Disclosure
Billionaire Mackenzie Scott has committed to donating 50% of her wealth during her lifetime
The billionaire philanthropist’s newest donation MacKenzie Scott, the 5th richest woman in the world, is destined for Brazil. Scott donated US$8 million (R$40.9 million) for the global NGO Plan Internationalwhich has programs and projects aimed at promoting children’s rights and equality for girls and in underserved communities.
Scott is known for her generous donations in several countries, including Brazil. The billionaire obtained 4% of Amazon after her divorce from Jeff Bezos, company founderin 2019. She is a signatory of the Giving Pledgea public commitment to donate 50% of your assets during your lifetime.
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Present in more than 80 countries and for almost 30 years in Brazil, the organization recognized by Scott has projects in Maranhão, Piauí, Bahia and São Paulo. “The moment I received the news, the importance of the cause we work for, the results we presented and the ability to increase this impact was highlighted”, says Cynthia Betti, CEO of Plan International in Brazil, who was surprised by the donation.
In the second half of 2023, Betti had been approached for an audit process called “silent research”. For a few months, the organization participated in meetings and sent documents to a consultancy without knowing that it was Mackenzie Scott.
Mackenzie Scott’s donations
This is one of the ways that the billionaire works to evaluate and select the organizations that receive her donations. In March of this year, Scott awarded $640 million to 361 organizations that applied to a competition for funding. Her donations rose to a total of US$17.3 billion.
The billionaire targets “organizations that work to advance opportunities for people in underserved communities,” according to her website Yield Giving, listing 53 different focus areas that Scott has contributed to, including reproductive health, youth development, and literary and performing arts. Among the criteria published on the website are mission, indicators of high potential and sustainable positive impact, including financial stability and experienced leadership.
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Plan International in Brazil
The donation to Plan International is intended exclusively for projects in Brazil. “Although we are in a hurry when we look at our cause, the decision on the use of this resource has to be very well structured”, says the CEO of the NGO.
Betti hosted a three-day workshop with the organization’s leadership and board representatives to discuss challenges and opportunities. Among the organization’s objectives: “Strengthen our organizational capabilities, become a better-known NGO, invest in sustainability and in the search for more resources and implement more projects, through partnerships.”
In addition to projects aimed at education and gender equality, focusing on girls, the organization works to provide essential resources, such as water, in needy regions. “It is a very important endorsement for all the work we are doing”, says Felipe Brescancini, president of the Board of Trustees of Plan International Brasil, adding that the organization underwent a restructuring and tripled the return on the investment made through fundraising.
