On Tuesday, March 19, MacKenzie Scott’s Yield Giving announced The Center for Teen Empowerment, Inc. (Teen Empowerment) as one of the Yield Giving Open Call’s awardees working with people and in places experiencing the greatest need in the United States. Teen Empowerment, which works in Boston and Somerville, MA and Rochester, NY to engage youth as agents of social change, received $2 million.

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.

“Yield Giving’s goal of elevating community-led, community-focused organizations that advance the voices and opportunities of who have met with discrimination and other systemic obstacles is a core tenant of our work,” said Teen Empowerment Chief Executive Officer Abrigal Forrester. “We are so proud to be among the group of recipients doing powerful, important work to achieve social equity and truly appreciate this opportunity to increase our sustainability and reach more youth and communities.”

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. “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.”

More information on the Yield Giving Open Call and other initiatives can be found at www.leverforchange.org. More information on Teen Empowerment can be found at www.teenempowerment.org.