MacKenzie Scott’s $19 Billion Giving Spree Shows “Profound Impact” in New Research
After her three-month courtship and 1993 marriage to Jeff Bezos, MacKenzie Scott helped launch Amazon before their 2019 split yielded her approximately 25% of their Amazon holdings—worth about $35.6 billion.
True to her promise, Scott has since donated over $19 billion of her divorce settlement, distributing unrestricted funds to more than 2,000 organizations focused on supporting underrepresented communities, according to The Center for Effective Philanthropy (CEP).
“Scott’s substantial, unrestricted gifts—with minimal spending timeframes—have revolutionized recipient organizations and affected countless communities they serve,” the CEP study reports.
Scott herself stated: “I don’t need to dictate what those I support say or do. I can offer my resources while empowering them to speak and act independently.”
Tax records reveal remarkable financial stability improvements among grantees, with recipient nonprofits showing double the operational reserves of similar organizations two years after receiving Scott’s funding.
One healthcare recipient shared: “This grant enabled us to establish a new clinic extending care to 12,000 people—many homeless or living far below poverty level—who previously lacked access to our comprehensive and compassionate services.”
Another organization leader noted: “Receiving this grant fundamentally changed our leadership team’s self-perception. It gave us confidence to request necessary funding rather than settling for what was typically available.”
“The benefits continue flowing not just to our organization but to everyone we help,” added another recipient.
Other grantees reported significant improvements in staff well-being, with reduced stress affecting “staff, family and health” positively. One leader who had contemplated quitting described how Scott’s funding renewed their commitment by affirming their work’s value and providing “the means” to accomplish more.