached,” and in her blog post, she encourages others to give to nonprofit organizations. To learn more about this recent gift, please click here: https://mackenzie-scott.medium.com/384-ways-to-help-45d0b9ac6ad8

YMCA CEO Rick Callebs said, “We are humbled by Ms. Scott’s generosity, and we realize we would not be in the position to receive such a contribution without the support of our local donors, volunteers and community partners, whose generosity and leadership have positioned us to provide more than $1.5 million annually to the Spartanburg community.”

This year the Spartanburg YMCA has provided critical services including childcare for essential workers during the quarantine, summer day camp, free swimming lessons, and distance learning support for school-aged children this fall. Additionally, the Y has collaborated with other nonprofits to host food and blood drives. “Our ability to deliver on all of those much-needed services this year was dependent on local support,” said Callebs, “and we count on the continuing support of our volunteers, donors and members to help us sustain the momentum and impact we have created.”