YWCA Lancaster Receives Unprecedented Gift

Lancaster, Pa. (December 15, 2020) – Today, philanthropist MacKenzie Scott announced donations to 384 organizations driving change around the world, and YWCA Lancaster was included with a gift in support of our mission to eliminate racism and empower women. We are so grateful to Ms. Scott for her game changing philanthropy worldwide and for elevating YWCA Lancaster by inclusion on her list.Our mission has never been more critical nor our challenges greater. This is our second pandemic, having opened our building 100 years ago and like the women who came before us, we are determined to rise beyond these circumstances in pursuit of racial and gender equity.In this year's spring and summer, we faced new and difficult challenges; another pandemic, calls for racial justice and deep economic downturns. As we discussed our situation it was clear, we will work together, stay true to our mission and persevere.And, we have. Because of great Board leadership, a staff who rededicated themselves to our mission; wonderful volunteers and now, because of gifts like this. In this year we have discovered so many new friends and allies in the community; Willow Valley Communities; Fulton Bank; GIANT; longstanding committed partners and individual donors too numerous to name. Thank you for standing with us.To us, this is a mission, not a moment and there is work to be done.In the coming days and months, we will be thoughtfully planning and looking for new friends and partners to help us move forward eliminating racism and empowering women.MacKenzie Scott uses a team of non-profit advisors with key representation from historically marginalized race, gender, and sexual identity groups to help find and assess organizations having major impact on a variety of causes. You can learn more about her values and her pledge to give the majority of her wealth back to the society that helped generate it.