One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
A 'Transformational' Gift: Pasadena Early Childhood Center Gets MacKenzie Scott Donation
Families Forward Learning Center in Pasadena, an early childhood preschool, is one of hundreds receiving $2 million.
(
Mariana Dale/ LAist
)
Billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott donated $640 million to hundreds of nonprofits this week, including to more than 20 organizations in Southern California.
The Amazon co-founder put out an open call last year for nonprofits to apply for an award of $1 million.
Like many thousands of other nonprofits, Families Forward Learning Center, an early childhood center in Pasadena, decided to put their hat in the ring.
A couple of weeks ago, Elva Sandoval, the group’s executive director, started to check her emails every morning with bated breath. Then, one morning, she got the news.
“At this point, I don’t even recall the exact date, but that morning when I looked at the email and I read it, I just started to cry,” Sandoval said.
Families Forward instead got $2 million after the award amount was expanded, as did hundreds of other organizations.
Sponsored message
“We thought we were hoping for a million dollars, and then to find out that it would actually be two million — it was just, this is really going to be transformational for our families,” Sandoval said.
Sandoval said her organization, which provides free childcare and other direct services to families, is looking to use that money to expand their offerings, including more mental health services.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
