Junior Achievement of Southeastern Pennsylvania Receives $600,000 Gift from Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott

Author: JA of Southeastern PA
Community Involvement
Published: Tuesday, 16 Aug 2022

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Text: Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott just made the largest donation in JA's history of $38.8 Million.Thank you for believing in the unlimited possibilities of young people and their ability to positively change communities.

Image caption: This donation will allow us to build the capacity to double our impact!

Junior Achievement of Southeastern PA announced today that it has received a gift of $600,000 from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. It is part of a total of $38.8 million donated to Junior Achievement USA and JA operations in 26 communities across the country. This is the largest gift from a single donor in the organization’s 103-year history.

“We greatly appreciate the incredible generosity of MacKenzie Scott for this amazing gift to our organization,” said Stephanie Gambone, President, and CEO. “We see this investment as a recognition of all the great work taking place in our community because of the passion and commitment of the business leaders, educators, volunteers, and other partners who support Junior Achievement locally. This donation will allow us to make even better use of other community investments to positively impact the lives of the young people we serve.”

Junior Achievement of Southeastern Pennsylvania will use the funds to build the capacity to double experiences by 2024.This will include expanded programming in Philadelphia. The timing of the gift aligns with the strategic planning process the organization will undergo beginning Fall 2022.

MacKenzie Scott noted in a recent blog, “Communities with a habit of removing obstacles for different subsets of people tend to get better for everyone.” This echoes JA’s vision of a world where young people have the skillset and mindset to build thriving communities - and we are committed to making it a reality. Through our programs and network of teachers and volunteers, JA brings entrepreneurship to life, demystifies financial concepts like budgeting and taxes, and makes planning for future careers exciting.

About Junior Achievement of Southeastern Pennsylvania

Junior Achievement of Southeastern PA (JA SEPA) was founded in 1951 and proudly serves Greater Philadelphia, Berks County, and the Lehigh Valley. Last year, JA SEPA reached over 20,000 students with over 98,000 instructional hours in classrooms and after-school locations. Over 500 volunteer mentors brought JA programs to life as they shared their education and career journeys and helped make connections between the classroom and the real world.