Lexington’s Voices of Hope Receives $2 Million Gift From the Yield Giving Open Call

Lexington, KY– Tuesday, MacKenzie Scott’s Yield Giving announced Voices of Hope – Lexington, Inc. as one of the Yield Giving Open Call’s awardees working with people and in places experiencing the greatest need in the United States. Voices of Hope received $2 million.

Voices of Hope is a nonprofit recovery community organization founded by people who have been affected by substance use disorder. They have first-hand experience to help people find recovery and stay in recovery. VOH employs a team of highly trained recovery coaches who provide direct services at their Recovery Community Center in Lexington, Kentucky, and at over 80 partner agency sites like those in the criminal legal system, hospitals, and treatment providers.

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.

“We are honored to be selected as recipients of this generous award and recognize the responsibility that comes with it.” said Shelley Elswick, President/CEO of Voices of Hope. “This award will provide opportunities, now and in the future, to support our staff who are all people in recovery, further support people in or seeking recovery as well as reduce harm for people who use drugs, and strengthen our organization.”

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.

“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.