Mackenzie Scott gives $2.4 million to Sacramento housing project. ‘Completely out of the blue’
The Greater Sacramento Urban League was surprised Monday with a record $2.4 million donation from MacKenzie Scott, the billionaire philanthropist, novelist and former wife of Jeff Bezos.
The money will go toward a housing project in Del Paso Heights that stalled during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dwayne Crenshaw, CEO of Greater Sacramento Urban League, said it was the largest donation since the organization’s founding in 1968.
“It was completely out of the blue, and very much in keeping with her tradition of generous giving and reaching out to nonprofits that her and her team have researched,” said Crenshaw. “It’s quite an honor to be noticed and recognized for the work we’ve done in the region of Sacramento for nearly 55 years.”
The Sacramento organization prioritizes helping lower-income communities with job training, gaining employment and finding housing. It was one of 25 national Urban League affiliates to receive a similar donation from Scott.
As of Tuesday, Scott is worth roughly $29 billion and is the fourth richest woman in the world, according to Forbes. And since July 2020, she has given away about $12.7 billion to more than 1,200 nonprofits. Last March, Scott donated $4.5 million to Habitat for Humanity of Greater Sacramento.
A large portion of Monday’s donation will go toward a new mixed-use housing development adjacent to the organization’s headquarters in Del Paso Heights. The nonprofit, located at 3725 Marysville Blvd., purchased roughly a third of an acre of land in 2019, but the project was delayed by inflation and supply shortages. Costs have increased “about two to three million” from the original $15 million estimate, said Crenshaw.
“That’s why this funding from MacKenzie Scott is a critical boost to get us moving faster on the project,” Crenshaw said.
The project is expected to be a 32-unit development with an additional 14,000 square feet of commercial space for retail businesses such as a dry cleaner grocery store or coffee shop. Crenshaw estimates the development will be complete in 2025. He also expressed hope that the donation can be leveraged for more funding and serve as a “catalyst for investment” throughout the Del Paso Heights community.
“We hope it’s a start and not the end of revitalization, here, in Del Paso Heights with both housing and businesses that are hopefully owned by members of the community, that employ folks who community and that bring desperately needed services in retail that are not currently present,” Crenshaw said.
This story was originally published November 1, 2022 at 1:52 PM.
