MacKenzie Scott donates $640 million -- more than double her initial plan -- to nonprofit applicants

The billionaire philanthropist and author MacKenzie Scott announced Tuesday she would give $640 million to more than 360 organizations in response to an application process she launched last year. The award is more than double the amount that she initially promised in an “open call” for applications. The selected organizations will receive grants of $2 million or $1 million. Previously, Scott and her team have selected organizations and provided them with large, unrestricted gifts. Scott has shaken up philanthropic giving since 2019 when she began giving away the fortune she came into after divorcing Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.