MacKenzie Scott is doing it again. The billionaire philanthropist has made a $70 million unrestricted donation to Meals on Wheels America, the nonprofit organization that provides meals, social connection, and safety checks to more than 2 million seniors and homebound people across the United States every year. The donation comes as one in three local Meals on Wheels providers has a waitlist, with seniors waiting an average of four months for services. Scott’s gift will allow Meals on Wheels to strengthen its network of more than 5,000 community-based programs and reach more seniors with the food, care, and human connection they need to live independently. “Ultimately, success means more seniors are able to access the support they need to live more nourished, independent, and healthy lives,” said Kristine Templin, the organization’s chief development and marketing officer.
The $70 million gift is just the latest chapter in one of the most remarkable philanthropic stories in modern history. Since 2020, the early Amazon employee and ex-wife of Jeff Bezos, worth $41.1 billion, has donated $26 billion through her giving vehicle Yield Giving, having already given away 46% of her net worth. In the past month alone, she donated $7 million to Minnesota’s Red Lake Nation College and $42 million to Elizabeth City State University, pushing her HBCU giving past $1 billion. She has also given $436 million to Habitat for Humanity, $90 million to tropical forest conservation, and $84.5 million to the Girl Scouts and Forbes now ranks her the third most generous philanthropist in the world.
