MacKenzie Scott donations avoided feared pitfalls: New study

By MARIA DI MENTO of The Chronicle of Philanthropy
Chronicle of Philanthropy

MacKenzie Scott’s big gifts have been a boon to the charities who received them, and widespread fears in the nonprofit world that her gifts would lead other donors to pull back their support or that small groups wouldn’t be able to handle them were largely unfounded. That’s according to a study by the Center for Effective Philanthropy, which surveyed more than 700 nonprofits that Scott identified as grant recipients in 2020 and 2021. Susan Goodell, chief executive of El Pasoans Fighting Hunger, a food bank that received $9 million from Scott in December 2020, said the money shored up her group’s financial health as food-assistance needs soared.