Goodwill of NORTH FLORIDA RECEIVES “GAME CHANGING”

 $10 MILLION INVESTMENT FROM MACKENZIE SCOTT

JACKSONVILLE, FL (December 16, 2020) – Goodwill of North Florida announced today a significant donation of $10 million from author and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott.  In addition to the local gift for North Florida, 46 other Goodwill organizations across the country were selected for a significant gift, highlighting the positive impact that Goodwills have across the country.

The donation – the largest in Goodwill of North Florida’s history — comes at a time when more than 10 million Americans are unemployed and urgently need help finding their next jobs. This gift will enable Goodwill of North Florida to continue and expand its direct efforts and deliver its mission across the 14 counties it serves, which equips the community with the skills they need to get back to work and onto sustainable career paths.

Goodwill of North Florida was one of 384 organization in the U.S., Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C. to be selected for a donation. According to Scott, her team selected recipients based on the non-profits capacity to make effective use of funding and because of its strong leadership.

“Because our research is data-driven and rigorous, our giving process can be human and soft. Not only are non-profits chronically underfunded, they are also chronically diverted from their work by fundraising, and by burdensome reporting requirements that donors often place on them. These 384 carefully selected teams have dedicated their lives to helping others, working and volunteering and serving real people face-to-face at bedsides and tables, in prisons and courtrooms and classrooms, on streets and hospital wards and hotlines and frontlines of all types and sizes, day after day after day,” she said in an open letter. “They help by delivering vital services, and also through the profound encouragement felt each time a person is seen, valued, and trusted by another human being. This kind of encouragement has a special power when it comes from a stranger, and it works its magic on everyone.”

Goodwill of North Florida CEO David Rey received the news late yesterday. “I’m still picking my jaw up from the floor. This is absolutely a game changing gift that will allow us to continue our mission of breaking down barriers to employment in our community,” said Rey. “This has been such a challenging time for all of us, and we are humbled and grateful for this gift. We’re also extremely thankful for all our donors, shoppers in our retail stores and local contributors who have helped us along the way. We are committed to being good stewards of this unexpected gift and all our gifts that go toward fueling our services and programs.”

For more information, please visit www.goodwilljax.org.