MacKenzie Scott’s philanthropic efforts have extended with an estimated aggregate of $146 million donated to 24 nonprofit organizations this year, as per The Chronicle of Philanthropy. While Scott customarily updates her donations tally on her Yield Giving website, no listings for 2023 have been posted. Consequently, The Chronicle compiled a list of organizations that publicly acknowledged receiving donations from Scott in 2023.
Her contributions vary from $1 million to $15 million, benefiting entities such as Parent Possible, an early childhood education program, and Fistula Foundation, dedicated to aiding women with obstetric fistula treatment—a condition arising from childbirth, often due to lack of access to quality healthcare.
MacKenzie Scott, a philanthropist, author, and the former spouse of Amazon’s founder Jeff Bezos, was married to him for 25 years. Their divorce in 2019 granted her a 4% stake in the online retail giant.
A substantial portion of this year’s selected charities focuses on early childhood education and development, as reported by The Chronicle. There likely exist more recipients who haven’t yet disclosed receiving gifts from Scott this year.
With a net worth of $36.2 billion, Scott ranks as the 35th wealthiest individual globally, according to Forbes. Following the conclusion of her 25-year marriage to then-Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos in 2019, Scott acquired a 4% stake in the company, propelling her financial standing. The $146 million estimated donations this year equate to just 0.4% of her current net worth.
Similar to numerous affluent Americans, Scott has embraced The Giving Pledge, a commitment for billionaires to allocate the majority of their wealth to philanthropy. The pledge, initiated by Warren Buffett, Melinda French Gates, and Bill Gates, boasts endorsements from prominent figures such as Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk. While Jeff Bezos has not signed the pledge, he has voiced intentions to contribute a substantial portion of his wealth to charitable causes.
Scott, a published author with her works including a book reviewed by her former teacher Toni Morrison, established Yield Giving in 2020. Through Yield Giving, she launched an “open call” earlier this year, inviting organizations to apply for monetary grants. She pledged a total of $250 million to selected organizations. Unlike its prior reliance on “quiet research” to identify recipients, Yield Giving focused on community-led, community-focused organizations with operating budgets ranging from $1 million to $5 million.
Scott’s substantial donations have captured attention, including a notable $133.5 million to education nonprofit Communities In Schools in 2022. She contributed $25 million to Chicago Public Schools and $84.5 million to Girl Scouts of the USA in the previous year.
In a March 2022 Medium post, Scott disclosed a staggering $3.8 billion donation to 465 charities since the previous June, exceeding 10% of her present net worth.