MacKenzie Scott’s donation of $19 billion has had a ‘transformative effect’ according to a new study.
Novelist MacKenzie Scott and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos dated for three months before getting engaged and tying the knot in 1993.
After getting married, they quit their jobs and started Amazon, later announcing their divorce in 2019.
Scott – with whom Bezos shares four children – reportedly received around 25 percent of their shared Amazon stock, valued at around $35.6 billion at the time.
And she’s since gone on to give more than $19 billion of that away – having previously pledged to do so – but to where?
The Center for Effective Philanthropy (CEP) has revealed that MacKenzie Scott has donated over $19 billion in unrestricted support to more than 2,000 organizations.
Her goal, according to the report, is to uplift underrepresented communities across a wide range of backgrounds by providing funding without strings attached.
“Scott’s very large, unrestricted gifts – with few to no restrictions on the time in which they must be spent – have transformed recipient organizations and positively impacted the communities they serve,” the CEP noted.
Scott herself shared her philosophy on giving:
“I needn’t ask those I care about what to say to them or what to do for them. I can share what I have with them to stand behind them as they speak and act for themselves.”
Tax filings from various nonprofits have now revealed just how deeply Scott’s donations have strengthened and empowered their missions.
Two years after receiving MacKenzie Scott’s grant, recipient organizations reportedly held twice as many months of operating reserves compared to similar nonprofits.
One organization member shared the real-world impact:
“Through this grant, we were able to open a new clinic, expanding care to 12,000 people—many of whom are experiencing homelessness, living at or far below the federal poverty line, and have historically lacked access to the compassionate, comprehensive care we provide.”
They added, “Receiving this grant changed everything for our leadership team. It gave us the confidence to ask for the funding we truly needed—not just whatever was available.”
“This gift continues to pay dividends—not just for our organization, but for the people we serve,” another recipient shared.
Others have spoken about a significant drop in stress levels, with one noting it had a “noticeable effect on our staff, families, and even our health.”
One individual recalled nearly reaching a breaking point and considering quitting, but said the grant served as a powerful reminder:
“The work we do is meaningful, and there’s still so much more to accomplish. This funding gave us the means—and the motivation—to keep going.”
