Mackenzie Scott, a philanthropist and ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeffrey Bezos, has been donating millions of dollars to nonprofit organizations, some of which are in Northeast Ohio.
Scott began donating her wealth after her divorce from Bezos in 2019. So far, she has gifted about $640 million to 361 smaller nonprofits with her group Yield Giving after calling for organizations to apply for a grant.
The Cleveland agency Toward Employment is one of the nonprofits that received a donation. The agency helps about 1,800 people per year either find jobs or help them advance through their careers.
Scott donated $2 million to the agency, which is the largest donation in its 48-year history.
"We really want this to be an investment that will be able to set us up to continuously be responsive to changes so that may be an investment into infrastructure, staffing, capacity, training," Jill Rizika, the president and CEO at Towards Employment, said.
Additionally, Cleveland's Birthing Beautiful Communities also received $2 million from Scott.
The organization helps pregnant women who are at risk of infant mortality through doula services, classes and transportation.
"It really just propels us to be able to hone in on our mission, serve more moms and continue this work for time to come," Chantel Tolbert, the chief advancement officer for Birthing Beautiful Communities, said.
The LGBT Center of Greater Cleveland was also on the receiving end of a $2 million donation from Scott.
The center said it was the largest gift it has received in its 49-year history.
"I mean, [I'm] mind blown," Gulnar Feerasta, the managing director for the LGBT Community Center, said. "It was incredible, incredibly validating and affirming, you know, humbling and very poignant given where we are."
More than 6,000 nonprofit organizations applied to receive a grant, but only a few hundred were selected. Scott and her organization's original plan was to give out 250 awards of $1 million.
