Today, MacKenzie Scott’s Yield Giving announced that Tzedek DC has received a $1 million gift as one of the Yield Giving Open Call’s awardees for organizations working with people and in places experiencing the greatest need in the United States.
This gift, the largest unrestricted donation that Tzedek DC has ever received, will support our mission of safeguarding the legal rights and financial health of DC residents with low incomes facing the often-devastating consequences of debt collection and credit-related obstacles. Tzedek DC carries out our mission as anti-racism work in response to the massive racial wealth gaps in DC and nationwide. We seek to serve and empower our client base, which is comprised of 90% Black residents, 60% women, and 25% disabled community members. Since 2017, Tzedek DC has served over 3,000 client households in legal and financial counseling matters and catalyzed systemic reforms benefiting hundreds of thousands of DC residents.
“Tzedek DC is grateful for this extraordinary gift, which will deepen our ability to expand access to justice for DC residents, through our direct services, systemic reform work, and multi-lingual community education and outreach programs,” said Founding President & Director-Counsel Ariel Levinson-Waldman.
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.
The Open Call received 6,353 applications and initially planned for 250 awards of $1 million each. In the Fall of 2023, organizations top-rated by their peers advanced to a second round of review by an external Evaluation Panel recruited for experience relevant to this cause and underwent a final round of due diligence. In light of the incredible work of these organizations, as judged by their peers and external panelists, the donor team decided to expand the awardee pool and the award amount.
"We are excited that our partnership with Yield Giving has resonated with so many organizations," said Cecilia Conrad, CEO of Lever for Change, which helps donors find and fund bold solutions to the world’s biggest problems. "In a world teeming with potential and talent, the Open Call has given us an opportunity to identify, uplift, and empower transformative organizations that often remain unseen.”
About Tzedek DC
Tzedek DC’s name is drawn from the ancient Jewish teaching “Tzedek, tzedek tirdof,” or “Justice, justice you shall pursue.” Headquartered at the University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law, Tzedek DC’s mission is to safeguard the legal rights and financial health of DC residents with lower incomes facing the often-devastating consequences of debt collection and credit-related obstacles. This mission is carried out as anti-racism work in response to the massive wealth gaps tracking race in DC and nationwide. Tzedek DC seeks to serve and empower its client base, which is comprised of 90% Black folks, 60% women, and 25% disabled community members. Our strategic approach combines three synergistic activities: (i) free direct services—legal representation and advice and financial counseling; (ii) working in coalition to make systemic change; and (iii) providing bilingual community legal education on debt collection, identity theft, and credit management. Since 2017, Tzedek DC has served over 3,000 client households in legal matters and catalyzed systemic reforms benefiting hundreds of thousands of DC residents. To learn more, visit www.tzedekdc.org.
About Yield Giving
Established by MacKenzie Scott to share a financial fortune created through the effort of countless people, Yield Giving is named after a belief in adding value by giving up control. To date, Yield’s network of staff and advisors has yielded over $16,500,000,000 to 1,900+ non-profit teams to use as they see fit for the benefit of others. To learn more, visit www.yieldgiving.com.
About Lever for Change
Lever for Change connects donors with bold solutions to the world’s biggest problems—including issues like racial inequity, gender inequality, lack of access to economic opportunity, and climate change. Using an inclusive, equitable model and due diligence process, Lever for Change creates customized challenges and other tailored funding opportunities. Top-ranked teams and challenge finalists become members of the Bold Solutions Network—a growing global network that helps secure additional funding, amplify members’ impact, and accelerate social change. Founded in 2019 as a nonprofit affiliate of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Lever for Change has influenced over $1.7 billion in grants to date and provided support to more than 145 organizations. More information on the Yield Giving Open Call and other initiatives can be found at www.leverforchange.org.