The Rapides Foundation brought Super Bowl Champion Malcolm Mitchell to Central Louisiana to conducthis reading
64 elementary schools over atwo-year period, reaching over20,000 students.
THE GIFTSTHAT KEEP ON GIVING
MacKenzieScott’s Yield Giving fund provided morethan$182M
BY LAUREN CHERAMIE Staff writer
By giving more than $182 millionto improve the lives of many in Louisiana, MacKenzie Scott’sYield Giving fund has changed the trajectory of 51 Louisiana nonprofits since2020.
“People bet on awinning horse,” said Denali Lander,senior director of developmentatPropel America,which received an undisclosed amount from Scott in 2023. (In total, 14 Louisiana organizations received undisclosed amounts.) PropelAmerica serves communities in Louisiana, New Jersey,Pennsylvania and California
“Tohave that endorsement from MacKenzie Scott helpsustoshowcase thatwe arebeing seenfor thework that we’re doing, and that is so beneficial,” Lander said.
In 2019,Scott,former wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, pledged to shareher financial fortune “until the safe is empty” throughThe Giving Pledge —a movement of philanthropists who committo give the majority of their wealth to charitable causes, either during their lifetimes or in theirwills.Todoso, Scottcreated her foundation,Yield Giving, namedafter abeliefinadding value by giving up control.
In herPledgeLetter,Scottfeatured an excerpt from Annie Dillard’s“The Writing Life”: “The impulse to save something good for abetter place later
Middle school students learnhow to use asyringeatCampFast Forward, one of manyprojects funded under a$4.4 milliongrant from The Rapides Foundation to develop future healthcare workers.
“I believe the gifts will do more good if others are free from my ideas about what they should do. And this trust —another resource it’sdifficult to measure —isthe aspectofgifts that manyhavesaid they valuemost.”
PHILANTHROPIST MACKENZIE SCOTT
is the signal to spend it now Something more will arise forlater,something better… Anything youdonot give freely andabundantly becomes lost to you. You open your safe and find ashes.”
Throughout Louisiana, the nonprofit organizations have receivedno-strings-
ä See SCOTT, page 3G
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO
Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, former wifeofAmazon mogulJeff Bezos.
HOWYOU CANHELP: VOLUNTEEROPPORTUNITIES
If you would no longer like to
My family’sdeep roots in the smalltown where Igrew up provided an anchor thatIdidn’t recognize until decades after Ileft. When Ispoke of going home, there wasonly one place where Imeant —Forest,Mississippi.
In recent years, all of my immediate family members have leftour littletownand, slowly but surely,the webofmyextended family has dwindled there, too. To quoteasong by Lori McKenna, “You live long enough, the people you love get old.” Even so, Ilike to come back to the places and people Iknew growing up. My childhood friend Brian Kaskie and Iused to talk about thisvery thing. Aftercollege, he became aCatholic priest and oftencounseled kids in Catholic schools in Mississippi. He once told me that he oftensaid to his students, “Be nice to these people. One day,they will be the only ones who knew you whenyou were young.”
I’minthe middle of atrip to Mississippi. Because Idon’t have thatanchor place in my hometown, the rhythm of this tripisdifferent, which is both simultaneously sad and happy It’satrip of connecting various dots.
First, Imet achildhood friend, Christopher Gilmer,ata fancy restaurant in Jackson. I’ma year older thanhim, which means littlenow.Growing up, however,I wasayear older than him so we didn’thang out much. Plus, he wasalready much smarter than Iwill ever be back then, and Ispent most of my freetime playing some kind of sports (or curled up with abook somewhere). So, we didn’tfind much common ground there either.Time, though, has alleviated much of whatseparated us back then. In theyears since we bothleftour hometown, he has gone on to become auniversity president,anincredible writer and accomplish so much in the field of diversityand inclusion. Spending time with afellow writerwho not only shares my hometown but the same elementary,middle and high school teachers opens up aworld of conversation —and is an incredible gift.
After dinner,I drove to acousin’shouse to spendthe night Technically,she’smymother’s sister’sdaughter’sdaughter.(I love tracking familial relations —and Ilove my cousins.) I’ma generation ahead of her,sowe have watched our family from different vantage points. We ended up spending hours talking
ä See RISHER, page 2G
LouisianaInspiredhighlightsvolunteer opportunities across south Louisiana.Ifyourorganization has specific volunteeropportunities, pleaseemail us at lainspired @theadvocate.com with details on the volunteer opportunity,organization and the contact/registration information volunteers wouldneed
Acadiana
The Children’sMuseum of Acadiana, 210 E. CongressSt. Lafayette, is ahands-on, educationally basedmuseum serving children, as well as their families, schools and community organizations.This is donebyproviding interactiveexhibits, special services, performances and workshops.Itsees more than 44,000visitors from 37 parishesacross Louisiana annually For volunteer opportunities, visit childrensmuseumofacadiana. com.
BatonRouge
Girlsonthe Run South Louisiana, 2041 Perkins Road, is the localcouncil of anational organization that envisionsa world where every girl knowsand activates her limitlesspotential and isfree to boldly pursue her dreams.
The organization serves18parishes in South Louisiana and has almost 13,000 girlswho have gone through its program since2009.The organization hosts twoseasons ayear:Fall, fromSeptember to November,and Spring,from February to May.Teams meet twice aweek for75-90 minutesfor 10 weeks.The organization provides alltraining and materials and no running or coaching experience is required. Forvolunteer opportunities, visit girlsontherunsola.org
NewOrleans
Children’sHospital, Inc.’s volunteer services, 200 HenryClay Ave., NewOrleans, has amission to provide dedicated, caring volunteerstoserve children receiving medicalcare,their families, visitors and employees.Volunteersaugmentthe work of hospital personnel so that theyhavemore timetocare for patients.Volunteerselevate the patient experience, make an invaluable contribution to thequalityofpatient care and help the hospital continue to be an extraordinaryplace forchildren to receivetheir health care. For volunteer opportunities, visit chnola.org
PROVIDED PHOTOS
ralliesatall
Oneblood donation equals threelives
BY LAUREN CHERAMIE
Staff writer
Barley Juarez is the south division communications manager covering Tennessee, Mississippi andLouisiana forVitalant, oneofthe nation’s largest nonprofit blood and biotherapies healthcare organizations. Shehas beenanemployee for six yearswith Vitalant,whose mission is to find abetter way for the patients, hospitals and communities they serve and positively impact.
What are the basic eligibilityrequirements for donating blood?
Donating blood is safe and easy to do, but there are afew basic requirements to donate blood. If youare in good health and meet the general eligibility blood donation requirements, thenyou are likely able togive blood. Participants must be at least16years old and weighat least 110pounds. For specific requirements in your area, call 877-258-4825. Participants must also be in good general health. You should not be under the influence of alcohol or recreational drugsatthe time of donation Youmust wait eight weeks betweenwhole blooddonations.
TheFoodand Drug Administration hasestablished blood donation requirements tokeep the blood supply safe from bloodborne diseases and also keep patients safe from anything in adonor’sblood(such as amedication) that could harm them.
Do you have anytips for asuccessful blood donation or how participants should prepare before, during and after?
Before you roll up your sleevetohelp someone else, we always ask you to take care ofyourself too. Here aresome things each donor can do to preparethemselves before and after their donation.
n Eatahealthy, low-fat meal within two hours of your donation. The day before, eat a salty snack. When you donate blood, you lose about agramof salt. Replacing it ahead of time
STAFF FILE PHOTO BY JAVIER GALLEGOS
Maria Breazeale squeezes afoam ball while givingblood as she chats withemployeeLauren Lavine during the Vitalant blood drive at Perkins Rowe on July 23
helps keep yourblood pressure normal
n Hydratebydrinking8 to 16 ounces of non-alcoholic beveragesone hour before you donate.Waterorsport drinks are greatchoices
n Upon arrival, check-in for your appointment and make sure to bring avalid picture ID withyou to your donation.
n The specialist will cleanan area on your arm and insert a sterile needle tobegin.
n Samples of your blood will becollected for testing. You will then complete the donation process.
n Enjoylight refreshments to replenish fluids andnutrients.
Howmanylives doesa single blood donation save?
Daily personal emergencies and ongoing medical needs of thousands of patients require a constant and ready blood supply.Every dayinthe U.S.
patients in hospitals, surgical centers, andemergency treatment facilities need approximately:
n 30,000 unitsofRed blood cells
n 6,000 units of platelets
n 6,000 units of plasma
All threeofthese blood components is what make up a whole blood donation and the reason whywesay thateach donorcan saveuptothree liveswith each whole blood donation. What is theimportance of blooddonation?
Donating blood makes an impact, andeveryone can play arole by becoming adonor When yougiveblood with Vitalant, you have thepotential to help hospitalpatients within your community and nationwide
There is aglobal increased need for blood donations due
to adecrease in donor popula-
tionwhichdirectly affectsthe numberofdonations per year, which has decreased as well over the past few years.
On July 16, Vitalant went on an emergency appeal due to the shortage of type Oblood. All donors, especially those with type O, are urgedtomake an appointment to give. The supply of type Orecently dropped to an 18-month low and must be replenished immediately to avoid delays in patient care.
Arethere anycomplications with blood donation after the coronavirus? If so,how can people combat that?
The blood donationprocess has been the same before, during and after the pandemic. During the thattime, we sawa severe declineinblood collections. Since then, and with the constant help andsupport of our donorbase, we have grown and increased our needed blood supply greatly
We are still not at the levels we were before COVID but continue to claim daily to achieve the levels we were prior to the pandemic. Most donorscan give at least three times ayear but many only utilizeone donation yearly
Thisiswhy being ablood donorand donatingblood is so vital because thereisnoartificial substitution for blood. Every two seconds someoneneeds a bloodtransfusion. Is thereanything else youwantthe community to know?
Vitalant is hosting a“Grocery Giveaway” soon. All who donate bloodnow until Aug. 29 will be automatically entered for achancetowin one of two $10,000 giftcards. All donors who come to give blood, platelets or plasma willreceive a $10giftcardvia DonorRewards. Donors must have an online donor account and be optedinto the Donor Rewards programtoredeem points for the $10gift card.
Email Lauren Cheramie at lauren.cheramie@ theadvocate.com
RISHER
Continued from page1G
lateintothe night.Itwas aheartening conversation thatleftmefeeling hopeful about the future
The next morning my cousin made breakfast and her young daughter, who is about to start first grade, gave me atour of the doll house she made out of acardboard box. It had aseashell as asofa, completewithamarker-drawnremotecontrol on itsarm. After breakfast,I worked upstairs in aquiet room. As the morning progressed, Iheard some commotion downstairs but wasonadeadline and didn’thave time to leave my keyboard and computer.When lunchtime arrived, Iwalked downthe stairs to find my hostess’ mother and two of her sisters —three of my first cousins —who had come over to surprise me forlunch. One of themwas even making homegrown fried okra. It wasajoyous and unexpected mini-family reunion.
FromJackson, I’mheaded to Starkville, Mississippi, where I’ll visit some of my dearest friends, including my old college roommate. We’ll celebrateabig birthday with another dear college friend. Like my friend Brian Kaskie knew all along, it’s good forthe heart to be with people you love who also happened to know you whenyou were young —because as McKenna sings, “If you live long enough, the people you love get old.” Email Jan Risheratjan.risher@ theadvocate.com.
STAFF FILE PHOTOBYJAN RISHER
Fromleft, Jan Risher,GinaMagnum, MaryZeairyn, Cheryl McNeil, Bill Holden, ErinHolden Zeairyn, Cullen Zeairyn and RhondaHolden are pictured in Flowood, Mississippi in August.
attached monetary donations from Yield Giving. Each donation is paid upfront and left unrestricted to give every organization maximum flexibility,without any burdensome reporting requirements.
Research leadstobig change
To cede focus to each organization, Yield Giving does notparticipate in events or media stories.
Scott explained the decision process in selecting the firstwave of 116 organization to receivegrants. She employed ateam of nonprofit advisors withrepresentation from historically marginalized race, genderand sexual identitygroups to help her find and assess organizations. Through “quiet research,” Yield Giving’steam identified candidate organizations and evaluated them through acareful analysis of criteria that is specific to size,geography and mission. The advisors completed these steps as privately and anonymouslyaspossible to limit the burden on non-profits and avoid diverting them from their work. When an organization met the criteria, the team reached out to donate money
“Because our researchisdatadriven and rigorous, our giving process can be human and soft,” Scott wrote in aDecember 2020 essay,“384 Ways to Help.”
Using the quiet research method, Scott donated more than $172 million to 40 Louisiana-based organizations, as well as national organizations withbranches in the state, between 2020 and 2023. Expandingand improving
In Alexandria, The Rapides Foundation received $14 million in 2022 to further its mission of improving the health status of central Louisiana. Joe Rosier,the foundation’s president and chief executive officer said that the board of trustees agreed to use the moneytodeepen the foundation’scurrent strategies, in an informal surveyofnineLouisiana nonprofits who received the grants. Through the organization’s education initiative, The Rapides Foundation increasedspending in the areas of early childhood literacy and childcare access. Under the healthcare access initiate,they increased
spending for mental health access programs forthe people of central Louisiana
Additional money from Scott made it possible for the foundation to bringMalcolm Mitchell —a formerwide receiverfor theNew EnglandPatriots who won aSuper Bowl with the team in2017 —tocentral Louisiana to conductreading rallies at 64 elementary schools over atwo-yearperiod. In total Mitchell andhis messageofliteracy reached more than 20,000 centralLouisiana students.Mitchell created hisShare the Magic Foundation to transform children’s lives through literacy Propel America, with branches in NewOrleans andBatonRouge, offers tuition-free job training for healthcare careers inLouisiana. The nonprofit usedthe moneyitreceived in 2023 to cover staff capacity,innovation and technology costs, which aren’t alwayssupported by restricted grants
TwoLouisiana United Wayorganizations —United WayofSoutheast Louisiana and Capital Area United Way— received acombined total of $15 millionin2020
Melanie Henderson, seniordirector of community impact at Capital Area United Way, saidthe $5 million allowedthe organizationtodedicate time to plan for disaster readiness
and recovery, as well as focusintensely on diversity,equity andinclusion activities.
“Asanorganizationwetooka deep, introspective look into our internal operations withthe guidance of We Are Beloved,” Henderson said in an informal survey from thenewspaper.“We dedicated staff time throughreallocationofroles and responsibilities as well as setting up an internal workinggroup for strategic equity planning.”
Trusting nonprofits
In March 2023, Scott launched thesecondwaveofdonations through an open call for community-led, community-focused organizations whose purpose is to advance the opportunities of people in underserved communities. The nonprofit organizations were invitedtoapply andshare theimpact of their efforts. The open call received 6,353 applications from across the country.
In 2024, Yield Giving announced that 361 organizations nationwide received $640 million to advance their work with those who face systemic obstacles. Five Louisiana-based organizations, as well as one national organization with abranch in the state, received a combined $10 millionfrom Yield
Giving’sopen call:
n The Louisiana Center for Children’sRights, $1 million
n The Institute of Women &Ethnic Studies, $2 million
n The First 72+, $1 million
n Disability Rights Louisiana, $2 million
n Promise of Juice Initiative, $2 million
n Baton Rouge Youth Coalition, $2 million.
LibbyKiger, director of development at Disability Rights Louisiana, said the open-call process allowed other applicants to rate the organizations and provide feedback. Those organizations that were top-rated by theirpeers advanced to asecond round of review for an external evolution panel and then progressed to afinal round of due diligence.
“What’seven more powerful than the lack of intense reporting requirements is the trust (Scott) is signaling with this,” Kiger said.
Disability Rights of Louisiana’s new executive director,Ranie Thompson, started her role one day before the award from Yield Giving was announced. Kiger says Thompson is taking the time to assess every corner of the program
“Wewant to make sure that anything we do is sustainable and has
longevity,sothat makes us think outside the box in finding new approaches or addressing problems that already exist,” Kiger said.
An ‘astronomical’ impact
In NewOrleans,The First72+ —a nonprofit that strives to stop the cycle of incarceration by fostering independence and self-sustainability —received $1 million thisyearfromYield Giving. Chloe Dinman, executive support and policy advocate at The First 72+, said the Scott donation has had an “astronomical” impact for thesmall nonprofit.
The organization has used the funding to do the following:
n Provide morecomprehensive support to formerly incarcerated individuals, such as create more robust programming like employment training, cooking school and life skills.
n Hire adirector of economic empowerment and head case manager
n Expand job training and education resources.
n Offer additional housing assistance.
n Extend its reach to help more people reintegrate successfully into society and reduce recidivism rates.
ElinHawkinson, withthe Baton Rouge YouthCoalition, said thatthe $2 millionthe nonprofit received this year has strengthened BRYC’s financialfoundationtoserve more students in the area. By fall 2025, BRYC hopes to launch the BRYC Career Institute.
Ripple effectsofpositivity
To date, Scott’snetwork of staff and advisors have yielded more than $17 billion to more than 2,300 nonprofit teams to use asthey see fit for the benefit of others. This progressive approach to philanthropy is one that Scott recognizes.
“I understand that this approach, and probably anyapproach,will mean having given to organizations that might make choices Iwouldn’tmakemyself, but that’sthe point,” Scott wrote in 2021. “I believe the gifts will do more good if others are free from my ideas about what they should do. And this trust —another resource it’sdifficult to measure —isthe aspect of gifts that many have said they value most.”
Email Lauren Cheramie at lauren.cheramie@theadvocate. com.
PROVIDED PHOTO
Allie Diefendorf, center,helps eleventh graders Katelyn Smith,left, and Ya’MiyaShears, right, withself-regulated learning skills on the science section for ACTprep.
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