The world of philanthropy is full of people who have managed to change the lives of many across the planet. While we still have a long way to go, the world is still a better place because of these people.
The list of people who strive to make a difference is long and full of people with great intentions. In the most recent times, the two names that have popped up in this list are Melinda French Gates and MacKenzie Scott. Both have quite a few things in common, but the most important one is their love for humanity.
Here is everything you need to know about both of them, their past philanthropic ventures, and what to expect from their team.
About Melinda French Gates
Melinda French Gates is a former general manager and computer scientist at Microsoft, one of the biggest companies in the world. She was also married to the company's co-founder, Bill Gates, for the past 27 years until the couple called it quits earlier in 2021.
The power couple was one of the richest and most influential in the world. Even after the divorce, the two are still considered to be powerful and philanthropic individuals. French Gates has repeatedly been listed as one of Forbes' most powerful women in the world.
Her inclination towards humanity and the betterment of the world has been proven time and again through her generous donations and social organizations.
Past Philanthropic Ventures
Over the past two decades, Melinda French Gates has emerged as one of the most generous women in the world who use her money for the betterment of society. Her most notable contribution has been through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
This foundation has been operational for over 20 years, and it strives to serve people who face poverty and horrendous living conditions. It aims to empower people to lead healthy and productive lives while achieving some level of financial independence. The foundation has also given away a lot of money for COVID-19 vaccination research over the past two years.
The foundation also has an active presence in developing countries where many people receive regular donations from them. As of 2019, the foundation had a whopping endowment of $49.8 billion, making it one of the biggest charitable foundations in the world.
About MacKenzie Scott
According to Forbes, MacKenzie Scott is the third richest woman in the world. A large part of her wealth came from her divorce settlement with Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. She was entitled to a quarter of Bezos' stakes in the company, which gave Scott 4% of the shares in Amazon.
At the time of the divorce, the 4% shares were worth nearly $35 billion. In addition to being a famed novelist, Scott has also dabbled frequently in philanthropy. In fact, she has been known to give away billions from her own wealth towards the causes that she believes in.
In 2020, she also signed The Giving Pledge, which says she will donate half her net worth to charitable organizations. This pledge was started by Bill Gates, Melinda French Gates, and Warren Buffet in 2014 as an open invitation for billionaires to pledge their fortune to charity.
So far, Scott has lived up to her word and actively sought to make a difference in the world.
Past Philanthropic Ventures and Donations
The estimated worth of Scott's donations and philanthropic venture (the number also confirmed by her) is approximately $8 billion. This whopping amount comes from her net worth of around $55.8 billion. Scott continues to dedicate a large part of her wealth towards causes that she strongly believes in.
The $8 billion that she has donated has been divided into 116 social organizations that focus on at least one of nine major "areas of need". These areas include serious issues like LGBTQ+, racial equity, climate change, functional democracy, and a lot more.
According to Scott, all these areas need immediate attention and require quick action to be resolved. Her philanthropy is entirely aimed towards these issues as she continuously strives to solve them. She's also considered a donor with active involvement in the advancement of these agendas.
Some of the most prominent organizations that Scott has backed so far include the Obama Foundation, the European Climate Foundation, the George W. Bush Presidential Center, the NAACP Legal Defense, and Education Fund, and RAINN.
Melinda French Gates and MacKenzie Scott Partnered Up
Both these women have repeatedly sought to make gender equity a reality. After her divorce, Scott's first philanthropic effort was the Equality Can't Wait Challenge. For this challenge, Scott and French Gates joined forces to pledge $40 million to four organizations that promote gender equality.
The top four organizations participating in this challenge got $10 million each, while the two finalists received an additional $8 million, which was split between them.
These four winners were chosen from a pool of over 500 applicants, and all of them focused on bringing gender equality in different facets of life.
This challenge was one of the first of its kind in the US and is set to make the world a better place for all the marginalized genders in the country.
Needless to say, this power duo is sure to leave a mark on the world and change it for the better. Both have already proved time and again what they're capable of, and together, they're an unstoppable team. Women around the world can emulate their compassion and work ethic to make social entrepreneurship a reality.
Learn More on Hustle Mama Magazine
If you'd like to learn more about them, check out the useful blogs at Hustle Mama Magazine. Currently, it's one of the best women's lifestyle magazines with tips for women entrepreneurs, along with much more.
Check out and subscribe to this women's entrepreneurship and business concept magazine today to feel connected to powerful women from around the world!
Sign in to leave a comment.