YWCA Greater Austin receives $1 million donation from MacKenzie Scott

The YWCA of Greater Austin has received a $1 million dollar donation from MacKenzie Scott. The donation is part of Scott’s $4.2 billion-dollar philanthropic effort to support organizations serving underserved communities during the pandemic. 

MacKenzie Scott is a novelist and philanthropist committed to supporting organizations working for social issues such as racial equity, LGBTQ rights, democracy, and climate change.  

YWCA has a long history in the Austin area, dating all the way back to 1907. The organization played an important local role during the civil rights erav- participating in desegregation efforts, and continues to advocate for racial equity today.  

In recent years, YWCA Greater Austin has worked to bridge the gap between mental health and racial equity. 

“We’ve been working for equity for nearly a century and we’ve seen how COVID19 has disproportionately affected low-income communities of color. This donation will allow us to expand mental health services to people grieving their loved ones, job loss, anxiety, depression, and the effects of isolation.” said Naya Diaz, executive director of YWCA Greater Austin. “We are deeply grateful for this incredible gift and thrilled to be able to deepen our work at the intersection of mental health and social justice in the Austin community.”

The contribution from Ms. Scott will go towards deepening the work of YWCA Austin’s Counseling & Referral Center, Care Coordination Program and Volunteer & Training Institute to serve underrepresented communities across Central Texas in the area of mental health and care coordination.