It takes a village to raise our children. This, we know. And yet Nevada’s village is worn from the pandemic, volatile economy and disruptions to student learning. 

As our individual capacity declines, so too does our collective capacity. That’s why now, more than ever, we must come together to surround students with a community of support.

To do this, we need to mobilize a historic effort of collaboration and resources — both public and private. Our educators cannot do it alone, no single nonprofit can do it alone, and the government cannot do it alone. 

My conviction in the power of coming together has only become more pronounced by MacKenzie Scott’s supremely generous gift of $133.5 million made to Communities In Schools two weeks ago. Her trust in our national network to deliver results for kids was made evident by the monthslong research her team did to validate such a meaningful investment.

I serve as founding chairperson of Communities In Schools of Nevada, which received $5 million of that grand total, and her donation spoke to me as both a woman and a philanthropist who for decades has worked to ensure that every student, regardless of race, ZIP code, or history of marginalization, has what they need to succeed in school and beyond. The core of the Communities In Schools model is about creating greater connection between our “village,” coming together to support families, students and schools.

Scott’s unrestricted gifts to organizations like ours imply a trust in nonprofit leaders and a willingness to transfer power to those who understand best how to address the problems they work on every day. 

Scott and I are separated by generations and by degrees of wealth, but in terms of intentionality and the results we seek, we’re very much the same. I consider us to be kindred spirits, which is why her validation of our work at Communities in Schools provides me with so much gratitude. 

For so long, many well-intentioned white men have directed philanthropic endeavors, often applying the same business mentality that drove their successes in private industry. But the missions, goals and values of nonprofits are generally quite different than those of business enterprises. 

Scott is courageously showing us how philanthropy can be conducted differently. For organizations like Communities in Schools, her approach has the potential to be transformative. 

Our organization has become one of the nation’s most successful dropout-prevention programs by focusing on areas such as improving school climates and boosting students’ social-emotional skills. Last year, 99 percent of the students enrolled in our programs remained in school through the end of the school year, and 92 percent of seniors graduated or received a GED — which is 13 points above Nevada’s statewide average for students on free or reduced lunch. 

As the former president of the Nevada State Board of Education, to see this type of efficacy to any intervention is simply remarkable.

We currently operate in 81 Title I and high-needs schools statewide in the Clark, Elko, Humboldt and Washoe County school districts, reaching more than 80,000 students. But there are hundreds of schools in Nevada where at least 40 percent of the student population comes from low-income families. It is our goal to be in every one of them, helping the many students that we haven’t yet been able to reach. 

Scott’s gift alone won’t get us there, but it will help us move much closer to that goal. Now, we will be able to expand our evidence-based model in our communities, and many more students living in poverty and lacking resources will have a chance to receive our services. 

All of this is because MacKenzie Scott was willing to put her trust in us and our work. 

I’m grateful for her gift to Communities in Schools and for everything she is doing to change the world of philanthropy. Scott is ushering in a new generation of philanthropists who recognize that the old ways were much less likely to get the equitable results we have sought for so long. And it’s gratifying to know that we women are leading the way. 

Given Nevada’s female-majority Legislature, and many engaged, intelligent and passionate female philanthropists throughout, I suspect that we too can build the trust, the collaboration, and the impact we seek by taking a page from Scott’s book. 

Elaine Wynn is the founding chairperson of Communities in Schools of Nevada, and a former president of the Nevada State Board of Education.