MacKenzie Scott has given massive, unrestricted items to greater than 2,450 nonprofits over the previous six years. The 54-year-old donated over $2 billion in 2024 alone, bringing her complete items to $19.2 billion since 2019.
Now, a brand new three-year evaluation from the Middle for Efficient Philanthropy (CEP) finds that Scott’s no-strings-attached items, with a median measurement of $5 million, have had a “transformative impact” on nonprofits by serving to them develop their affect and develop into extra financially secure.
CEP launched the analysis earlier this month after surveying over 800 organizations that obtained donations from Scott from June to July 2024.
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The overwhelming majority of nonprofit leaders, 93%, reported that Scott’s grant reasonably or considerably strengthened their capacity to hold out their mission. Most, 90%, stated the reward bolstered their monetary positions, whereas greater than 60% stated they used the grant to ascertain credibility with different funders.
The grants have additionally expanded nonprofits’ working budgets and have helped them present extra of an affect on their communities whereas additionally enhancing their very own worker’s well-being, the examine notes.
The nonprofit Kaboom!, for instance, builds playgrounds in areas that lack them. Scott donated $14 million to the group in 2021, and greater than doubled its annual working funds.
After receiving a $9 million donation from Scott in 2020, the South Texas Meals Financial institution practically doubled the meals it distributed — 14 million kilos in 2019 to 26 million in 2020. South Texas Meals Financial institution CEO Alma Boubel informed USA Right this moment that the donation allowed the meals financial institution to maintain distributing round 20 million kilos of meals every year from 2021 to 2024 and supply its 42-person employees with free healthcare.
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Total, Scott’s items have enabled 85% of nonprofit recipients to enhance or develop their programming and given 52% a larger capability to reply to the wants of the communities they serve, the examine discovered.
“Few funders have the sources to provide on the degree that MacKenzie Scott is giving, however each funder can study from her fascinating method,” Phil Buchanan, president of CEP, acknowledged in a press launch.
MacKenzie Bezos. Photograph by Michael Kovac/Getty Photos for J/P HRO Gala
Nonprofit tax filings additionally mirrored the affect of Scott’s contributions. The organizations that obtained awards from Scott had double the amount of money reserves than comparable nonprofits.
Scott chosen these nonprofits based mostly on “quiet analysis,” or a discreet vetting course of that rigorously analyzed the organizations in keeping with their measurement, mission, and observe information. Some key focus areas of the grant recipients had been human providers (44%), schooling (41%), and well being (35%). Recipients of the items can allocate the funds as they want with out enter from Scott.
Nonetheless, some nonprofit leaders have recognized drawbacks to Scott’s method.
Greater than half (53%) had been involved that different funders may withdraw their help as a result of they’d really feel recipients did not want extra funding. Greater than 60% reported being afraid the grant would create a funding cliff, or decreased long-term funding.
The nonprofits Scott contributed to had been, on common, bigger than the norm with a median funds of $7 million. In accordance with the Nationwide Council of Nonprofits, 88% of nonprofits have a funds of lower than $500,000 per 12 months. Scott additionally gave reward recipients greater than anticipated, the CEP discovered. In comparison with the median grant measurement tracked by the middle of $123,000 amongst nonprofits as an entire, Scott’s contributions ranged from $300,000 to $80 million.
Scott’s wealth originates from the shares in Amazon she obtained after divorcing Amazon founder Jeff Bezos in 2019. Scott signed the Giving Pledge that 12 months, writing that she had “a disproportionate sum of money to share” and would preserve donating “till the secure is empty.”
In accordance with the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Scott is value round $40.2 billion and is the forty first richest particular person on this planet.
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