Billionaire-philanthropist MacKenzie Scott—the former wife of Jeff Bezos—has given $6.8 million to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington.
The gift, announced Thursday, is part of a total donation from Scott of $281 million that will be distributed across 62 local Boys & Girls clubs nationwide. The organization says the sum is one of the largest gifts in its 160-year history.
At 136-years old, the Washington chapter offers educational programming—such as homework help, sports and recreation, arts, and leadership opportunities—and boasts a high-school graduation rate of 98 percent among its members.
“This transformational gift will make such an incredible impact on our Clubs and the kids we serve,” said Gabrielle Webster, president and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington in a statement. “We are extremely appreciative to MacKenzie Scott. …The work that we do is so vital to our community, and her gift enables us to continue to do more, provide more and serve more.”
Scott’s latest gift is far from her first to a DC-area organization. Other past local recipients include Howard University, the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, the Children’s Defense Fund, the Urban Institute, and the National Council of Nonprofits, among many others. And that list is likely to grow as Scott, who received 25 percent of Bezos’s Amazon shares in their divorce settlement, has pledged to give away the bulk of her $60 billion fortune.
