McCandless-based Pressley Ridge — a leader in providing mental health care, treatment foster care and specialized education services for youth and families — announced Tuesday it received a $10 million gift, the largest in the organization’s 190-year history.

The unrestricted gift comes from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott.

“It’s an incredible gift,” said Susanne Cole, president and CEO of Pressley Ridge. “It’s really going to help us serve more people in our community that definitely need some additional support.”

Pressley Ridge is known for developing the nation’s first treatment foster care curriculum in the early 1980s and has evolved and expanded its service since. Each year, the organization provides thousands of children and families with community-based mental health services, foster care, adoption, specialized education and supportive services for transition-aged youth.

The grant will allow Pressley Ridge to increase organizational capacity and address critical mental and behavioral health needs in the communities they serve in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland and Delaware.

Cole said they are working to identify gaps in services where the funds can help them “advance our efforts to help more people.” Their services, she said, are in even higher demand now, as the covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated hardships for many.

“We’ve seen a real increase in need,” she said.

Pressley Ridge is still determining how, specifically, the cash will be used, according to Cole, and they will go through a due diligence and planning process to determine how to allocate the money.

The $10 million donation comes as Pressley Ridge recently completed its new three-year strategic plan, which includes a primary focus on racial equity and effective and efficient clinical interventions, as well as workforce development and program expansion goals. The donation, Cole said, will help them to advance those aims.

“Pressley Ridge has a long history of producing positive outcomes for kids and families who have experienced a variety of challenges in their lives,” said Pressley Ridge board chair Tisha Germany. “This gift validates the tremendous work of the staff and leadership and presents an opportunity to have a greater impact on diverse communities throughout the region and beyond.”

Scott, the philanthropist who donated the money, has a team that identifies nonprofits that align with her ideals. The team researches nonprofits and determines which ones would be a good fit for donations, Cole said. Pressley Ridge did not solicit the donation, which came as a surprise, she said.

“It’s like the best surprise ever,” she said. “It’s like Christmas times 1,000. It just came to us because of Pressley Ridge’s work being recognized.”

Cole said when she first received an email about the donation, she thought it was a joke.

“Everyone warns you about spam you get in your email and not to be tricked,” she said. “That was my initial reaction.”

After a call from Scott’s team to confirm the donation was legitimate, Cole said, she moved from a sense of shock to a feeling of gratitude and pride in the Pressley Ridge team.

“I think our employees do incredible work on behalf of kids and families,” she said. “We are all aware of the challenges facing people each and every day with mental health, and just life in general. We want to be a resource to people, to let them know that there’s always help, and you can overcome those challenges with the right support systems.”

Cole said she wanted to express her gratitude for Scott, who is known also for her marriage to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, which ended in 2019.

“I think that MacKenzie Scott is an example for all of us. I don’t care if you have billions of dollars or a small amount of money, get involved in your community,” Cole said. “It takes all of us helping each other. Her generosity sets such a high bar for people. I’m grateful that she recognizes that nonprofits are doing incredible work in all of our communities. It’s a call to everybody to get involved.”

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)