Gift will help significantly advance the organization's mission to provide life-changing experiences, mentorship, and programming to empower Girls throughout Nassau County to become future leaders
GARDEN CITY, NY (OCTOBER 18, 2022) — Girl Scouts of Nassau County announced today that it has received a $1.8 million donation from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. Through this generous donation, Girl Scouts of Nassau County will accelerate programming designed to equip girls with the tools to become the next generation of powerful leaders, create new programmatic opportunities, encourage access for new communities, improve cultural competency and think outside-the-box to create new ways to meet the needs of today’s girls. This generous gift is part of an $84.5 million donation awarded to GSUSA and 29 local councils selected by MacKenzie Scott, making this unprecedented investment the largest donation from a single individual in the national organization’s history.
“This humbling and empowering gift will accelerate our ability to provide girls with the tools and mentorship to make a difference in their communities and make the world a better place,” said Randell Bynum, the chief executive officer of Girl Scouts of Nassau County. “At Girl Scouts of Nassau County, we see how our programming excites and inspires girls across every community we serve, and this generous contribution will further Girl Scouts mission to help our girls grow into future leaders in business, science, arts and everything in between, and will help us expand access through innovation and diversity. We are incredibly grateful for MacKenzie Scott’s commitment to supporting and uplifting young girls.”
The $1.8 million funding is expected to have an immediate impact on Girl Scouts of Nassau County’s programming. Among the planned initiatives is establishment of a new, 1250-2500 square-foot girl program center and event space in a growing Girl Scout neighborhood. This facility will strategically hold daily Girl Scout programming and also serve as flexible location for council programs, activities with community partners, troop/service unit meetings and production studio to give girls media and content development experience.
Girl Scouts of Nassau County also plans to develop a three-year strategic plan focusing on diversity to ensure all girls have access to Girl Scouts and feel like they belong. This will include comprehensive training opportunities for staff members, DEI workshops for volunteers and implementing age-appropriate programming experiences for girls at all levels. In addition, Girl Scouts of Nassau County has also created an IDEA Lab (Innovation, Diversity, Equity and Access), which is the staff team that will focus on innovative efforts, both operational and programmatic for the organization. This will include bolstering a range of pilot programs including expanding family engagement experiences, promoting advocacy for girls and fostering mental and physical wellness, art exploration and college and career readiness.
“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 Sofia Chang, chief executive officer of Girl Scouts of USA. “The support from all our donors, including this generous support from MacKenzie Scott is critical in delivering on our work of reimagination and transformation. We’re excited to prove how her investment in girls will change the world - because when one girl succeeds, we all succeed.”
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 about the Girl Scouts of Nassau County and its efforts to support girls and communities throughout Nassau County, visit www.gsnc.org.
We Are Girl Scouts: Girl Scouts bring their dreams to life and work together to build a better world. Through programs in Nassau County, across Long Island and from coast to coast, Girl Scouts of all backgrounds and abilities can be unapologetically themselves as they discover their strengths and rise to meet new challenges—whether they want to climb to the top of a tree or the top of their class, lace up their boots for a hike or advocate for climate justice, or make their first best friends. Backed by trusted adult volunteers, mentors, and millions of alumni, Girl Scouts leads the way as they find their voices and make changes that affect the issues most important to them. To join us, volunteer, reconnect, or donate, visit girlscouts.org.
With 111 councils nationwide, GSUSA has a presence in every zip code. Each new investment enables Girl Scouts to become a unifier at the broadest level, harnessing the leadership skills of generations to come and ensuring a future that is inclusive, empathetic, united, and equitable.
###
