Amethyst Place receives millions from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott

Amethyst Place received $2 million from MacKenzie Scott, a billionaire, philanthropist and author, which will support its affordable housing expansion project. The nonprofit is a long-term supportive housing program for women and children recovering from generational substance use, poverty and trauma.

“We are incredibly honored to be among the leading nonprofits in the country working toward transformational community change,” Starla Wulf Brennan, the Executive Director of Amethyst Place, said.

“This gift nearly closes the gap on our capital campaign, ensuring affordable housing for 32 more families by the end of 2024. We can’t wait to bring these families off our year-long waitlist and home to heal.”

In March 2023, Yield Giving launched an open call for community-led, community-focused organizations that aim to enable individuals and families to improve their well-being through foundational resources.

Amethyst Place’s spokesperson, Sarah Knopf-Amelung, said that group requested $1 million in aid from Yield Giving, money that would be used to offset the $16 million price tag of those new living quarters. Instead, Scott’s philanthropy delivered $2 million — twice the price Amethyst Place had asked for.

“We were in complete shock,” Knopf-Amelung said on Tuesday afternoon. “It’s a rare project to be owned by a non-profit. We’re going to be able to afford this long-term. We’re not going to convert it to market rate. We’re going to stick to our mission.”

Scott’s generosity sees American nonprofits that provide indispensable services to their community. Scott promised to give $1 million each to 250 organizations last year through an open call for applications. On Tuesday, she announced she would give $640 million to 361 organizations instead. Scott received over 6,000 applications during her open call.

Read the original article by Alyssa Mueller and watch the news story at Fox 4 KC.