Rochester, NY, March 19, 2024 – Today, MacKenzie Scott’s Yield Giving Announced JustCause
as one of the Yield Giving Open Call’s awardees working with people and in places
experiencing the greatest need in the United States.
JustCause, originally established in 1981 as the Volunteer Legal Services Project of Monroe
County, Inc., helps individuals get justice when facing a serious civil legal problem affecting the
essentials of life. JustCause mobilizes local attorneys to provide volunteer legal assistance to
individuals who cannot afford to hire an attorney when facing a non-criminal legal problem, such
as eviction, domestic abuse, lack of child support, unemployment, bankruptcy, undocumented
immigration status, foreclosure, and many others. By connecting local attorneys with individuals in need, JustCause raises awareness of the extreme wealth and racial disparity in our community. JustCause is mobilizing lawyers to
provide direct assistance to clients, as well as advocate for structural change.
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.
“Thank you to MacKenzie Scott and the Yield Giving team for acknowledging the vital role that
smaller community-led organizations play in creating structural change. JustCause greatly
appreciates the acknowledgment of the importance of our work in ensuring equal access to
justice for those who need it most. We are grateful for the opportunity to make an even greater
impact in the years to come as a result of this transformational grant.” -Tina Monshipour Foster,
Executive Director
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 the highest-scoring applicants, including JustCause, which
received $2 million.
“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.”
JustCause’s mission is to improve the quality of life of low-income residents of Monroe County
by ensuring the existence of a readily available panel of skilled volunteer attorneys to resolve
serious civil legal problems. JustCause works with partners in the Telesca Center for Justice to
ensure that there are no unmet civil legal needs of low-income members of our community.
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.
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. More information on the Yield Giving
Open Call and other initiatives can be found HERE.
CONTACT: Tina Monshipour Foster, Executive Director, 585.295.5700, tfoster@justcauseny.org