A Chicago-based workforce development nonprofit on Tuesday announced an “historic” $8 million gift from billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott.
Cara Collective said the one-time, unrestricted gift is the largest donation in the organization’s 30-plus-year history.
“This investment is an acknowledgment of the work Cara Collective has done to support thousands of job seekers in finding gainful employment opportunities and a testament to the dedication of our community who helped us reach this incredible moment,” Cara Collective CEO Kathleen St. Louis Caliento said in a statement.
A committee of stakeholders convened over the past six weeks to create a strategy on how to responsibly use the money, focusing on several key areas.
Those areas include widening Cara Collective’s reach in the city to include more job seekers, diversifying workforce development programming and investing in staff and infrastructure, the organization said.
Founded in 1991, the organization, 237 S. Desplaines St., aims to “eradicate relational and financial poverty” by providing professional training for individuals and connecting them with employers, according to its website.
“We recognize there is still a tremendous need to reach even more individuals and communities,” Caliento said. “This gift is the launch pad that will allow Cara Collective to accelerate to the next chapter of our organization so we can reach thousands more in Chicago and uplift untapped talent nationally.”
Scott, an author whose ex-husband is Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, has given away more than $14.1 billion of her fortune since 2019, gaining global praise for her philanthropic work.
Last year, Scott also broke donation records for local organizations, with gifts at the Chicago Urban League for $6.6 million and Chicago disability services nonprofit Access Living for $8 million.
She has also donated to education nonprofit Communities in Schools of Chicago and parent advocacy group Community Organizing and Family Issues.
