MacKenzie Scott donates $640 million to 361 nonprofits

Billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has donated $640 million to 361 nonprofits, she announced Tuesday. 

Scott, the ex-wife of Jeff Bezos and co-founder of Amazon, has been keeping good on her word to donate at least half of her wealth to charity as part of the Giving Pledge. 

The latest round of donations, which varied from gifts of $1 million to $2 million, were awarded to nonprofits across the country with a variety of focuses — the arts, affordable housing, education, public health, immigration and diversity. 

In a post on her Yield Giving website, she wrote that these community-led groups were “elevated by peer organizations and a round-2 evaluation panel 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.”

The organizations were chosen from a pool of over 6,000 applicants.

The nonprofits were chosen either via “quiet research” that identified and evaluated organizations for “indicators of high potential for sustained positive impact,” or through an “open call” application process. 

Scott also thanked “Lever for Change” which handled the open call, and those on the evaluation and implementation teams, calling them “vital agents of change.” 

Scott is the 41st wealthiest person in the world, with a net worth of $36.2 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.