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First round of MacKenzie Scott funding focused on meeting Southern Nevada’s most pressing needs in the areas of student success, workforce development and community support
LAS VEGAS – United Way of Southern Nevada (UWSN) announces the investment of $1.2 million to 22 organizations across Southern Nevada. The programs awarded funds in the first round of Community Impact Grants are generously supported by the philanthropist and Amazon co-founder MacKenzie Scott. The grants will close learning gaps for local students, support Southern Nevadans as they rebuild their careers, and provide emergency housing assistance.
“This investment allows us to ensure children have access to a quality education, families have a roof over their heads, parents can gain new skills to re-enter the workforce, and Southern Nevadans most basic needs are met,” said Tom Kovach, UWSN Board Chair. “However, the need far outweighs the number of resources available. It is critical that we rally our community and leverage our partners to ensure we can continue to meet the most pressing needs facing children, families and individuals.”
As a pillar of our community, UWSN dedicated countless hours to ensure that those in need of housing, food, and utilities could make it through the pandemic. All told, more than 179,000 individuals have received support since March 2020 through funding provided by UWSN. The organization is now focused on helping even more as our community faces the end of the eviction moratorium and the fallout from the loss of jobs.
With a goal focused on ensuring every family has the support they need to succeed, UWSN is funding more than three times as many nonprofit organizations than in previous years with a focus on diversity, equity, access and inclusion.
To meet the evolving needs of the community, the organization took a responsive, innovative approach to funding and provided an open opportunity for organizations to submit “Letters of Interest” to describe how they would use funds to support recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic, while looking ahead to the future of the Southern Nevada community. The funded initiatives are helping to build pathways out of poverty by providing programs and services in the following three key impact areas:
Student Success: Helping students to graduate, close learning gaps and gain access to college and career resources.
Workforce Development: Building pathways to better paying jobs and employment.
Community Supports: Shelter, housing, and health support for those displaced by the pandemic.
Organizations were selected through a rigorous community process, including review panels hosted by United Way of Southern Nevada’s Impact Committee, community stakeholders, volunteers, and staff. Each program was reviewed by using a standardized rubric included with the application packet. A rigorous fiscal review was also conducted.
To view the full list of the 22 funded partners and learn how UWSN supports local nonprofits, visit uwsn.org/everyone.