WellShare International Receives $2 Million Gift From the Yield Giving Open Call

March 19, 2024 – Today, MacKenzie Scott’s Yield Giving announced WellShare International as one of the Yield Giving Open Call’s awardees working with people and in places experiencing the greatest need in the United States. WellShare International received $2 million.

WellShare International, a public health non-profit organization headquartered in Minneapolis, MN, bridges the health care gap for underserved communities in MN. With 45 years of pioneering leadership in community health programs, WellShare has deep roots in community health practices and long-established community trust. 

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.

“The recognition of our work by the Yield selection committee is powerful.  Our mission continues to be at the crossroads of 3 of the most important issues of our time: access to quality care, migration and social equity.  It is so validating to see a national entity of this caliber not only invest in making a difference in health equity, but to do so by supporting WellShare’s unique community health worker approach.” Michelle Heerey, Executive Director, WellShare International

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. 

“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. 

WellShare International

Mission: To advance health equity through community led solutions that are effective and affordable. 

WellShare envisions a world where your zip code, your skin color, and your birthplace do not determine your access to quality healthcare, and where all people can achieve optimal health and wellness.

WellShare leads programs that promote healthy living, reduce health disparities, and increase cost-efficacy, all things that support a brighter future for our communities.

For more information, please visit our website www.wellshareinternational.org. For all media inquiries, please contact WellShare Development Officer, Sara Fisher, at sfisher@wellshareinternational.org or 503-737-8802.

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.