{"id":23379,"date":"2020-12-17T03:30:37","date_gmt":"2020-12-17T03:30:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/?p=23379"},"modified":"2020-12-18T13:43:09","modified_gmt":"2020-12-18T13:43:09","slug":"5-ways-mackenzie-scotts-5-8-billion-commitment-to-social-and-economic-justice-is-a-model-for-other-donors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/5-ways-mackenzie-scotts-5-8-billion-commitment-to-social-and-economic-justice-is-a-model-for-other-donors\/","title":{"rendered":"5 ways MacKenzie Scott\u2019s $5.8 billion commitment to social and economic justice is a model for other donors"},"content":{"rendered":"

Elizabeth J. Dale<\/a>, Seattle University<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

The author and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott<\/a> announced on Dec. 15 that she had given almost US$4.2 billion to hundreds of nonprofits. It was her second announcement of this kind since she first publicly discussed her giving intentions in May of 2019<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In July 2020, Scott revealed that she\u2019d already given away nearly $1.7 billion<\/a> to 116 organizations, many of which focused on racial justice, women\u2019s rights, LGBTQ equality, democracy and climate change. All told, her 2020 philanthropy totals more than $5.8 billion.
\nScott directed her latest round of giving to 384 organizations<\/a> to support people disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. She made dozens of gifts to food banks, United Way chapters, YMCAs and YWCAs \u2013 organizations that have seen increased demand for services and, in some cases, declines in philanthropic gifts<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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In the two blog<\/a> posts she has written<\/a> to break the news, Scott has encouraged donors of all means to join her, whether those gifts are money or time.<\/p>\n

Previously married to Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, the philanthropist announced in July that from now on she\u2019ll be using her middle name as her new last name. She left it up to the causes she\u2019s funding to reveal precise totals for each gift.<\/p>\n

Morgan State University<\/a> and Virginia State University<\/a>, two of several historically Black colleges and universities receiving her donations, said these were the biggest gifts they\u2019d ever gotten from an individual donor. A number of her gifts are also funding tribal colleges as well as community colleges.<\/p>\n

As a scholar of philanthropy<\/a>, I believe that Scott is modeling five best practices for social change giving<\/a>.<\/p>\n