Billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has announced her latest round of donations, totaling $640 million, to 361 nonprofit organizations. Scott, who co-founded Amazon and is the former wife of Jeff Bezos, has committed to donating at least half of her wealth to charity as part of the Giving Pledge initiative.
The donations, ranging from $1 million to $2 million each, have been distributed to nonprofit groups across the United States with diverse focuses such as the arts, affordable housing, education, public health, immigration, and diversity.
In a statement on her Yield Giving website, Scott highlighted the exceptional work of these community-led organizations in advancing opportunities for individuals and families facing economic challenges and systemic barriers. These groups were selected from a pool of over 6,000 applicants and underwent rigorous evaluation by peer organizations and an evaluation panel.
The selection process involved both “quiet research” to identify organizations with high potential for sustained impact and an “open call” application process. Scott expressed gratitude to Lever for Change for managing the open call and acknowledged the contribution of evaluation and implementation teams as essential agents of change.
With a net worth of $36.2 billion, Scott ranks as the 41st wealthiest person globally. Her ongoing philanthropic efforts continue to make a significant impact on communities across the country.
