December 15, 2020
Borough of Manhattan Community College/CUNY is thrilled to have been awarded $30 million, the college’s largest gift, by philanthropist and author MacKenzie Scott. The gift will be used to establish the President’s Fund for Excellence and Innovation at BMCC and to support other transformative initiatives identified by the College.
“We are grateful for the transformational, life-changing gift that Ms. Scott has generously extended to us,” said BMCC President Anthony E. Munroe. “Our institution prides itself on altering the lives of our students in ways that will help them obtain career training, obtain their dream of earning a degree and move up the socioeconomic ladder.”
“Our students have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic,” added President Munroe. “This gift will have generational and exponential impact on our students and BMCC institution’s ability to create new models and innovative ways to address our students’ needs in and outside of the classroom.”
“We are overwhelmed by the generosity of Ms. MacKenzie Scott and profoundly grateful she has chosen to put her faith in the abilities of Borough of Manhattan Community College and CUNY to help realize her vision to make a difference in the lives of New Yorkers impacted by the pandemic,” said Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez. “This ground-breaking gift will greatly expand ongoing efforts by BMCC and the University to extend much-needed relief to our resilient students by creating educational pathways and career opportunities to help them regain their footing and bring them closer to fulfilling their educational goals. A gift of this size at the end of a year as challenging as 2020 brings us renewed hope for the possibilities it creates and for the recognition it brings to the dedicated leaders, staff and faculty of BMCC.”
Ms. Scott shared the news earlier today on her blog post on Medium.com titled, “384 Ways to Help,” where she outlines the process that her team implemented in identifying and selecting the recipients of gifts.
In her announcement, Ms. Scott shares a call to action to support organizations that advocate for initiatives that include addressing food insecurity; equity, race and inclusion; economic mobility; support for Black, Latino and LGBTQ communities. This gift reaffirms BMCC’s on-going commitment to advance these initiatives in significant ways, primarily through education and training.
BMCC is a diverse teaching and learning community committed to advancing equity and the intellectual and personal growth of students. Working to strengthen a culture of care inside and outside the classroom. BMCC strives to increase degree completion, successful transfer, career achievement and service and leadership within its community, New York City and beyond.
Early this year, The Aspen Institute College Excellence Program announced that BMCC is one of 10 finalists for the 2021 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the nation’s signature recognition of high achievement and performance among community colleges.
BMCC, which is a Minority Serving Institution (MSI) and Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) has attained high national rankings in recent years as a “Top 100 Degree Producer” among Black, Hispanic and minority students in a variety of disciplines. In addition, BMCC ranked #3 for helping students move up the socioeconomic ladder after graduation, and BMCC ranks first in the nation among two-year public colleges in terms of racial and ethnic diversity in its managerial ranks.
The $30 million gift will be used to establish the BMCC President’s Fund for Excellence and Innovation, which will accelerate and amplify current efforts and create new, diverse models that may address, but are not limited to addressing race, equity and inclusion; gender equity and related issues; economic mobility; innovation in education; the impact and effects of the pandemic; social responsibility and the College’s strategic plan and priorities.
Earlier this summer, Ms. Scott gave $1.7 billion to 111 nonprofits and institutions, six of them HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities). On Tuesday, Ms. Scott announced she had given gifts totaling more than $4.1 billion since that time. BMCC and fellow CUNY school Lehman College both received $30 million.
“These 384 carefully selected teams have dedicated their lives to helping others, working and volunteering and serving real people face-to-face at bedsides and tables, in prisons and courtrooms and classrooms, on streets and hospital wards and hotlines and frontlines of all types and sizes, day after day after day,” Ms.Scott wrote in her post. “They help by delivering vital services, and also through the profound encouragement felt each time a person is seen, valued and trusted by another human being. This kind of encouragement has a special power when it comes from a stranger, and it works its magic on everyone.”
“MacKenzie Scott’s generosity and philanthropy towards improving the lives and the future of underserved communities – including the amazing students of BMCC – will have a long lasting, positive impact on our society,” said Tony Portannese, Chairman of the BMCC Foundation Board.
About Borough of Manhattan Community College
Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) is part of the City University of New York (CUNY) and enrolls almost 25,000 degree-seeking and 10,000 continuing education students a year, awarding associate degrees in more than 50 fields. BMCC ranks #5 among community colleges nationwide in granting associate degrees to minority students, according to data from the U.S. Department of Education. Visit: http://www.bmcc.cuny.edu
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- BMCC is awarded $30 million, the college’s largest gift, by philanthropist and author MacKenzie Scott
- The gift will be used to establish the President’s Fund for Excellence and Innovation at BMCC and to support other transformative initiatives identified by the College
- “We are grateful for the transformational, life-changing gift that Ms. Scott has generously extended to us,” said BMCC President Anthony E. Munroe. “Our institution prides itself on altering the lives of our students in ways that will help them obtain career training, obtain their dream of earning a degree and move up the socioeconomic ladder.”
