MacKenzie Scott's Most Charitable Donations So Far

Taking the Giving Pledge in May 2019

Following her divorce from Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos in 2019, Scott joined the Giving Pledge — a list of billionaires who've pledged to donate half of their fortune. Scott was worth about $37 billion at the time of her pledge, and is currently worth $47 billion.

Scott revealed her decision in a letter posted to the initiative's website.

"I have no doubt that tremendous value comes when people act quickly on the impulse to give. No drive has more positive ripple effects than the desire to be of service," she wrote in the letter.

"My approach to philanthropy will continue to be thoughtful. It will take time and effort and care. But I won't wait. And I will keep at it until the safe is empty," she added.

The initiative was started by Warren Buffett and former couple Bill and Melinda Gates in 2010. Bezos — who's the world's wealthiest man with a net worth of $183 billion — has not yet signed the pledge but applauded his ex wife's decision, tweeting at the time that he's "proud of" Scott. "Her letter is so beautiful," he said. "Go get 'em MacKenzie."

Donating $1.7 Billion in July 2020

A year after taking her pledge, Scott shared in a July 2020 Medium blog post that she had given nearly $1.7 billion to various charities, including Asian Americans Advancing Justice — AAJC, Black Girls CODE, Educate Girls, LatinoJustice, Transgender Law Center and more.

According to Scott, she donated around $586 million to organizations that support racial justice, $46 million to charity groups focused on LGBTQ rights and $133 million to non-profits promoting gender equality. She also shared that millions of dollars had been contributed toward public health, global development and climate change.

Scott added that she'll continue to be transparent about her donations as her "giving continues in the months and years to come."

Donating $4.2 Billion in December 2020

Scott's December 2020 Medium blog post revealed that she and a "team of advisors" distributed more than $4 billion to 384 different organizations across all 50 states to help communities affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Some are filling basic needs: food banks, emergency relief funds, and support services for those most vulnerable. Others are addressing long-term systemic inequities that have been deepened by the crisis: debt relief, employment training, credit and financial services for under-resourced communities, education for historically marginalized and underserved people, civil rights advocacy groups, and legal defense funds that take on institutional discrimination," she wrote of the organizations she helped fund.

Her post concluded with a note of encouragement to give if you are able: "If you're craving a way to use your time, voice, or money to help others at the end of this difficult year, I highly recommend a gift to one of the thousands of organizations doing remarkable work all across the country."

"Every one of them could benefit from more resources to share with the communities they're serving," she wrote. "And the hope you feed with your gift is likely to feed your own."

The list of organizations she donated to included Feeding America member food banks, Goodwill affiliates, Meals on Wheels member programs and more.

Donating $2.7 Billion in June 2021

Scott announced on June 15, 2021, that she and new husband Dan Jewett had donated "$2,739,000,000 in gifts to 286 high-impact organizations in categories and communities that have been historically underfunded and overlooked." She explained in a lengthy Medium blog post that the organizations that were chosen were comprised of universities, arts and culture organizations, refugee settlement groups, police reform programs and LGBTQ organizations that prioritized leaders of color and groups that focus on empowering women and girls.

"We chose to make relatively large gifts to the organizations...both to enable their work, and as a signal of trust and encouragement, to them and to others," Scott said. "Would they still benefit from more (more advocates, more money, more volunteers)? Yes."

"These 286 teams were selected through a rigorous process of research and analysis," she added.

Donating $133.5 Million in February 2022

Scott's massive $133.5 million donation will help fund school services for at-risk students. The philanthropist donated the large sum to Communities in School, a network of nonprofit organizations aiming to help students graduate and succeed in life, The Washington Post (which Jeff Bezos owns) reported in February 2022.

"Today is an important day for students who are underserved, under-resourced, and in need of transformative support to build a brighter future," Rey Saldaña, President and CEO of Communities In Schools, shared in a statement. "This unrestricted gift allows us to combat the inequities in public education and reimagine the way schools operate and show up for all students."

The generous donation is the largest the organization has ever received in its history.

Donating $436 Million in March 2022

The latest charitable gift Scott has made was a $436 million donation to Habitat for Humanity International and 84 of its U.S. affiliate organizations. Habitat for Humanity International said in a press release that it will use its portion of the donation, $25 million, to "fundamentally increase the supply of affordable housing and to prioritize advocacy and programmatic efforts that support the millions of individuals increasingly shut out of the housing market."

"This incredibly generous gift will allow us to dramatically increase capacity and implement programs that will have a multi-generational impact on communities around the U.S. and our global mission for many years to come," Jonathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity International, said in a statement.

Reckford added, "With this donation, Habitat is well-positioned to meaningfully advocate for the systemic and societal changes needed to improve equitable access to affordable housing."