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Billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott pledged $436 million to Habitat for Humanity as the housing crisis throughout the United States rises.
The gift was disclosed on March 22 in a statement from the Greater San Francisco chapter of the home-building nonprofit, which is among the 84 Habitat affiliates that will share the contribution. Maureen Sedonaen, head of Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco, said:
“This incredible act of generosity and investment in our work will make an impact throughout our region for decades to come."
According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, the 51-year-old philanthropist and former wife of Amazon.com, Inc. founder Jeff Bezos is worth $54.4 billion. Through her donations, she is reshaping nonprofits, giving to organizations in areas such as social welfare, education, the arts, and health.
With a team of consultants and donor-advised fund sponsors, MacKenzie Scott is nimble in her philanthropy, changing the focus of her gifts as needs arise around the country.
Most of these donations are to domestic causes, though some have gone to international organizations. Since MacKenzie Scott pledged to donate most of her wealth through the Giving Pledge in 2019, she has donated more than $9 billion to charitable causes.
How much has MacKenzie Scott donated up until now?
As she separated from Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos in 2019, MacKenzie Scott signed the Giving Pledge, a growing list of billionaires who've pledged to donate half their fortunes. When Scott pledged, her net worth was approximately $37 billion, and it has since increased to $47 billion.
In a July 2020 blog post on Medium, Scott shared that the year after she made the pledge, she donated nearly $1.7 billion to various charities, including Asian Americans Advancing Justice - AAJC, Black Girls CODE, Educate Girls, LatinoJustice, Transgender Law Center, and others.
Scott estimates that she donated about $586 million to organizations that support racial justice, $46 million to groups that support LGBTQ rights, and $133 million to groups that promote gender equality. Additionally, she stated that millions of dollars were given towards public health, global development, and climate change.
Scott said she would remain transparent about her donations as she would continue to give for years to come.
In her December 2020 Medium post, Scott reported that she and her "team of advisors" had distributed over $4 billion to assist communities affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
She said that some of the donations are for basic necessities like emergency relief funds, support services for those most vulnerable, and food banks. In contrast, others are for long-term systemic inequities like employment training, education for historically marginalized and underserved people, debt relief, credit and financial services for under-resourced communities, etc.
On June 15, 2021, MacKenzie Scott's new husband, Dan Jewett, announced that they had donated $2,739,000,000 to 286 organizations that have historically been underfunded or ignored.
A Medium post explained that the organizations selected were universities, arts and culture groups, refugee settlement groups, police reform programs, and LGBTQ organizations focused on empowering women, girls, and leaders of color.
Nine organizations announced gifts of $264.5 million from MacKenzie Scott in February 2022. Among the largest donations, $133.5 million was given to Communities in Schools, which helps at-risk children remain in school.
Another nonprofit education organization, Leading Educators, received $10 million to provide professional development for teachers. Scott donated $3 million to Young People in Recovery and $5 million to Shatterproof, both combating addiction.
The Guttmacher Institute and the Collaborative for Gender + Reproductive Equity, two organizations focused on reproductive rights, each received $15 million and $25 million, respectively.
National Council on Aging received $8 million, and mental health nonprofit Jed Foundation received $15 million. Additionally, the National 4-H Council, a youth organization with an agricultural focus, received $50 million.
