Why MacKenzie Scott’s Record-Breaking $70 Million Donation Is a Turning Point for Seniors |
Why MacKenzie Scott’s Record-Breaking $70 Million Donation Is a Turning Point for Seniors”
The billionaire philanthropist’s gift to Meals on Wheels is her latest act of generosity in a giving streak that has now surpassed $26 billion.
BY AMAYA NICHOLE, NEWS WRITER
Mackenzie Scott. Photo: Getty Images
Mackenzie Scott has made another major philanthropic move, directing a portion of her vast fortune toward feeding and supporting millions of Americans.
Her $70 million Meals on Wheels gift is the latest major donation from the billionaire philanthropist. In recent weeks alone, Scott donated $7 million to Red Lake Nation College and $42 million to Elizabeth City State University—a contribution that pushed her total giving to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) past the $1 billion milestone.
“My approach to philanthropy will continue to be thoughtful. It will take time and effort and care. But I won’t wait. And I will keep at it until the safe is empty,” Scott wrote in her 2019 pledge letter.
Seven years later, Scott has stayed true to her word, having channeled more than $26 billion—roughly 46 percent of her net worth, according to Forbes—into causes spanning education, public health, and the environment.
How Anthropic's Claude AI Became a Co-Founder
Inspired by a post-World War II program in London, Meals on Wheels was founded in 1954 by social worker Margaret Toy in Philadelphia as the first known home-delivered meal service for seniors. They provide fresh, nourishing meals to more than 2.6 million vulnerable seniors and disabled individuals who are housebound, physically unable to cook, or struggle with independent grocery shopping.
Scott’s donation is the largest in the organization’s history and couldn’t have come at a better time as the organization announced that one in three local providers have a waitlist, with seniors waiting an average of four months for meals and services.
“We will steward the investment thoughtfully and responsibly to help generate economies of scale and impact that strengthen the capacity of local providers so they can reach more older adults with meals, connection and care,” chief development and marketing officer at Meals on Wheels America, Kristine Templin told Fortune.