Updated: Analysis of MacKenzie Scott’s Charitable Giving Shows Where the Money Is Going

Since last summer when she announced her first round of big giving, MacKenzie Scott has donated a total of nearly $8.5 billion to 798 nonprofits, including those she announced in June.

Many of her contributions have had a ripple effect by prompting recipients to donate some of what they received to their affiliates or related charities. While Scott announced most of the organizations that received gifts, all of which were unrestricted, she left it up to the groups to decide whether to publicize how much she gave them.

As of July 15, nearly a fourth of her nonprofit beneficiaries from the past 12 months have disclosed the amounts either publicly or in response to requests from the Chronicle. The Chronicle‘s research was based on information provided by organizations that have distributed news releases or otherwise disclosed the information in media interviews.

A Chronicle analysis of those 200 groups shows that Scott gave the most — almost $1.5 billion — to 62 colleges and universities, and of those she gave a total of $503 million to 21 historically Black colleges and universities and a total of $429 million to 22 community colleges. The three higher education institutions that received the most are Prairie View A&M University, which got $50 million, and North Carolina A&T State University and Indian River State College, which each received $45 million. Both Prairie View and North Carolina A&T are historically Black institutions.

Colleges and Social Services

Colleges and universities were the most willing to disclose Scott’s gift amount. Next were social-service charities: Eighty-nine received a total of nearly $140 million. They supported a variety of causes including direct relief to people affected by the pandemic; feeding the hungry; advancing racial-equity and social-justice efforts in low-income neighborhoods; helping women, girls, and families; and supporting community and economic development programs.

The largest gift she made to a social-service group was $50 million to Enterprise Community Partners, which works to expand the supply of low-cost housing and advance racial equity and economic resilience. Local Initiatives Support Corporation, which provides loans, grants, and management assistance to local charities, received $40 million. Twenty other social-service groups received $15 million to $25 million each.

Among other types of nonprofits announcing big gifts from Scott, eight community foundations received a total of $94 million, and seven arts groups a total of $51 million. Four organizations that serve the nonprofit world have announced the amounts they have received: GivingTuesday received $7 million, Grantmakers for Effective Organizations got $4 million, and the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy and the United Philanthropy Forum each received $3 million. (After this article was published the Center for Effective Philanthropy noted that it had received $10 million and BoardSource said it had received $5 million.)

To view more of Scott’s contributions see our database of gifts of $1 million or more, which is updated regularly. And if we missed your organization, send us a note at gifts@philanthropy.com.