Billionaire philanthropist and Amazon co-founder MacKenzie Scott has donated $640 million to 361 nonprofit organizations through an open call process managed by her organization, Yield Giving. This marks a significant shift in Scott's approach to philanthropy, as she previously relied on quiet research and private outreach to identify deserving organizations.
The open call, which attracted over 6,000 applicants, aimed to support nonprofits that are community-led and focused on advancing the voices and opportunities of individuals and families with modest means. Yield Giving had initially planned to award $1 million grants to 250 organizations, but the impressive quality of the applications led evaluators to expand both the awardee pool and the grant amounts. In the end, 279 organizations received $2 million each, while an additional 82 organizations were awarded $1 million each.
"The Open Call awardees are all making positive change in their communities by reducing disparities in economic outcomes, education, health, and other critical issues," Yield Giving stated on its website. The selected organizations hail from 38 states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico, and were chosen "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," Scott said in a statement.
Elisha Smith Arrillaga, vice president at The Center for Effective Philanthropy, described the increase in both the award amount and the number of selected organizations as "a pleasant surprise." She expressed interest in learning more about the applicants' experience with the process and whether Scott will continue to use this approach in the future.
Megan Peterson, executive director of the Minnesota-based nonprofit Gender Justice, highlighted the importance of the open call in providing access to funding for organizations that may not have connections with specific funders. "Having seen the types of work that she has supported in the past, we did feel like, 'Oh, if only she knew that we were out here racking up wins,'" Peterson said. Her organization plans to use the funds to expand their work into North Dakota.
Peterson also praised Scott for setting a new path for philanthropy, saying, "I think she's really helping to set a new path for philanthropy broadly, which is with that philosophy of: Find people doing good work and give them resources and then get out of the way. I am grateful for not just the support individually, but the way in which I think she is having an impact on philanthropy broadly."
Scott, who is the fourth-richest woman in the world with a net worth of around $35 billion, has given away $16.5 billion since her divorce from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos in 2019. She signed the Giving Pledge that year, committing the majority of her wealth to society. In 2022, Scott donated over $2 billion to 360 organizations, expressing her inspiration by "all the ways people work together to offer each other goodwill and support."
The open call process, managed by Lever for Change, involved a multilayer selection process in which applicants scored fellow applicants, and the top organizations were then reviewed by a panel of outside experts. Eligible nonprofits had annual budgets between $1 and $5 million.
Smith Arrillaga commended Scott for continuing to honor her commitment to giving away her wealth, even as she adapts and refines her approach. "She's thinking, changing and tweaking the 'how' of how it's done and she's still trying to go with the spirit of what she committed to," Smith Arrillaga said.
Many of the causes Scott focuses her donations on are often related to education, the arts, public health, and diversity. Among the awardees of the open call are ACLU of Alabama, Black Girl Ventures, GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders, and Ser Familia.
