After deciding to help those hardest hit during this pandemic, MacKenzie Scott (currently the richest woman in the world) donated $10 million to Charlotte’s Goodwill – the largest donation the charity has ever received in its 55-year history. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos’ ex-wife picked the Charlotte charity, along with 384 other organizations around the country, as part of her $4.2 billion 2020 donations.
According to a press release from Goodwill of the Southern Piedmont, the historic $10 million donation will help ramp up the organization’s efforts to help those who have lost their job during the pandemic get back on their feet.
“I cannot express the depth of our gratitude for this historic and extraordinary gift. As the Charlotte region’s largest workforce development nonprofit, Goodwill is uniquely positioned to lead the way in ensuring everyone in our community has the opportunity to achieve prosperity – no matter their circumstances,” said Chris Jackson, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont. “We have ambitious goals set in our 2025 strategic plan that we are excited to be able to expedite thanks to this generous investment. This will propel us forward in our unwavering dedication to closing the skills gap and eliminating the challenges created by inequities. MacKenzie Scott’s support is a demonstration of confidence in this essential work.”
MacKenzie Scott is currently the #18 richest person in the world and the #1 richest woman in the world, with an estimated net worth of more than $60 billion.
In a blog post, Scott wrote:
“After my post in July, I asked a team of advisors to help me accelerate my 2020 giving through immediate support to people suffering the economic effects of the crisis. They took a data-driven approach to identifying organizations with strong leadership teams and results, with special attention to those operating in communities facing high projected food insecurity, high measures of racial inequity, high local poverty rates, and low access to philanthropic capital.
The result over the last four months has been $4,158,500,000 in gifts to 384 organizations across all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and Washington D.C. Some are filling basic needs: food banks, emergency relief funds, and support services for those most vulnerable. Others are addressing long-term systemic inequities that have been deepened by the crisis: debt relief, employment training, credit and financial services for under-resourced communities, education for historically marginalized and underserved people, civil rights advocacy groups, and legal defense funds that take on institutional discrimination…
“…Though I’m far from completing my pledge, this year of giving began with exposure to leaders from historically marginalized groups fighting inequities, and ended with exposure to thousands of organizations working to alleviate suffering for those hardest hit by the pandemic. Witnessing the determination, creativity, and compassion of people in a crisis has been inspiring.”
What do you think about the donation?