MacKenzie Scott donates over $30 million to LGBTQ+ nonprofits: 'Vital agents of change'

Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has donated over $30 million to various LGBTQ+ nonprofits across the United States.

The novelist, who is also the ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, announced Monday that she had awarded 279 nonprofits with $2 million each, including 15 organizations that focus on the LGBTQ+ community. An additional 82 nonprofits each received $1 million from Scott, with all the donations categorized as "unrestricted," meaning the groups can use the funds in any way.

The organizations were decided on through an open call, which received over 6,000 applicants on Scott's online database documenting her donations, Yield Giving. The recipients include EdgeNJ, Gender Justice, GLAD, LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland, Hugh Lane Wellness Foundation, Long Beach LGBTQ Center, MPact Global, Lower East Side Girl's Club, OutFront Minnesota, Oasis Legal Services, Openhouse San Francisco, Pacific Center for Human Growth, Peace Is Loud, Sacramento LGBT Community Center, and The Wall Las Memorias.

In announcing the recipients, Scott wrote that she wanted to highlight the nonprofits' "outstanding work advancing the voices and opportunities of individuals and families of meager or modest means, and groups who have met with discrimination and other systemic obstacles" and to also provide "support for people working to improve access to foundational resources in their communities."

"They are vital agents of change," she said.

Scott came into her fortune after divorcing Bezos in 2019,and has since donated $17.3 billion of her settlements to over 2,300 organizations, according to her website. She initially planned to give away 250 awards of $1 million each but more than doubled the amount after receiving criticism online from Twitter/X owner Elon Musk.

After one user complained about Scott donating to organizations that deal with “issues of race and/or gender” and said her foundation is “the ultimate expression of the most awful group in the U.S.,” Musk replied in a since-deleted post, “Super rich ex-wives who hate their former spouse’ should filed [sic] be listed among ‘Reasons that Western Civilization died.'" Musk has been divorced three times.

Kat Rohn of OutFront Minnesota, the largest LGBTQ+ advocacy organization in the state, called the funds a "blessing" while speaking to WCCO Radio Minneapolis, noting that it was the largest onetime donation in the organization's history.

"We really trust the fact that LGBTQ issues and communities are under-invested in, and this is a landmark gift that we hope will get more of the philanthropic community engaged in this work," Rohn said.