MacKenzie Scott’s Newest Batch of Culture-Challenging Donations

Very few of us can get away with challenging the capitalist and male-dominated values of our country. Unless you have a lot of money, you generally make more headway in American society if you watch every word you say and every move you make to ensure they remain within the lines of the men-first, pro-business, money-above-everything mentality that surrounds us. But MacKenzie Scott is able to challenge these ideas by sharing her resources with organizations that are doing the work on the ground for a better quality of life in America.

MacKenzie Scott with husband Dan Jewett. (Image credit: The Giving Pledge)

This week, MacKenzie Scott put organization names and faces to the recent $3.8 billion she distributed. The money went to a vast array of organizations that support the social and economic fabric of our culture. Here on PW, we are going to provide the gender-lens pull-out list of organizations receiving funding, with the proviso that there are other layers in her funding that satisfy feminist giving values around equity and inclusion but are not explicitly addressing gender bias. These organizations are helping us navigate new territory as a society, a place where we can prioritize healthier relationships, personal wellness, and quality education and healthcare experiences. Almost all of the organizations on this list have been covered in articles here at Philanthropy Women over the past five years.

Gender-Lens Breakout of MacKenzie Scott’s Latest Giving

African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF)

Black Women’s Health Imperative

Equality Now

Fondo Centroamericano de Mujeres

Fondo de Mujeres del Sur

FRIDA | The Young Feminist Fund

JASS

MADRE

Malala Fund

Mama Cash

National Birth Equity Collaborative

Nurse-Family Partnership

Prospera International Network of Women’s Funds

Planned Parenthood Federation of America (and extensive affiliates)

Root Capital

SisterSong National Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective

Urgent Action Fund — Urgent Response Fund for Ukraine

Women Win

Women’s Fund Asia

These donations are large — in the tens of millions in most cases. All are being praised by the fortunate recipients as transformational.  We will see what comes from these gifts — if other extreme HNW folks feel the peer pressure and start to follow suit, or if they just sit back and watch the fireworks. We will also see if these organizations can sustain the build-out of new territory that they can create with these huge infusions of money. A lot of money can be a great thing, except when it creates an unsustainable new level of functioning for your organization. You risk needing to downsize in the future if you don’t plan right with how to use that big infusion of money.

But let’s not let my financial anxiety cloud the sunny skies of MacKenzie Scott’s giving, especially when much of that giving is for grassroots feminist movements around the world. As a fan of all of the organizations in the list above, my deepest congratulations to you all, and best wishes as you expand and advance the mission of a better world for women and girls.

And Now, on to the Top 5 Feminist Giving Stories of the Week

  1. Serena and Venus Support New DV Center and Serena Ventures Announces $111 Million in Funding: Serena Ventures recently made an important announcement about raising $111 million in funding. Check it out here. In addition, Serena and Venus Williams recently gave back to DV survivors with a new center.
  2. Black Future Co-Op Fund in Seattle Grants $1.05 Million: The Black Future Co-op Fun, announced they will disperse $1.05 million in grants to 21 Black woman-led organizations. More here The Seattle Medium. 
  3. NYC Grows Women Creators with MOME: The Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME) recently announced the selection of 89 projects led by female-identifying creatives receiving finishing grants in the third round of the NYC Women’s Fund for Media, Music, and Theatre. Wouldn’t it be great if every city had a way to support women like this?
  4. New Podcast Launches to Discuss Women’s Leadership in Cannabis Industry: According to the research, the cannabis industry is quite woke to pro-equality approaches. Now some of the women leaders in this industry are making their voices heard in a new way with High on Feminism, a podcast from Woke Mediahouse. More information here.
  5. California Distributes $5 Million on Equal Pay Day for Women: California is another government that is moving money to women, especially in the post-covid economy. On Equal Pay Day, the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls (CCSWG) awarded grants to help fund organizations serving women and girls disproportionately impacted by COVID. More information here.

Related:

Serena Williams Invests $3 Million in Reducing Maternal Mortality Rates

MacKenzie Scott and the $14.2 Billion Dollar Question for Women & Girls

MacKenzie’s Pledge: Leaders Driving Change to Fix Inequality

Is Melinda Influencing MacKenzie Toward Feminist Giving?

Author: Kiersten Marek

Kiersten Marek, LICSW, is the founder of Philanthropy Women. She practices clinical social work and writes about how women donors and their allies are advancing social change.

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