In February, National 4-H Council announced a landmark $50 million unrestricted gift from writer and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott that will help close the opportunity gap for America's youth. It is the largest single gift in 4-H's 120-year history.
Today, we are pleased to share an update about the first phase of our investment of this historic gift. Over the next five years, National 4-H Council will allocate $10 million to strengthen the 4-H workforce and optimize 4-H youth programming. This investment will accelerate 4-H's ability to meet the needs of young people today and tomorrow, while providing the professional development and training required to deliver quality, relevant and impactful programming. The Board will preserve the remainder of the gift for the long term to ensure that National 4-H Council can sustain programs and activities that have the greatest benefits for 4-H youth development in the future and to ensure the gift's enduring impact.
National 4-H Council will invest to:
Strengthen the 4-H Workforce:
- Develop volunteer and staff recruitment tools to assist Cooperative Extension in attracting and retaining top talent in paid and volunteer youth development roles.
Optimize 4-H Programming:
- Expand national in-person 4-H youth experiences to build their skills, explore careers and develop in-person connections.
The National 4-H Council Board made its investment decisions based on an inclusive process undertaken over six months with extensive input from Cooperative Extension and land-grant university leaders. These investments will ensure that Cooperative Extension can expand its capabilities of providing 4-H programming to our youth in partnership with Council as we continue to build public-private partnerships, tell the 4-H story, and convene 4-H youth and adults in meaningful ways now and moving forward.
The pandemic has shown that America's youth need more support than ever to be successful. Many are struggling in areas ranging from academics to mental well-being to developing social connections with others. In fact, 25 million young people do not have access to positive youth development opportunities, which can provide the tools needed to realize their full potential. We are grateful to MacKenzie Scott for the opportunity to invest in 4-H initiatives that will help bridge this opportunity gap and support our young people as they shape the future of America and our world.
