Shock.
That’s what
The donor this time was
Scott, a 51-year-old novelist, received the bulk of her fortune from her 2019 divorce from
In at least 11 states, Scott provided the majority of racial equity-oriented contributions to the top recipients. She was the sole major donor to these groups in 10 other states, with donations for education dominating her giving.
Scott’s impact in some states could be larger still, because it remains unclear how all of the
“There’s no question in my mind that anyone’s personal wealth is the product of a collective effort, and of social structures which present opportunities to some people, and obstacles to countless others,” Scott wrote in a
Scott, later joined by Jewett, backed those words with hundreds of millions of dollars in donations to HBCU powerhouses like
Many organizations say Scott’s gifts were the largest they’ve ever received.
After Scott's split with Bezos, she pledged to give most of her wealth away, echoing the vows of other mega-donors like
That means Scott's ability to influence philanthropy will continue for the foreseeable future. Her intention, she has said, is to keep giving “until the safe is empty.” And because her gifts come with no strings attached and allow organizations to set their own priorities, it's been a welcome change for many who feel hamstrung by donor pet projects.
“The most cherished gifts are definitely those that are unrestricted because a complex university has a wide variety of needs,” said Simmons, who notes those gifts allow universities to deal with their “meat-and-potatoes” issues.
When Prairie View A&M received Scott’s
“It helped immensely in terms of addressing the pressing needs of students who could not meet their financial obligations,” said Simmons, adding that many Prairie View A&M students work to supplement their financial aid.
A large chunk of Scott's donation —
“This is just a stark contrast to what we’ve seen, particularly in recent decades, as donors have asserted themselves not only through the gifts, but also (by) wanting to be on boards or being able to get as close to the things that they’re funding as possible,” said
Yet Scott's donations have also prompted some calls for greater transparency. As an individual, she isn't subject to the same disclosure requirements that apply to mega-donors who contribute through charitable foundations. Nor do her announcements reveal how much she gives to individual groups. That means the amounts that these organizations receive are known only if they announce it themselves. Many have not.
“By providing such sizable donations to nonprofit organizations, Scott took on the role as a leading benefactor of the
A spokesperson for
Some of Scott’s racial equity contributions intersected with COVID-19 relief because the effects of the pandemic were disproportionately felt in minority communities. Around the same time that Prairie View A&M received millions,
“It was at a time when we had pretty much exhausted all of our
The group, and its 1,300 volunteers, used the funding to provide water, personal protective equipment and food to
But nearly a year since Scott's gift, Branch says the relief fund's resources are dwindling — a result, perhaps, of pandemic donor fatigue and an assumption that the group might no longer need money because of Scott's gift.
By contrast, Prairie View A&M has had more contributions from other donors after Scott's donation. At universities, big donors commonly have buildings or centers named after them. Yet there isn't going to be a Scott Center at Prairie View. She didn’t want that, Simmons said.
So the HBCU head came up with a “little secret” and established a writing program named after
“That’s as far as we could go in demonstrating our gratitude for her generosity,” Simmons said.
AP Business Writer
The Associated Press receives support from the
Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission., source