Chaffey College has received a generous and historic $25 million gift from writer and philanthropist Mackenzie Scott, she announced on her website on June 15, 2021. Scott, who has donated millions of dollars to help those left behind in higher education and society, chose Chaffey for its dedication to fairness.
“Higher education is a surefire path to opportunity, so we looked for two- and four-year institutions that were successful in educating students from chronically underserved communities.” She wrote.
Chaffey’s main campus is in Rancho Cucamonga and the satellite campus is in Fontana.
Director and President of Chaffey College, Henry Shannon, said the college was absolutely overwhelmed by Scott’s generosity. “The national headlines detail the spillover effect of Mrs. Scott’s gifts in the philanthropic world,” Shannon said. “The spillover we experience here at Chaffey College and throughout the region will be tremendous. We are very grateful to Mrs. Scott.”
Chaffey is one of 286 organizations receiving $ 2.7 billion in gifts. Organizations include several community colleges and state universities. McKenzie Scott has donated hundreds of millions of dollars to higher education such as Hispanic institutions, historically black colleges and universities, and tribal colleges serving Native Americans. She described these organizations and the other organizations she supported as “agents of change.” “Their services help and empower others.” Scott said.
Dr. Henry Shannon’s leadership has promoted equity and educational access initiatives and helped universities get the attention needed to achieve this gift. Shannon was awarded the National CEO of the Year by the Community College Council in 2018. Chaffey has been named one of the Top 10 Community Colleges in the United States by the Aspen Community College Excellence Institute.
“Chaffey College has had incredible success under the leadership of Dr. Shannon,” Obit said. “His influence extends to local, state and national levels with services from various academic and government agencies, and his work on our campus is helping countless lives. We were surprised and excited to receive Mrs. Scott’s gift, but it’s no surprise that Dr. Shannon and his students, faculty and staff are the catalysts that brought it.”
According to Shannon, the leadership of the Chaffey College Board of Directors has also played an important role in securing gifts. “We are fortunate to be surrounded by the visionary leadership of the board, management and the campus community,” says Shannon.
Mckenzie Scott and her husband, Dan Jewette, are part of The Giving Pledge. The Giving Pledge is a campaign aimed at encouraging very wealthy people to donate most of their wealth to philanthropy. In the last quarter of 2020 alone, Scott donated $ 4.1 billion to 384 organizations that can help those suffering from the effects of the pandemic, from food banks to legal defense funds dedicated to combating institutional discrimination. Scott is the ex-wife of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos.
Chaffey will use this gift to help families with their first college studies, students of color, and students with low socio-economic backgrounds. Funding also supports basic needs programs.
Learn more about the Chaffey College InTech Center.
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