MacKenzie Scott donated $13.5 million to Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver — the largest single donation in the chapter's history — as part of a larger gift of $436 million to Habitat for Humanity throughout the country.
“This is the largest single donation in our history and will have a momentum-building impact on our work,” said Heather Lafferty, CEO of Habitat Metro Denver. “It is a vote of confidence in the collective work of many people – homeowners, staff, board, donors, volunteers and community partners. This gift will allow us to dream even bigger about accelerating our production, serve as a catalyst for equity and systems change, and ultimately, create more homeownership opportunities in our community.”
The author and philanthropist has donated billions of dollars to several organizations across the country over the past few years.
Habitat Metro Denver said this gift comes at a "critical time" in the affordable housing crisis. According to the organization, nearly half of Colorado renters are spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs. In metro Denver, the median sales price of a single-family home in February was $615,000, a 20% increase compared to the prior year, according to Habitat Metro Denver.
“Even as we celebrate this gift, we are doubling down on our commitment to meet this moment and support those struggling to find an affordable home,” said Lafferty. “Our sincere thanks to Ms. Scott, and all the partners who have helped shape Habitat Metro Denver into the organization it is today. This gift is both a reason to celebrate and to energetically propel our efforts forward to help more families gain stability and economic mobility through homeownership. Too many people have been left out of the wealth-building opportunity that homeownership provides. We aim to change that.
This is not Scott's first donation to a Colorado organization. In 2020, she donated $20 million to Mile High United Way, which was the largest single donation in the organization's history. She also donated money to Goodwill Colorado that same year.
To learn more about Habitat Metro Denver, click here.