MacKenzie Scott gave away over $2B last year. Where did it go?

It has just been five years since MacKenzie Scott signed the Giving Pledge, but she has already disbursed almost half of her around $35 billion net worth to over 2,300 organizations. Scott made headlines in the global development sphere when she started her philanthropic works, mainly due to her unorthodox way of giving and the record-breaking grant size. According to her website, Yield Giving, Scott has already given away $17.3 billion since 2020. Of this amount, nearly $2.2 billion was disbursed in 2023, while $640 million was awarded in the first quarter of 2024. We looked into the data to see where exactly her money went — and who got the biggest share. How much has been given? Of the 360 organizations that received financial support from Scott in 2023, only 253 organizations provided complete information. They received nearly $1.4 billion in total, with an average grant size of around $5.5 million. The remaining 107 organizations are yet to share how much exactly they got, but based on the total sum shared by Scott, they should get somewhere between $700 million and $800 million. Scott awarded grants to these organizations via her usual method of giving: money disbursed through donor-advised funds given to organizations upon recommendations from Lost Horse LLC, which she set up in 2019 to oversee her donations, and Bridgespan, a consulting firm for donors, investors, and NGOs. Grantees are still mostly US-centric As we pointed out in a previous analysis, it is difficult to map out exactly where Scott’s money is going. Since the grants are unrestricted, grantees can report multiple regions and countries as their beneficiaries. This is also the case for the sectoral priorities. Based on our analysis of the 2023 data, the majority of the grantees are still U.S.-focused, receiving nearly $1.2 billion, or 84% of the total grants to awardees with complete figures. Three organizations each received $25 million: • Year Up, which focuses on equal opportunity among young adults. • Upstream USA, which focuses on reducing unplanned pregnancies. It also received $30 million from Scott in 2022. • Mercy Housing, which provides affordable housing to people who lack economic resources. It received a further $2 million in 2024. Five other organizations received $20 million each, four got $15 million each, and another four were given $12 million each. Access to housing was the overall priority among U.S.-focused grantees. Providing livelihoods, supporting the workforce, education, and health were among the other focus areas. How about the money spent outside the US? Our analysis revealed that 58 grantees in 2023 either work primarily in low- and middle-income countries or have regional or global presence. Overall, they received $217.5 million Nine non-U.S.-focused organizations are yet to disclose their grant amounts. Among those with complete information, 16 organizations have a global reach, receiving $79.5 million. Another 13 grantees work in India, receiving $38 million in total. Then two recipients in South Africa, with $13 million; four in Brazil, with $13 million; and one in Colombia, with $6 million. Sectorally, we found that health was the priority outside the U.S., with $53 million. Education ranked next, with $47.5 million; the environment, with $27 million; and women’s empowerment, with $24 million. CAMFED, an organization focusing on the education of girls and young women in Africa, was the top grantee outside the U.S., with $20 million. It also received $25 million from Scott in 2020. Other top recipients include: • $15 million to the Global Fishing Watch, which focuses on ocean governance. • $15 million to the Fistula Foundation, which provides fistula treatment in over 30 countries in Africa and Asia. • $10 million to the Malaria Consortium, one of the leading organizations working in the prevention, control, and treatment of malaria. • $10 million to the Equality Fund, which supports organizations working in the women’s rights sector in 85 countries. • $10 million to Canopy Planet, which works mainly to protect the world’s forests. • $10 million to AmplifyChange, which supports civil society organizations in Africa, South Asia, and the Middle East working in the area of sexual and reproductive health and rights. Open call On March 19, Scott announced the result of her first-ever open call. Of the 6,353 applicants across the U.S. and its territories, 361 organizations were awarded $640 million. This is $390 million more than she initially planned to disburse. The grantees were selected with the help of Lever for Change, an organization that assists donors manage their money by helping them identify areas they can make the most impact and the organizations that can help them deliver. Scott’s first open call, like her overall method, is unorthodox. Unlike most donors, where the process is internal, Scott’s selection involved organizations rating fellow applicants. Those that rated higher advanced to a second round review by an evaluation panel, and then a final round of due diligence. According to an analysis by Panorama Global, around 77% of the awardees were given $2 million each. The remaining grantees got $1 million each. By sector, 74% of the organizations include the equity and justice sector among their priorities. Another 49% are in the health sector, 47% in education, and 47% in economic security and opportunity. What’s next for Scott? Scott’s first competitive grant call has widely been seen as a positive development, as many philanthropy experts have been urging her to adopt a more transparent selection process. Another move to increase transparency was setting up her grant portal, Yield Giving. However, one concern we raised in our previous report remains — most of her money is still largely spent on U.S. soil. With the size of her annual giving, it would only take a few more years before she finally empties her coffers, but the about $18 billion remaining is still huge enough to make a lasting difference for small organizations in LMICs who are competing over limited resources. Try out Devex Pro Funding today with a free five-day trial, and explore funding opportunities from over 850 sources in addition to our analysis and news content.