Report on COVID-related philanthropy credits MacKenzie Scott with powering 25% of U.S. giving

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A new report looking at the global philanthropic response to COVID-19 during 2020 credits MacKenzie Scott with singlehandedly powering 25% of the giving effort in the United States.

The report by the Center for Disaster Philanthropy and Candid looked at the sources of more than $20 billion awarded for pandemic-related causes, including corporations, foundations, public charities and high-net-worth individuals such as Scott.

By giving $4 billion of her Amazon-fueled wealth to 384 different nonprofits in December, Scott dramatically increased the proportion of giving by high-net-worth individuals. Of the $5.8 billion given by the group, Scott accounted for nearly three quarters of the amount.

The former wife of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos took a more high-profile approach to her philanthropic giving in 2020. She keyed on the destruction caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, calling it a “wrecking ball in the lives of Americans already struggling” and saying that “economic losses and health outcomes alike have been worse for women, for people of color, and for people living in poverty.”

Scott, who is currently No. 21 on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index of wealthiest individuals, impacted several categories across the report with her giving, including:

BIPOC communities: Of U.S. COVID-19 philanthropy to specified recipients, 35% of dollars was explicitly designated for Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) communities. High-net-worth donors in the data set designated a higher proportion of their funding for BIPOC communities (44 percent). This was almost entirely due to Scott’s grantmaking.
Health organizations: This group ranked second, accounting for 26% of dollars. Top health organizations included Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and the COVID-19 Therapeutics Accelerator. Easterseals (the national office combined with its affiliates) emerged in the top recipient list thanks to Scott’s $162 million award. The organization offers services and advocacy for people with disabilities.
Unrestricted or flexible support: This area dramatically increased in the second half of the year, with 39% of dollars and 21% of gifts to specified recipients described as unrestricted or flexible. Scott’s large, unrestricted grants accounted for the major shift.

The report lists Google as the top corporate donor, with 17 gifts totaling more than $1 billion.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation was tops in funding by foundations, giving 398 gifts totaling $1.3 billion.

Scott made news earlier this week when it was revealed that she married Dan Jewett, a Seattle science teacher. Jewett signed on to The Giving Pledge, an initiative Scott previously committed to in which the ultra rich pledge to give their fortunes to charity.

In July 2020, Scott named 116 non-profits that were receiving $1.67 billion of her wealth.

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March 10, 2021 at 02:58PM