New York, February 10, 2022 – The Guttmacher Institute today announced that it has received a $15 million donation from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. The unrestricted gift—the largest by an individual donor in the Institute’s history—comes at a time of great peril for sexual and reproductive health and rights. Against a challenging backdrop characterized by an alarming erosion of reproductive freedom, this historic contribution will fuel the Institute’s urgent efforts to drive evidence-based policy change in the United States and globally.
"We are very grateful for Ms. Scott’s generous support for our mission at this pivotal moment when so much is at stake," said Dr. Herminia Palacio, President and CEO of the Guttmacher Institute. "We receive this support with a sobering sense of responsibility. The issues at hand are pressing and urgent, and this transformative gift will accelerate our ability to make important contributions to the field from our position as an action-oriented think tank. The recent wave of attacks on abortion access, the dismantling of the family planning safety net, and longstanding inequities in access to quality maternal health care have combined to create extraordinary hardships for many, disproportionately impacting Black and Brown people, people with low incomes, and people in regions in the United States where access to these services has already been decimated. We are committed to putting our research and analyses at the service of redressing historical inequities, countering immediate threats, and working with our partners in the United States and across the world toward a shared vision of sexual and reproductive health, rights, and justice for all people."
With an eye toward short-term impact and long-term sustainability, the Guttmacher Institute’s leadership will use the new resources to support strategic priorities, including continuing the development and implementation of our equitable partnerships model in the United States and globally. In allocating these vital funds, the Institute will be guided by the core principles of its Strategic Framework: equity and justice, collaboration, nimbleness, integrity, and taking a global view.
About the Guttmacher Institute
Founded in 1968, the Guttmacher Institute is a global action-oriented think tank dedicated to advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). Through a unique program of high-quality research, evidence-based advocacy and strategic communications, the Institute is a catalyst for sound policies and programs in the United States and globally. Guttmacher produces a wide range of resources on topics that include abortion, contraceptive use and adolescent SRHR. In 2018, the Guttmacher Institute received the United Nations Population Award in recognition of its achievements on the global stage and collaborations with international partners.