The Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh has received $6 million from MacKenzie Scott, the former wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.
The Pittsburgh Urban League is one of 25 Urban League affiliates nationwide to receive funding from Scott, who was married to Bezos for 16 years before their divorce in 2019.
Scott remains a major shareholder of Amazon and, according to Bloomberg, was the 45th wealthiest person in the world as of 2021.
The gift from Scott is the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh’s largest single contribution in its 104-year history.
The organization works to empower Black communities through supportive and career-oriented services. The organization’s president and CEO Carlos Carter said he hopes the gift prompts other donors to do the same.
“I hope that others will follow this lead and invest in Black people and Black organizations,” Carlos said Monday. “I think it’ll better position us to create equity for all, and to make Pittsburgh and other regions livable for all.”
The city’s Urban League will determine how to use the money as it develops its 2023 strategic plan. No matter how it’s used, Carter said the funding will go to bolster the organization’s work to empower Black and other marginalized communities.
“I think it's something that can fuel those efforts because, really, our mission is economic self-reliance, and we want to focus on that,” Carter continued.
The Urban League’s programs include housing assistance, low-cost banking and financial services, homeowner counseling and youth leadership development.
The Urban League received $1 million from the Heinz Endowments for its employment programs earlier this month. The grant will focus on challenges faced by single parents in the communities across Pittsburgh and the Mon Valley, Carter said
The money will also be used to establish a child care resource fund.
