Getting large, unrestricted grants from funders is a rarity for most nonprofits: Normally, they spend hours toiling over lengthy applications for small grants that provide just enough to sustain their programs and pay their staff, with little to nothing for overhead costs. And the funder is still largely in control of how the money is spent.
That’s why so many organizations have been intrigued by the emergence of billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, who has given away billions of dollars in unrestricted grants since 2020 with the ethos that nonprofits know best how to spend the money.
Scott has given away more than $14 billion to more than 1,600 organizations. Most are United States-based groups, including 48 that reported working globally or in another country. Individual grants from Scott, who had a net worth of $21.7 billion as of Wednesday, typically total more than $1 million. Unlike most funders, Scott also hasn’t required the funds be spent in any specific way.