We are beyond thrilled to announce a monumental milestone in our 50th-anniversary journey. Friends of Guest House has been awarded a $2 million grant from philanthropist Mackenzie Scott’s Yield Giving fund as one of the Yield Giving Open Call’s awardees working with people and in places experiencing the greatest need in the United States.
In March 2023, Yield Giving launched an Open Call for community-led, community-focused organizations whose explicit purpose is to enable individuals and families to achieve substantive improvement in their well-being through foundational resources. In total, 6,353 organizations from around the nation participated in this grant process for the opportunity to win a $1 million award, and after two rounds of consideration, Guest House was ultimately recognized as one of the “highest scoring” organizations (out of the 250 chosen award winners) and was instead awarded $2 million!
This transformative grant from Mackenzie Scott’s Yield Giving is a testament to the dedication and impact of our organization over the past five decades. We are deeply grateful for this extraordinary gesture of support that will enable us to strengthen our programs, reach more women in need, and create lasting positive change in our community.
As we celebrate our 50th anniversary with our Half a Century of Hope Gala on June 6th, the organization remains committed to its mission of empowering women to transform their lives and make meaningful contributions to their communities. However, despite this significant milestone and the recent grant from Mackenzie Scott’s Yield Giving, the need for reentry support for women remains critical.
While we are immensely joyful for this generous grant, our work is far from over. This grant will not solve the problem of the lack of resources and grace available to our women as they reenter our community. But it is a lifesaver. To be blunt, this transformative gift came at the most opportune time to help make our mission more sustainable for the future. We’re grateful for every donation, big and small; it makes a direct difference in the lives of our women. So, my hope is that this grant will allow Guest House the space to reach our long-planned goals that have historically always been out of reach. As we embark on this new journey of development, we want to continue to welcome supporters and donors of all forms into our mission, because it is their belief in Guest House, that has made our goals into a reality. Our organization has welcomed over 5,000+ women in our programs, and with the continued help of our community, we can transform even more lives in the future.
Thank you for your continued support of the women at Guest House. We are grateful for you. Today, we celebrate.
Together in mission,
Sonja Allen
Executive Director
Friends of Guest House
