When Native Forward’s Angelique Albert first received an email with the subject line “Confidential,” she couldn’t believe it. MacKenzie Scott had just given her nonprofit $20 million—completely unsolicited. Three years later, another cryptic email arrived with an even bigger surprise: $50 million.
Since 2019, Scott, who is Jeff Bezos’s ex-wife, has given away over $26 billion to more than 2,450 organizations. While traditional donors demand detailed proposals and oversight, Scott simply writes checks and walks away. As one recipient put it: “She’s rewriting American philanthropy.”
Scott requires no application process, no pitch meetings, no strings attached. She conducts “quiet research” to identify nonprofits, then shocks them with grants ranging from $300,000 to $80 million. Recipients often ignore her emails at first, thinking they’re spam.
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When Native Forward’s Angelique Albert first received an email with the subject line “Confidential,” she couldn’t believe it. MacKenzie Scott had just given her nonprofit $20 million—completely unsolicited. Three years later, another cryptic email arrived with an even bigger surprise: $50 million.
Since 2019, Scott, who is Jeff Bezos’s ex-wife, has given away over $26 billion to more than 2,450 organizations. While traditional donors demand detailed proposals and oversight, Scott simply writes checks and walks away. As one recipient put it: “She’s rewriting American philanthropy.”
Scott requires no application process, no pitch meetings, no strings attached. She conducts “quiet research” to identify nonprofits, then shocks them with grants ranging from $300,000 to $80 million. Recipients often ignore her emails at first, thinking they’re spam.
Sign up for the Entrepreneur Daily newsletter to get the news and resources you need to know today to help you run your business better. Get it in your inbox.
