Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has recently awarded over $150 million in unrestricted grants to several organizations focused on housing and financial development. These contributions include:
$65 million to the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), marking the largest donation in the organization’s history.
$65 million to Enterprise Community Partners, a national nonprofit dedicated to affordable housing solutions.
$40 million to the Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH), a leading national nonprofit intermediary and Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI).
$15 million to Coastal Enterprises, Inc. (CEI), supporting their mission to create economic opportunities in rural communities.
$22 million to the Nonprofit Finance Fund, which provides financing and consulting services to nonprofits.
$15 million to Craft3, a nonprofit CDFI that lends to strengthen businesses, families, and communities in the Pacific Northwest.
$10 million to Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs in Atlanta, supporting small businesses and entrepreneurs.
These grants align with Scott’s ongoing commitment to addressing housing affordability and economic development. In September 2024, she sold 61.66 million shares of Amazon stock, potentially raising around $11.5 billion, indicating her preparation for another significant round of charitable giving.
Scott’s philanthropic approach emphasizes large, unrestricted grants, allowing recipient organizations the flexibility to allocate funds where they are most needed. This strategy reflects her trust-based philanthropy model, which seeks to empower nonprofits without imposing restrictive conditions. “This kind of unrestricted funding allows LISC to test new ideas, scale up promising programs, and leverage other sources of capital to support positive socio-economic impact,” said LISC chair and former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Robert E. Rubin.
“MacKenzie Scott’s continued support reaffirms the importance of Enterprise’s mission,” said Enterprise Community Partners president and CEO Shaun Donovan. “This gift will allow us to expand and accelerate our work, delivering community-based and sustainable housing solutions to the people and places that need them most.”
“We feel privileged to be recognized with other organizations that are creating positive change in their communities,” said CEI president Keith Bisson.
“In particular, we are grateful for Ms. Scott’s ongoing commitment to the community development finance sector to build economic agency and resilience, particularly for people and communities with low incomes.”
Scott continues to be one of the most generous living donors in the United States:
- She has donated at least $17.3 billion to over 2,300 non-profit organizations.
- Her unique approach to philanthropy involves unrestricted cash grants, often larger than an organization’s annual budget.
- Scott does not actively solicit grant requests, except for her Open Call initiative, which awarded $640 million to 361 organizations earlier this year.
Recent Donations
Some of Scott’s recent charitable contributions include:
- $65 million to Local Initiatives Support Corp. (LISC), a New York-based community development organization, in late October 2024.
- $2 million to LEAP, a youth-centered New Haven nonprofit, through the Yield Giving grants program.
- $1.5 million to the Mni Sota Fund, a non-profit organization that builds wealth for urban Native people in Minnesota.
- $10 million to Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs in Georgia in August.
- $15 million to Coastal Enterprises, an organization focused on rural economic development in Maine, in October 2024.
Scott’s philanthropic efforts continue to significantly impact various causes and organizations across the United States, reflecting her commitment to giving away a substantial portion of her wealth during her lifetime.