EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF RESTORE OKC ABOUT WHAT THIS MONEY MEANS FOR THEM. OVER 6000 ORGANIZATIONS NATIONWIDE APPLIED FOR THESE FUNDS, AND A NONPROFIT, RESTORE OKC, RIGHT HERE IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA CITY, WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE. GRANTED $2 MILLION. AND THEY SAY THIS WILL BE A BOOST TO THE COMMUNITY. COMPLETELY BLOWN AWAY WITH GRATITUDE. AND A PANEL OF EXPERTS FOR YIELD GIVING RESEARCHED WHICH ORGANIZATIONS WERE MOST VULNERABLE AND IN NEED OF SOME FUNDING. RESTORE OKC, WHO APPLIED LAST YEAR, WAS ONE OF THE CHOSEN ORGS. TUESDAY, WE WOUND UP SCORING ONE OF THE HIGHEST APPLICATIONS, AND SO SHE GAVE $2 MILLION, UM, WHICH WAS IT’S JUST IT’S AN UNREAL INVESTMENT INTO OUR WORK. RESTORE OKC IS A NONPROFIT WHICH FOCUSES ON RESTORATION OF THE NORTHEAST OKC COMMUNITY, FOCUSING ON HEALTH, EDUCATION, FOOD INSECURITIES, HOUSING, AND MORE. IT’S HARD TO GET FUNDING TO COME ALONG, AND SO TO SEE THAT KIND OF AN INFUSION OF FUNDS REALLY LETS US, YOU KNOW, FOCUS ON HOW WE GET NOT ONLY FOOD ACCESS POINTS, BUT REALLY GET FOOD PRICE POINTS WHERE THEY NEED TO BE SO THAT IT TRULY IS FOOD ACCESS FOR OUR COMMUNITY. AND THINK ABOUT HOUSING HOLISTICALLY. THEY SAY THIS MONEY WILL BE A GAME CHANGER TO THE COMMUNITY. WE ACTUALLY HAVE TO WORK FOR SUSTAINABLE CHANGE, RIGHT? WE DON’T WANT TO JUST DO HANDOUTS OR RELIEF WORK. THE COMMUNITY HAS SAID WE DON’T WANT THAT. AND WE WANT TO WORK FOR WHAT DOES IT ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE TO FIX IT? WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE TO CREATE ALL THE DIFFERENT DYNAMICS THAT WOULD BE NEEDED FOR A COMMUNITY TO TRULY BE ABLE TO FLOURISH? HOW DO WE WO
Northeast OKC nonprofit reacts to $2M donation from billionaire philanthropist
MacKenzie Scott, a philanthropist and ex-wife of Jeff Bezos, gave $2 million to Restore OKC
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Updated: 5:50 PM CDT Mar 20, 2024
A billionaire philanthropist donated millions of dollars to a nonprofit organization in Oklahoma. | MORE | Billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott donates $2M to Oklahoma City nonprofitMacKenzie Scott, the ex-wife of Jeff Bezos, gave $2 million to Restore OKC. More than 6,000 organizations nationwide applied for these funds, and the northeast Oklahoma City nonprofit was selected. "Completely blown away with gratitude," said Caylee Dodson, the executive director of Restore OKC. Scott founded Yield Giving, which researches the organizations across the country that are the most vulnerable or in need of funding. Restore OKC applied for the funding last year. "We wound up scoring one of the highest applications, and so she gave $2 million," Dodson said. "It's an unreal investment into our work." Restore OKC is a nonprofit that focuses on restoration of the northeast Oklahoma City community. The organization prioritizes health, education, food insecurity, housing and more through their work. "It's hard to get funding to come along, and so to see that kind of an infusion of funds kind of lets us focus on how we not only get food access points but get food pricing where it needs to be," Dodson said. "It really is food access for our community and think about housing holistically.">> Download the KOCO 5 AppShe said the money will be a game-changer for the community. "We actually have to work for sustainable change. We don’t want to just do handouts or relief work. The community has said, 'We don’t want that. We want to work for (it).' What does it look like to fix it? What does it look like to create all the different dynamic for a community to flourish? How do we work as a community to do that?" Dodson said. Scott also donated $2 million to the Terence Crutcher Foundation in Tulsa. Top Headlines TIMELINE: Oklahoma severe storms could produce hail and a tornado risk on Wednesday Police release identity of man shot, killed during argument at southeast Oklahoma City home Police search for suspect after person shot twice in southwest Oklahoma City neighborhood Oklahoma business owner faces charges after allegedly beating, zip-tying employee Amazon's Big Spring Sale is live. The Prime Day-like deals you need to know about
OKLAHOMA CITY — A billionaire philanthropist donated millions of dollars to a nonprofit organization in Oklahoma.
| MORE | Billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott donates $2M to Oklahoma City nonprofit
MacKenzie Scott, the ex-wife of Jeff Bezos, gave $2 million to Restore OKC. More than 6,000 organizations nationwide applied for these funds, and the northeast Oklahoma City nonprofit was selected.
"Completely blown away with gratitude," said Caylee Dodson, the executive director of Restore OKC.
Scott founded Yield Giving, which researches the organizations across the country that are the most vulnerable or in need of funding. Restore OKC applied for the funding last year.
"We wound up scoring one of the highest applications, and so she gave $2 million," Dodson said. "It's an unreal investment into our work."
Restore OKC is a nonprofit that focuses on restoration of the northeast Oklahoma City community. The organization prioritizes health, education, food insecurity, housing and more through their work.
"It's hard to get funding to come along, and so to see that kind of an infusion of funds kind of lets us focus on how we not only get food access points but get food pricing where it needs to be," Dodson said. "It really is food access for our community and think about housing holistically."
>> Download the KOCO 5 App
She said the money will be a game-changer for the community.
"We actually have to work for sustainable change. We don’t want to just do handouts or relief work. The community has said, 'We don’t want that. We want to work for (it).' What does it look like to fix it? What does it look like to create all the different dynamic for a community to flourish? How do we work as a community to do that?" Dodson said.
Scott also donated $2 million to the Terence Crutcher Foundation in Tulsa.
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