Don’t attach strings, champion representation, and other best practices for social change giving.
By Elizabeth J. Dale, Fast Company
The author and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has announced that she’s disbursed nearly $1.7 billion to 116 organizations, since first publicly discussing her giving intentions in May of 2019. Most of the organizations aim to advance racial, gender and economic equity, are dedicated to dealing with climate change, support democracy or are tied to other generally progressive causes.
In the public blog post she wrote to break the news, Scott encouraged donors of all financial means to join her. Previously known as MacKenzie Bezos, before her divorce from Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, the philanthropist also announced that from now on she’ll be using her middle name as her new last name. She left it up to the causes she’s funding to reveal precise totals for each gift. Howard University and Tuskegee University, two of several historically Black colleges and universities receiving her donations, said these were the biggest gifts they’d ever gotten from an individual donor.
As a scholar of philanthropy, I believe that Scott is modeling five best practices for social change giving.
Featured Image, Clemens Bilan/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Full article @ Fast Company
