MacKenzie Scott gives away $2.7B: Here's where the money went

Mackenzie Scott, the ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, pledged this week to give $2.7 billion to hundreds of organizations that have been "underfunded and overlooked."

Scott wrote in a Medium post that she and her husband, Dan Jewett, made the donations to enable the recipients to continue their work and as a "signal of trust and encouragement" to them and others.

She made clear in her announcement that she is troubled by the increasing concentration of vast wealth among a small proportion of individuals. She and Jewett worked with a team of researchers and philanthropy advisors "to give away a fortune that was enabled by systems in need of change."

In 2020, Scott made two similar surprise announcements, donating a combined $6 billion to COVID-19 relief, gender equity, historically Black colleges and universities and other schools.

Scott’s wealth is estimated by Forbes at roughly $60 billion and was bolstered by the 4% stake she received in Amazon as a result of her divorce from Bezos.

MACKENZIE SCOTT, CITING WEALTH GAP, DONATES $2.7 BILLION

Scott donated to 286 institutions, here’s a look at some of the recipients:

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

"The mission of Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation is to further the pioneering vision of the choreographer, dancer, and cultural leader Alvin Ailey by building an extended cultural community which provides dance performances, training and education, and community programs for all people."

Children’s Defense Fund 

A group that works "with Congress and the federal government to advocate for federal policies that improve children’s lives."

Co-Impact Gender Fund

"A global collaborative for systems change, focused on improving the lives of millions of people around the world."

Jusoor

"Jusoor (meaning ‘bridges’ in Arabic) is an international non-governmental organization with the mission of "Investing in Syria’s Youth for a Better Tomorrow". A leading global actor in educational and entrepreneurial programs for Syrian children and youth, Jusoor is known for its innovative approach to development challenges, high-velocity execution, and the strength of its global strategic partnerships."

Kiva

"Kiva is an international nonprofit, founded in 2005 in San Francisco, with a mission to expand financial access to help underserved communities thrive."

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Muslim Advocates

"Muslim Advocates is a national civil rights organization working in the courts, in the halls of power and in communities to halt bigotry in its tracks. We ensure that American Muslims have a seat at the table with expert representation so that all Americans may live free from hate and discrimination."

NGOsource

"NGOsource aims to dramatically improve the efficiency of international grantmaking and inspire a significant increase in cross-border philanthropy by centralizing, streamlining, and standardizing the equivalency determination process for U.S. grantmakers."

Rise Up

"Rise Up activates women and girls to transform their lives, families and communities for a more just and equitable world through investment in local solutions, strengthening leadership, and building movements."

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The Freedom Fund

"We identify and invest in the most effective frontline efforts to eradicate modern slavery in the countries and sectors where it is most prevalent. Partnering with visionary investors, governments, anti-slavery organisations and those at risk of exploitation, we tackle the systems that allow slavery to persist and thrive."

ZUMIX

"ZUMIX serves over 500 youth per year through after-school and summer programming and 500 through in-school partnerships.  Over 10,000 additional adults, children, and families attend our community events and festivals."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.