Local โคNonprofit 10,000 Degrees Receivesโค Meaningful Grant from MacKenzie Scott
A Marin County-based nonprofit, 10,000 Degrees, has beenโฃ awarded a substantial grantโ from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, signaling โฃa major boost โคfor its college access and success programs. While the exact amount of the grant hasn’t been โdisclosed,โข the organization’s leadership anticipates significant expansion as โa result.
According to Kim Mazzuca, โExecutive Director of 10,000 Degrees, Scott’s organization had been evaluating the nonprofit’s performance โคfor some time, with a particular focus on student outcomes.
10,000 Degrees currently supports 12,000 high school studentsโ and 4,300 collegeโ students acrossโ eight Bay Area counties – Marin, Napa, Lake, Sonoma,โค Contra Costa, San Mateo, San Francisco, and Santa Clara. The organization provides โคa comprehensive suite of services including peer support, financial aid guidance, workshops,โค smallโ group instruction, and scholarships.
In the โคpastโข year alone, 10,000 Degrees distributed $10 million in scholarships to college students, and assisted them in โขsecuring anโ additional $73 โฃmillion in financial aid. collegeโค students also benefit from a paid peer mentor โขwho provides supportโฃ navigating challenges related to โคhousing,โ academics, transportation, and healthcare.
The nonprofit’s high school programโ focuses on guiding students towardโ attending โฃcommunity college for two years before transferring to a four-year university. Mazzuca highlighted the success of this โขmodel, noting that 10,000 โDegrees students demonstrate improved outcomes by beginning their higherโ educationโ journey at aโข community college.
The โขnew funding will allow 10,000 Degreesโ to broaden its impact, bothโ within existing โcommunities and โฃby โexpanding into new areas. Mazzuca stated the grant will โข”catapult” the organization to a “much greaterโ impact.” A portion โฃof the funds will be allocated to hiring additional staff to facilitate this expansion, and another portionโข will increase scholarship opportunities. the organization also plansโ to โขexplore the potential of artificial intelligence programs to furtherโ support student success.
10,000 Degrees โserves 300 high schools throughout the region, with aโข especially strong presence in Marin County, where it operates in all high school districts – โขeven surpassing itsโ reach in San โFrancisco and Sonoma. The organization โspecifically serves studentsโฃ from low-incomeโฃ families, withโค 92%โ being first-generation collegeโฃ students and 92% identifying as studentsโฃ of color.
Founded in 1981, 10,000 Degrees has โsupported over 80,000 students and awarded more than $113 million in scholarships.The organization boasts an 80% four-year college graduationโข rate for its students, double the national average. Similarly, โits community โcollege transfer students graduate from four-year institutions atโข twice theโค national rate.
The grant comesโ fromโ MacKenzie Scott, who has a net worth of approximately $34โ billionโ (according to Forbes) following her divorce from Jeff Bezos. Scott pledged to donate more than half of her wealth to charitable causes through โขthe Giving Pledge, an initiative startedโ by Bill andโ Melinda French โขGatesโ and Warren Buffett, and has already given โคaway approximately $19.2โข billion,including a โฃrecent โ$70 millionโ donation toโค UNCF,the United Negro College Fund.
