Words by Abi Scaife
Novelist MacKenzie Scott has made headlines over and over for her incredible generosity.
After her divorce from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos in 2019, Scott became incredibly wealthy, even retaining a 4% stake in Amazon. In fact, in 2021, she was the third-wealthiest woman in the world, and the 47th wealthiest person in the world.
Amazingly, Scott quickly made the decision to use her fortune for good - turning to charities, not-for-profits, and other organisations that were in dire need of funding.
She has supported over 2,300 charities (yes, really) since 2020, donating over $17.2 billion as of March 2024. Scott signed The Giving Pledge, alongside philanthropists like Melinda French Gates, Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan.
The Giving Pledge means that Scott has promised to dedicate the majority of her wealth to charitable causes over her lifetime or in her will - something she has already made pretty great headway on!
The pledge is not legally binding, but a show of promise and commitment to making a difference in the world.
Scott’s donations have had a focus on the LGBTQ+ community, racial equality, democracy, supporting those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and so much more. She has donated to charities, community groups, and colleges and universities.
Scott and her team established Yield Giving, a website which gives more details on her donations, something which she approaches with an astonishing amount of transparency. The website holds detailed information about the amount of money donated, what kinds of organisations received the help, and even the various ways in which Scott is involved in giving back.
The website also talks in more detail about the process of Scott’s donations, including her revolutionary ‘open calls’, in which she has charities contact her and request aid.
MacKenzie Scott is a new kind of philanthropist - one that is truly, wholly focused on divesting herself of as much money as possible in as short a time as she can. It’s amazing to see someone with such incredible wealth working so hard for the benefit of others.
At Smiley Movement, we like to elevate the work of charities across the world. Here are three charities whose causes align with the themes in this article.
The Fore. This charity is transforming lives and society by turbo-charging exceptional small charities and social enterprises. Support them here.
The Brother’s Trust. This charity is run by Tom Holland’s family, aiming to shine a light on charities where generous donations can be used to maximum effect. Find out more.
The Henry Smith Charity. This is a grant giving charity that aims to use its resources to help people and communities in the UK. Learn more here.
This article aligns with the UN SDG Partnerships for the Goals.
