Civic Works in Baltimore has announced a $7 million gift from Giving Pledge signatory MacKenzie Scott.

The largest gift the organization has ever received will further its mission of strengthening Baltimore’s communities through education, skills development, and community service. Civic Works is the city’s service corps and an AmeriCorps program and provides programming such as job training services, solar power and other green installation services, the creation of community parks and gardens, efforts to make homes safer for older adults, and growing fresh produce for underserved communities.

“This is the largest donation Civic Works has ever received, and I am incredibly grateful to MacKenzie Scott for aiding our mission of strengthening Baltimore’s neighborhoods through community service, education, and skills development,” said Civic Works founder and executive director Dana Stein. “I also want to thank all of our staff members who have helped us grow in ways we couldn’t have imagined over the last 30 years, leading us to serve more than 100,000 people in the Baltimore area. This donation will create new opportunities for our participants and communities, and will help us expand and improve for years to come so we can continue to make an extraordinary difference in the lives of Baltimore residents.”

(Photo credit: GettyImages/Yellow Dog Productions)