Girl Scouts, Hornets’ Nest Council Receives $1.1 Million Donation from MacKenzie Scott
Gift will help significantly advance the organization's mission to provide life-changing experiences, mentorship, and programming.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Girl Scouts, Hornets’ Nest Marketing Department
bgary@hngirlscouts.org
704-671-8200
Charlotte, NC (October 18, 2022) - Today, Girl Scouts Hornets’ Nest Council announced a $1.1 Million donation from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. This generous gift is part of an $84.5 million donation awarded to Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) and 29 local councils selected by Ms. Scott, making this unprecedented investment the largest donation from a single individual in the national organization’s history. Locally, this gift will allow the Hornets’ Nest Council to continue to promote character, curiosity, and entrepreneurship among girls in our community.
“We are so appreciative of MacKenzie Scott’s gift to Girl Scouts. This is a great accelerator for our ongoing efforts to help girls cultivate the skills and connections to lead in their own communities and globally,” said GSUSA’s CEO, Sofia Chang. “The support from all our donors, including this generous support from Ms. Scott is critical in delivering on our work of re-imagination and transformation. We’re excited to prove how MacKenzie Scott’s investment in girls will change the world - because when one girl succeeds, we all succeed.”
“MacKenzie Scott’s generous gift to Girl Scouts of the USA and separately to our Girl Scouts Hornets’ Nest Council is a remarkable investment in our country’s girls and our future,” said Tayuanee Dewberry, CEO of the Girl Scouts Hornets’ Nest Council. “Her gift will enable our Council to embrace and provide services for more Scouts and volunteers. It is exciting honor for our Hornets’ Nest Council to be recognized but our work is just beginning.”
Dewberry added, “Less than 2% of all charitable giving goes towards organizations that support women and young girls. This gift is a welcome step in the right direction, and we hope others will follow her lead as we work to support the Girl Scouts’ mission of building girls of courage, confidence, and character.”
The Grant Impact
This gift to Girl Scouts Hornets’ Nest Council (GSHNC) will empower leadership opportunities for girls through the advancement of the organization's mission. This donation will enable GSHNC to expand its investment in girls and advance the organization’s recovery from the effects of COVID-19.
Additionally, the gift will aid GSHNC to:
- Foster meaningful program innovation informed by the current interests and the needs of girls to prepare them for their future, including an expanded focus on career readiness and mental wellness. Part of this work is initiating more robust programming on leadership development and setting up girls for future success.
- Refocus on our facilities that host outdoor experiences. This investment will enable our council to re-engage the process of building out our camp properties to include spaces that will present more diverse, relevant programmatic experiences for girls in our communities.
- Ensure that all girls have access to the life-changing impact of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience. This investment will assist us in broadening the impact of our organization in underserved and economically challenged areas of our footprint, especially in rural areas.
The Girl Scouts Difference – Developing the Leaders of Tomorrow
Today’s challenges are complex, interconnected and more than ever, global. Solving them will demand collaborative leadership and innovative perspectives. Girls represent humanity’s greatest untapped talent pool and investing in them will produce the greatest return in economic development, social progress, and public health, improving not only individual lives, but the fabric of society overall.
For more information on how to join, volunteer, reconnect or donate to Girl Scouts, visit www.hngirlscouts.org, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter @GSHNC and Instagram @girlscoutshnc.
About Girl Scouts Hornets' Nest Council
Founded in 1912, Girl Scouts is the world’s preeminent organization dedicated solely to girls, where, in an accepting and supportive environment, girls build character and skills for success in the real world. Girl Scouts, Hornets’ Nest Council (GSHNC) received its first charter from the Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. in 1935. GSHNC is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. We currently serve 8,000 girls and adults in eight counties of North and South Carolina, which include Anson, Cabarrus, Mecklenburg, Montgomery, Rowan, Stanly, Union, and York (S.C.).
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