Jeff Bezos Donates $ 97.5 Million to the First Group of Beneficiaries of his Bezos Day 1 Families Fund – GeekWire



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Jeff Bezos announced this morning that 24 organizations from across the country will receive $ 97.5 million in grants from his new Bezos Day 1 Families Fund. The founder of the Amazon launched his philanthropic initiatives in September, focusing on homeless families and early education.

"Immediate donations" will go to groups of 16 states. Two organizations are located near the headquarters of Amazon. Beneficiaries based in Washington and the amounts of their donations are:

  • Catholic Community Services from West Washington to Tacoma, $ 5 million
  • Seattle Refugee Women's Alliance, $ 2.5 Million

Last week, Amazon announced the establishment of its two new headquarters in New York and northern Virginia, near Washington, DC. Organizations in these areas will also receive grants from the Bezos Philanthropic Fund. They understand:

  • Community of Hope, Washington, D., $ 5 million
  • District Housing Security Alliance (DASH), Washington, DC, $ 2.5 million
  • Housing Families First, Henrico, VA, $ 2.5 million
  • Northern Virginia Family Service, Oakton, VA, $ 2.5 million
  • Urban Resource Institute, New York, $ 5 million

Mary's Place, a non-profit organization in Seattle that helps homeless women and children, was largely a sign of Bezos' decision to support homelessness organizations. However, Mary's Place Executive Director Marty Hartman was one of the experts to advise the selection process. Amazon is building a building on its Seattle campus that will house employees and customers at Mary's Place.

In this announcement published on the website of the Fund Day One – so named in a nod to Bezos, it is essential to treat each day with enthusiasm and energy of a new business, because it is "always the Day One "- Bezos briefly explained the intention of the gifts.

"The goal of the Day 1 Families Fund is to highlight and support organizations that do compassionate needle transfer work to provide shelter for young families in communities across the country," Bezos writes. .

"These 24 organizations are working on a number of initiatives to help families in need – from emergency shelters to safe, short-term shelters to help families get back on their feet. support for permanent housing and support services that help families move forward together. "It is hoped that these grants will provide the additional resources that these leaders and their organizations need to expand the reach and impact of their efforts."

The announcement did not contain any information on the other half of its initiative, namely the creation of the Day 1 Academies Fund, which will "launch and run a network of high-quality Montessori-inspired preschool schools with full scholarships" in underserved communities. "This effort is also expected to receive support of $ 1 billion in its first year.

The fund's website currently provides a brief description of the effort and says, "Stay tuned for updates."

Tuesday's announcement thanked a dozen advisors, including Hartman, who participated in the selection process. Other recipients of funding are:

  • Abode Services, Fremont, California, $ 5 million
  • Archdiocese of Charities Catholic of New Orleans, New Orleans, $ 5 million
  • Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami, Miami, $ 5 Million
  • Community Rebuilders, Grand Rapids, Mich., $ 5 million
  • Carrefour Rhode Island, Providence, RI $ 5 million
  • Cleveland, Emerald Development and Economic Network, $ 2.5 million
  • FrontLine Service, Cleveland, $ 2.5 Million
  • Hamilton Families, San Francisco, $ 2.5 million
  • Heartland Family Service, Omaha, NE, $ 5 million
  • JOIN, Portland, $ 5 million
  • LA Family Housing, North Hollywood, California, $ 5 million
  • Primo Center for Women and Children, Chicago, $ 2.5 Million
  • Homeless Services, Houston, $ 5 million
  • Simpson Housing Services, Minneapolis, $ 2.5 million
  • Salvation Army, Center of Hope, Charlotte, North Carolina, $ 5 million
  • Houston Grand Salvation Army, Houston, TX • $ 5 million
  • UMOM New Day Centers, Phoenix, $ 5 million

The website still lacks details about the Bezos Day One fund and how it works.

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