MacKenzie Scott, the ex-wife of Jeff Bezos, has given away more than $19 billion to charity since divorcing the Amazon founder and becoming one of the richest women in the world — but experts are divided on how effective her donations have been.
The Center for Effective Philanthropy conducted a study on organizations that received gifts from Scott. It analyzed the long-term effects of her unrestricted, multi-million-dollar donations to various nonprofits.
The organizations studied by CEP reported that Scott’s donations helped strengthen their operations, invest in technology, expand services, and, in some cases, stabilize during financial hardships.
Many organizations used the funds to leverage additional donations from other sources, as Scott’s endorsement added credibility and visibility.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America received $25 million, which enabled the organization to enhance its mentoring programs, invest in research, and develop new volunteer recruitment systems.
A significant portion was allocated to an endowment to ensure long-term sustainability.
The report, however, follows a study that was commissioned last year which found that Scott’s massive donations offer scant long-term support to charitable groups.
“Her gifts are super generous, but unfortunately, they don’t provide long-term sustainability,” Gabrielle Fitzgerald, founder and CEO of Panorama Global, which has studied Scott’s donations and their impact, told Fortune in December.
Scott’s philanthropic model has significantly benefited nonprofits by providing unrestricted funds, allowing them to make strategic investments without bureaucratic constraints.
But Scott requires nonprofits to have annual budgets that range between $1 million and $5 million — a move that excludes smaller charities from her giving, according to Fitzgerald.
“She’s been an inspiration for a lot of people, but not a lot of people are acting upon that inspiration,” Pamala Wiepking, a professor at Indiana University’s philanthropy school who has studied the impact of unrestricted gifting like Scott’s, told Fortune.
Despite the overwhelmingly positive effects of Scott’s gifts, several organizations reported difficulties in managing expectations within their networks, especially when some affiliates received grants while others did not.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America created a “Better Together Fund” to share resources with its affiliates that were not direct recipients of Scott’s funding.
Another challenge was donor skepticism.
Some longtime funders reduced or stopped their donations, assuming the organizations no longer needed financial support after receiving Scott’s gifts.
The Pastoral Women’s Council and South Texas Food Bank struggled with donor retention, requiring strategic communication to clarify that their financial needs remained significant despite the one-time windfall, according to the study.
Additionally, organizational change management was a hurdle for some recipients.
KABOOM!, a nonprofit dedicated to play equity, received $14 million to enhance playground access for children in underserved areas.
The organization launched a data-driven initiative to identify and address playground inequities and expanded its policy advocacy work.
However, KABOOM! underwent a shift from being primarily a playground-building nonprofit to an equity-focused policy advocate, leading to staff turnover and a need for internal restructuring.
Unlike many philanthropists who impose strict guidelines on how donations should be spent, Scott’s model prioritizes trust-based philanthropy, allowing nonprofits to decide how best to utilize funds.
Since 2019, Scott has donated over $19 billion to more than 2,450 nonprofits, focusing on areas such as economic mobility, racial equity, public health and climate change.
In 2024 alone, she contributed an additional $2 billion, bringing her total charitable donations to $19.2 billion.
MacKenzie Scott’s wealth is derived from her early involvement with Amazon and her substantial shareholding.
As part of the divorce settlement with Bezos, Scott received 25% of their shared Amazon stock, equivalent to a 4% stake in the company, valued at approximately $35.6 billion at the time.
This settlement instantly positioned her among the world’s wealthiest individuals.
Despite her substantial philanthropic efforts, Scott’s net worth remains significant.
As of Thursday, her wealth was estimated by Bloomberg Billionaires Index at $41.7 billion — largely due to the appreciation of her remaining Amazon shares.
Scott married teacher Dan Jewett in March 2021.
They finalized their divorce in January 2023.
Bezos became engaged to Lauren Sánchez, his girlfriend of four years, in 2023.
The Post has sought comment from Scott.
With Post Wires
