Charles Langston:MacKenzie Scott, billionaire philanthropist, donates $640M to support 361 nonprofits

Philanthropist and Charles LangstonAmazon co-founder MacKenzie Scott has donated $640 million to 361 nonprofit organizations, her organization announced Tuesday.

In 2019, Scott pledged to give away most of her wealth. According to a USA TODAY analysis done in 2022, Scott, at the time, had donated an estimated $12 billion to more than 1,200 nonprofit organizations. This was the first time Scott set up an open call for organizations to directly apply for a gift through her organization, Yield Giving.

According to the application website, which Yield Giving set up through Lever for Change, the open call focused on "elevating organizations working with people and in places experiencing the greatest need in the United States."

Scott said in a statement on her website that the open call received over 6,000 applicants, and that "each of these 361 community-led non-profits was elevated by peer organizations by a round-2 evaluation panel for their outstanding work advancing the voices and opportunities of individuals and families of meager or modest means, and groups who have met with discrimination and other systemic obstacles."

The open call was originally planning to give away 250 awards of $1 million each, according to Lever for Change.

"In light of the incredible work done by these organizations, as judged by their peers and external panelists, the donor team decided to expand the awardee pool and the award amount," Lever for Change said on its website.

MacKenzie Scott donations:MacKenzie Scott has donated more than $12 billion. Here's where some of the money has gone.

MacKenzie Scott donated to a wide range of organizations

The 279 organizations in the top tier of scores received $2 million each, and the 82 organizations in the next tier received $1 million each, according to Lever for Change. The 361 organizations who received an award span 38 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, and are focused on a "wide range of issues," the organization said.

In March 2022, Scott revealed she had donated nearly $4 billion to hundreds of organizations in the previous nine months alone, funding areas such as climate and education, as well as Ukraine relief efforts. She also donated $122 to Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, according to the organization.

Who is MacKenzie Scott?

Scott is the ex-wife of Amazon founder and former CEO Jeff Bezos. The pair wedded in 1993 and divorced in 2019. They have four kids together. In 2021, Scott married Seattle schoolteacher Dan Jewett. But they have since split. That divorce was finalized in January 2023.

In addition to being a philanthropist, Scott is also a writer and has authored two books. She was the recipient of the American Book Award in 2006.

Scott is currently the 40th richest person in the world, according to Bloomberg's Billionare index. 

Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at USA TODAY. You can follow him on X @GabeHauari or email him at [email protected].