MacKenzie Scott's foundation donates $5M to Skills for Chicagoland's Future

CHICAGO - In a remarkable display of philanthropy, MacKenzie Scott's foundation has awarded a generous $5 million donation to "Skills for Chicagoland's Future," a Chicago non-profit organization with a mission to connect qualified individuals with quality job opportunities.

Skills for Chicagoland's Future focuses on bridging the employment gap and helping individuals in underserved communities gain access to well-matched job placements. Last year, a significant 91 percent of the job placements made by the organization were extended to Black, Indigenous, and other people of color, emphasizing its commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Bridget Altenburg, CEO of Skills for Chicagoland's Future, expressed her enthusiasm regarding the substantial donation.

"It's gonna help us serve more people on the South and West Sides, to bring them into our process and help overcome some of the barriers that they have to employment. The biggest barrier people have is connections to employers, and we have great relationships with wonderful values-aligned employers. We're looking forward to working with even more employers and even more people on South and West Sides to get them connected to quality jobs."

The impact of this donation will be substantial, extending support to communities that often face limited employment opportunities. Over 70 percent of the applicants served by the organization come from historically underserved neighborhoods in Chicago.