Billionaire author and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott announced an additional $2 billion in donations on Wednesday, bringing her total charitable giving since 2019 to $19.2 billion.
In her blog post, she shared details about how she is managing her wealth, revealing that she has instructed her advisors to invest her funds in “mission-aligned ventures.” Most of the grants she made in 2024, she noted, were focused on enhancing economic security and creating opportunities. Scott explained that her investment team is tasked with finding funds and companies that focus on for-profit solutions to address these challenges, rather than simply withdrawing money from accounts or portfolios that primarily benefit already wealthy leaders.
Scott’s wealth largely comes from Amazon shares she received after her divorce from the company’s founder, Jeff Bezos. Despite her extensive charitable donations over the past five years, Forbes estimates her current net worth at $31.7 billion.
Gabrielle Fitzgerald, the founder and CEO of The Panorama Group, has studied MacKenzie Scott’s philanthropy and offered guidance and support to nonprofits that have received her donations. Fitzgerald noted that she has observed an increasing emphasis in Scott’s charitable giving on addressing poverty-related issues.
Gabrielle Fitzgerald praised MacKenzie Scott for setting a remarkable example for philanthropists, although she noted that few have followed Scott’s lead. Fitzgerald emphasized that Scott’s approach shows that it’s relatively simple to donate large sums to organizations doing good work.
In a post on her Yield Giving website, Scott reflected on the concept of “investing,” noting that its meaning has been diminished over time. She revisited some of its original, more expansive definitions, such as dedicating resources for a useful purpose, granting rights, and providing support.
Scott, who rarely speaks publicly about her philanthropy, has made a significant impact on the nonprofit world through her use of “trust-based philanthropy.” This approach involves giving large, unrestricted grants to over 2,450 nonprofits.
In 2024, MacKenzie Scott made repeat donations to several organizations, marking a new trend in her philanthropic efforts. This move sets a high standard for how quickly and generously megadonors can give. Among the recipients of multiple donations were CAMFED, which supports girls’ education in Africa, and Undue Medical Debt (formerly RIP Medical Debt), both of which received a third donation from Scott this year.
Grantees typically hear from Scott’s team with the expectation that there won’t be additional funding, so Shaun Donovan, CEO of the affordable housing group Enterprise Community Partners, was surprised to receive news of a second major donation. Donovan was at LaGuardia Airport when he got a call informing him that Scott was awarding the organization another $65 million.
In 2020, Enterprise Community Partners had already received $50 million from Scott, making it one of the largest recipients of her donations, according to the public grant data on Yield Giving. However, around 500 organizations have not disclosed the exact amount of funding they’ve received from her.
Shaun Donovan, CEO of Enterprise Community Partners, explained that they were not expecting a second donation from MacKenzie Scott, as her team typically makes it clear that organizations should not anticipate additional gifts. His advice to other nonprofits is to treat these donations as unexpected and to avoid using them for regular operating expenses or for projects that could create budget shortfalls in the future.
2024 marked a significant shift in Scott’s philanthropy, as it was the first time she awarded grants through an application process. In March, she announced the recipients of an “open call” for nonprofit applications, surprising many by awarding more money to more organizations than initially planned. Scott committed $640 million to over 360 nonprofits.
The demand for Scott’s large, unrestricted grants was evident, as 6,353 nonprofits applied through Lever for Change, the organization that managed the application process. As a result, 279 nonprofits received $2 million each, while 82 others were granted $1 million each. In the past, some organizations had received funding through an anonymous donor or unexpected outreach, without having to submit an application.
Shaun Donovan emphasized that the unrestricted nature of MacKenzie Scott’s grants—allowing nonprofits to use the funds as they see fit to advance their mission—is a key reason why they are so valuable. After five years of her extensive giving, Donovan noted that the impact of her donations is now visible across entire sectors.
“The scale of this giving has not only transformed individual organizations but has also reshaped entire fields, such as affordable housing,” he said.