Philanthropist and author MacKenzie Scott declared on Tuesday her decision to donate $640 million to 361 lesser-known nonprofits that applied during an open call. This announcement by Yield Giving significantly exceeds Scott’s original commitment, marking a new approach since 2019, where her philanthropic efforts involved direct, unrestricted funding to chosen organizations without a formal application process.
Scott expressed her gratitude towards Lever for Change, the entity overseeing the application process, and the evaluators for their critical role in facilitating support for those dedicated to enhancing community resource access, highlighting their importance in societal transformation.
Elisha Smith Arrillaga, from The Center for Effective Philanthropy, described the increase in funding and recipient organizations as unexpectedly positive, expressing curiosity about the application experience and whether Scott will maintain this method in the future.
A staggering 6,353 nonprofits vied for the $1 million grants upon the call’s opening. Lever for Change later revealed an expansion in both the number of beneficiaries and the total funds distributed, resulting in 279 top-scoring nonprofits receiving $2 million each, and an additional 82 groups being granted $1 million apiece.
Renee Karibi-Whyte of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors and Megan Peterson, leading the Minnesota nonprofit Gender Justice, both noted the value of such open calls in providing exposure and funding opportunities to organizations typically outside the philanthropic mainstream. This approach, they suggested, could revolutionize philanthropic practices by emphasizing direct support for impactful work without restrictive conditions.
The application sought submissions from community-led nonprofits aiming to amplify the voices and chances of those with limited means, specifically targeting organizations with annual budgets of $1 to $5 million.
Applicants participated in a comprehensive selection process, involving peer reviews followed by evaluations from an external panel of experts.
Since her divorce from Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, Scott has allocated $16.5 billion of her fortune to various causes, detailed through her online platform, Yield Giving. She aims to make her philanthropic activities transparent, hoping that sharing information on her donations will benefit others. Reflecting on her journey, Scott remains committed to her philanthropic pledge while exploring new ways to make an impact, according to Smith Arrillaga of CEP.
