CHICAGO—Planned Parenthood of Illinois (PPIL) announced that it is the grateful recipient of an unrestricted $17 million gift from MacKenzie Scott—the billionaire philanthropist who has pledged to give back the majority of her wealth to organizations and leaders driving transformative change. This donation is the largest one-time donation in PPIL's +100-year history and will support the RESOLVE Campaign, a 3-year, $40 million-dollar capital campaign. Scott's generous donation is a testament to PPIL's mission and a powerful affirmation of team members' and volunteers' dedication to serving all who rely on PPIL for essential health care and education.
"In this time of historic challenges for sexual and reproductive health care providers, this extraordinary gift from MacKenzie Scott will help us meet our mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care to all," said Jennifer Welch, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Illinois. "We are deeply humbled by Ms. Scott's support of our work, our expertise, and our deep and trusted connections with communities across Illinois. PPIL is a regional leader in sexual and reproductive health care and this gift affirms the work of our passionate, caring, and skilled professionals who strive to advance health equity through the care we provide, advocacy, community leadership, and education statewide."
Reinforcing its leadership and commitment to protecting reproductive health access, PPIL is also proud to publicly unveil the RESOLVE Campaign. The largest-ever fundraising effort for the organization, RESOLVE aims to expand PPIL's base of philanthropic support to meet the challenges of the increasingly hostile sexual and reproductive health care landscape, and support PPIL's mission to advance health equity and provide high-quality compassionate health care to all who need it.
"Illinois must be prepared to do more and PPIL is resolved to lead the way," said Tim Case, Chief Development Officer for Planned Parenthood of Illinois. "We must expand access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health care for our own communities, and for the estimated thousands of people who will travel here to receive care. It is vital that Illinois remain a haven state for everyone who relies on us."
The RESOLVE Campaign has five priorities: expanding access to care, supporting Illinois status as a haven state, subsidizing care for those who need it, digital expansion, and providing free and affordable access to birth control. With this generous donation from Scott, PPIL has raised more than $30 million for the RESOLVE Campaign from donors. These funds will help PPIL build its capacity, sustain robust operations, and fund projects and initiatives that enhance access to high-quality, affordable, and accessible health care.
As states continue to pass restrictive laws that deny people access to essential health care such as birth control, abortion, and care for transgender people, Illinois expects to see growing numbers of patients traveling here to access needed care. If the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade this summer, as it has signaled, every single state that borders Illinois is expected to quickly ban access to abortion care.
PPIL seeks to meet our RESOLVE campaign's fundraising goals by July 2023. As it moves into this public phase, PPIL can accelerate plans to build capacity and continue to provide comprehensive, high-quality sexual and reproductive health care with dignity and respect for all.
Planned Parenthood of Illinois (PPIL) provides affordable, high-quality reproductive health care services and medically accurate sexual health education to women, teens and men throughout Illinois. Through medical services, educational programs and advocacy efforts, PPIL works to ensure and protect the reproductive rights of each individual. For more information, visit www.ppil.org .
