We are thrilled to announce that today, MacKenzie Scott’s Yield Giving announced Disability Rights Louisiana as one of the Yield Giving Open Call’s awardees working with people and in places experiencing the greatest need in the United States. Disability Rights Louisiana received $2 million.
Founded in 1977, Disability Rights Louisiana (DRLA) seeks a new reality for Louisiana residents with disabilities, by protecting them from abuse and neglect, and advocating for equitable access to opportunities and resources that empower them to thrive independently in the community. To accomplish this, DRLA provides free individual legal and non-legal advocacy, and works towards systemic change through litigation and policy advocacy for adults and children in Louisiana who live with any kind of disability.
In March 2023, Yield Giving launched an Open Call for community-led, community-focused organizations whose explicit purpose is to enable individuals and families to achieve substantive improvement in their well-being through foundational resources.
In recent years, DRLA has fielded steeply increasing calls for assistance from the disability community, who is disproportionately impacted by the ripple effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Simultaneously, DRLA has embarked on innovative programming and litigation to protect and empower some of the most vulnerable members of the disability community, including these who have been incarcerated.
This historic gift will fuel DRLA’s ability to continue making bold decisions to respond to the needs of people with disabilities, and fight for this community in robust and innovative ways that more restrictive funding sources do not enable. “I am thrilled to lead DRLA into a new chapter with resources to elevate our work and better-support our team, as we continue to meet the growing needs of the disability community,” says DRLA’s new Executive Director, Ranie Thompson. “We are grateful for and humbled by the generosity of Yield Giving and its investment in Louisiana’s disability community.”
“We are excited that our partnership with Yield Giving has resonated with so many organizations,” said Cecilia Conrad, CEO of Lever for Change. “In a world teeming with potential and talent, the Open Call has given us an opportunity to identify, uplift, and empower transformative organizations that often remain unseen.”
More information on the Yield Giving Open Call and other initiatives can be found at www.leverforchange.org.
The Open Call received 6,353 applications and initially planned for 250 awards of $1 million each. In the Fall of 2023, organizations top-rated by their peers advanced to a second round of review by an external Evaluation Panel recruited for experience relevant to this cause, and underwent a final round of due diligence. In light of the incredible work of these organizations, as judged by their peers and external panelists, the donor team decided to expand the awardee pool and the award amount.
For inquiries, please contact:
Kevin Hurstell, Director of Communications and Outreach
khurstell@disabilityrightsla.org
504-717-2768
Disability Rights Louisiana
Established in 1977, Disability Rights Louisiana (DRLA) is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that protects and advocates for the human and legal rights of people with disabilities of all ages across our state. We work to empower the disability community to live an integrated life, free from abuse, neglect and exploitation.
Yield Giving
Established by MacKenzie Scott to share a financial fortune created through the effort of countless people, Yield Giving is named after a belief in adding value by giving up control. To date, Yield’s network of staff and advisors has yielded over $16,500,000,000 to 1,900+ non-profit teams to use as they see fit for the benefit of others. To learn more, visit www.yieldgiving.com/.
Lever for Change
Lever for Change connects donors with bold solutions to the world’s biggest problems—including issues like racial inequity, gender inequality, lack of access to economic opportunity, and climate change. Using an inclusive, equitable model and due diligence process, Lever for Change creates customized challenges and other tailored funding opportunities. Top-ranked teams and challenge finalists become members of the Bold Solutions Network—a growing global network that helps secure additional funding, amplify members’ impact, and accelerate social change. Founded in 2019 as a nonprofit affiliate of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Lever for Change has influenced over $1.7 billion in grants to date and provided support to more than 145 organizations. To learn more, visit www.leverforchange.org.
