MacKenzie Scott has donated $19 billion. The impact? 'Transformational,' new study says

USA Today

19-02-2025

AI-assisted summary
Billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott's donations have allowed nonprofits to expand their budgets and make necessary improvements.
Organizations like Kaboom! and the South Texas Food Bank have used Scott's donations to expand their reach and provide higher quality services.
Scott's donations have also allowed organizations to improve staff compensation and benefits.
The financial contributions that billionaire MacKenzie Scott has made to more than 2,000 nonprofits over the past six years have proven to have a "transformational effect," a new study says.
The Center for Effective Philanthropy released a study this week that analyzes Scott's donations of more than $19.25 billion to more than 2,450 nonprofits domestically and abroad over a three-year period. In 2019, Scott, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezo's ex-wife, received approximately $38 billion through her divorce settlement and pledged to donate at least half of her wealth to charity.
The study looked at seven nonprofits that have received donations from Scott. Through data collection and interviews, the center's study found that each of the organizations were able to expand their annual operating budgets, make necessary equipment and programming purchases, and hire and fairly compensate staff, among other improvements.
Here's how Scott's donations have affected organizations in the U.S.
Expanding a mission at Kaboom!
Kaboom!, a nonprofit founded in 1996 that creates playgrounds in areas where they have been historically denied, received $14 million from Scott in 2021, according to the study. Before the donation, the nonprofit's annual operating budget was $9 million. As of summer 2024, Kaboom!'s operating budget was $21.5 million.
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Kaboom! CEO Lysa Ratliff told USA TODAY that Scott's donation was the "fuel in the tank that allowed us to turn the ship around."
Before Scott's donation, the nonprofit relied on corporate funding and service to complete one build project at a time, specifically in areas that offered free and reduced lunch programs or met the organization's income standards. This "unhealthy" funding method, Ratliff said, kept the organization in a "perpetual trap."
After Scott's donation, Kaboom! was able to reorganize its infrastructure and create an inequity priority index, which has expanded the organization's ability to assess where work is needed and complete projects in more areas than before.
Pre-2020, Kaboom! completed about 150 build projects each year, Ratliff said. This year, the organization expects to complete 85 to 90 projects. Though a smaller number, the playgrounds are larger in scale and of higher quality. On average, a pre-2020 Kaboom! playground was about 2,500 square feet, Ratliff said. Now, the organization is constructing playgrounds closer to 10,000 square feet in size with more unique features.
Scott's donation also enabled Kaboom! to launch its 25 in 5 Initiative to End Playspace Inequity, which seeks to eliminate playspace inequity in 25 municipalities in five years. Kaboom! also has created a public policy and advocacy department with the donation, allowing the nonprofit to hone in on legislation to help their cause. Last year, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore signed legislation into law that was drafted with Kaboom's help and prohibits the use of toxic chemicals on playground surfaces.
Providing higher quality resources to community, staff
The South Texas Food Bank is another organization that benefited from Scott. The billionaire donated $9 million in 2020 to the nonprofit that serves eight counties and one tribal nation in southern Texas, according to the study.
Scott's donation allowed the South Texas Food Bank to provide higher quantities and a higher quality of items to its benefactors and raise staff compensation, the study said.
In 2019, the food bank distribution about 14 million pounds of food throughout eight counties. In 2020, with the help of Scott's donation, that rose to 26 million pounds of food, according to the study.
Following the height of the pandemic, these numbers have decreased slightly but remain higher than before. In the fiscal year 2021-2022, the food bank distributed 19 million pounds, followed by 20 million pounds in 2022-2023 and 21 million pounds in 2023-2024, South Texas Food Bank CEO Alma Boubel told USA TODAY.
For the first time in decades, the food bank was able to prioritize staff, too, Boubel added.
Forty-two staff members received $1,000 bonuses, the nonprofit began providing free healthcare coverage for all staff and eight new staff members were hired, the study said. Since the donation, around 20 employees, who make less than $16 per hour or have a spouse out of work, have also earned $75 stipends every other week, Boubel said.
The food bank also used $1 million of the donation to purchase new equipment, including two generators and two tractor trailers for carrying perishables, and has spent about $3 million on improving the food bank's facility in Laredo, Texas.
What other organizations has MacKenzie Scott donated to?
A full list of the 2,450-plus nonprofits Scott has donated to is available on the Yield Giving website at yieldgiving.com/gifts. Established by Scott, Yield Giving asks other wealthy people to give back to charities.
The five other nonprofits analyzed in The Center for Effective Philanthropy study were:
Who is MacKenzie Scott?
Scott, 54, is both a philanthropist and author. She was married to to Bezos from 1993 to 2019 and contributed to Amazon's success in the company's early days.
As part of her divorce settlement, Bezos retained 75% of the couple's Amazon stock, in addition to her voting control in the company, per previous USA TODAY reporting.
Contributing: Kelly Tyko, USA TODAY
Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Follow her on X and Instagram @gretalcross. Story idea? Email her at [e-mail].