NeighborGood Partners recently received a sizable grant from MacKenzie Scott’s Yield Giving Foundation.
The $5 million dollar unrestricted grant was part of Scott’s 2024 year-end donations to various organizations and nonprofits around the country.
The grant to NeighborGood Partners was unsolicited. Scott’s foundation chose them as one of the 199 organizations to split over $2 billion dollars.
The money will allow NeighborGood Partners to expand work to address the affordable housing crisis through counseling and development, financial education, and lending.
"Think about what would really be helpful. You know, we've helped over 10,000 families buy a house in Delaware, and it is getting harder and harder for those families, typically low and moderate-income families to find a house that they can afford that. What can we do with that? We're helping with rent stability in terms of helping people stay and not become evicted, and is there something we could do with that," said NeighborGood Partners Executive Director Karen Speakman.
Speakman notes the grant will also help them to bridge critical funding gaps, ignite fresh ideas, and continue making a difference in communities.
Speakman says the funding can go in a few different directions.
"It could be where we provide maybe some down payment and settlement assistance for home buyers, or some emergency rental funding, it could be where we look at our overall technology, and how can we improve upon that," said Speakman.
Speakman notes the funding can also go to help with rent stability, or helping to bridge funding gaps or igniting fresh ideas.
