Scott, a billionaire, philanthropist and author, promised to give $1 million each to 250 organizations last year through an open call for applications.

MacKenzie Scott, courtesy of Twitter
KANSAS CITY, Mo. —Originally published for KMBC KC
Two Kansas City nonprofits are officially on the receiving end of philanthropist MacKenzie Scott’s efforts to give $640 million to 361 organizations.
Scott, a billionaire, philanthropist and author has donated $3 million to two Kansas City-area nonprofits — KC Healthy Kids and Amethyst Place.
On Tuesday, the nonprofits announced they received grants through Scott’s organization, Yield Giving.
KC Healthy Kids, an organization dedicated to advancing the health and well-being of
children in Greater Kansas City, received a $1 million grant. This is the largest donation in the organization’s 20-year history.
This award represents the largest gift in our nearly two-decade history, and recognizes and
confirms our impact advancing the health and well-being of kids in our community,” President and CEO of KC Healthy Kids Danielle Robbins-Gregory said. “This generous contribution sets the stage for expanding our efforts and deepening our partnerships to create environments that promote healthy living for kids and families in our region.”
Amethyst Place received $2 million, which will support its affordable housing expansion project. Founded in 2000, Amethyst Place is a long-term supportive housing program for women and children recovering from generational substance use, poverty, and trauma.
“We are incredibly honored to be among the leading nonprofits in the country working toward transformational community change,” Amethyst Place Executive Director Starla Wulf Brennan said. “This gift nearly closes the gap on our capital campaign, ensuring affordable housing for 32 more families by the end of 2024. We can’t wait to bring these families off our year-long waitlist and home to heal.”
Scott promised to give $1 million each to 250 organizations last year through an open call for applications.
Yield Giving’s first round of donations is more than double what Scott had initially pledged to give away through the application process.
6,353 nonprofits applied to the $1 million grants when applications opened.
The 279 nonprofits that received top scores from an external review panel were awarded $2 million, while 82 organizations in a second tier received $1 million each.
Scott has given away $16.5 billion from the fortune she came into after divorcing Amazon founder Jeff Bezos in 2019. Initially, she publicized the gifts in online blog posts before eventually launching Yield Giving in 2022.
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