Business
MacKenzie Scott’s latest $60 million donation is a sign philanthropists are trying to fill the void from Trump’s cuts to FEMA
Billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott is once again giving away millions. On Tuesday, the Center for Disaster Philanthropy (CDP) announced it had received a $60 million gift from Scott and her organization, Yield Giving, which has donated more than $19 billion to thousands of organizations.
The gift to CDP, which supports recovery from natural disasters in struggling communities with lacking resources, comes at the heels of the Trump administration’s cuts to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)—an organization Americans rely on for help during and after hurricanes, wildfires, tornadoes, and floods.
“All sectors of society—public, private, and social—share responsibility for helping communities thrive after a disaster,” CDP President and CEO Patricia McIlreacy told Fortune. “Philanthropy plays a critical role in providing communities with resources to rebuild stronger, but it cannot—and should not—replace government and its essential responsibilities.”
The Trump administration has canceled or suspended key disaster mitigation grant programs, reduced federal disaster spending, shifting more financial and operational responsibility to state and local governments. For example, the administration ended the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant program, which had promised billions of dollars to help state and local governments reduce disaster risk. President Donald Trump has also suggested FEMA could eventually be dismantled or drastically reduced.
The Trump administration suggests FEMA has an “outsized role,” which created a “bloated bureaucracy that disincentivized state investment in their own resilience,” White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson told Fortune.
“President Trump is committed to right-sizing the Federal government while empowering state and local governments by enabling them to better understand, plan for, and ultimately address the needs of their citizens,” Jackson said. “Effective response and recovery from disasters relies on strong local and state leadership.”
The president’s FEMA Review Council will recommend to Trump how FEMA can be reformed to “best serve the national interest,” Jackson added.
McIlreacy said, however, the federal government is crucial for disaster preparedness and recovery, and that as the country braces for more climate-related disasters, “we need all levels of government to work together to help communities, especially those at greatest risk, thrive after a disaster.
CDP plans to use the funding to deepen its “equity-centered approach,” strengthen its partnerships, and expand the organization’s commitment to long-term disaster recovery.
“Our focus will be on driving broader support for locally led, community-driven solutions and fundamentally shifting how philanthropic systems and structures sustain equitable recovery efforts for all communities around the world,” McIlreacy said.
MacKenzie Scott’s giving history
Scott, the ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, has been deeply committed to philanthropy during the past few years. She’s worth an estimated $34 billion and has pledged to give away the majority of her wealth.
Her donations, totaling more than $19 billion, have supported organizations across several areas, including education, disaster recovery, housing, the arts, and health. She most recently made significant donations to DEI-focused causes, including a $40 million donation to the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund, and has donated hundreds of millions of dollars to historically black colleges and universities.
Many have called Scott’s philanthropic style unique because she makes gifts unrestricted, meaning the organizations can choose how to use the donations.
“Unlike traditional funding processes that often involve lengthy applications, specific restrictions, and reporting requirements, her style empowers organizations like ours to determine how best to direct funds quickly and innovatively to address pressing issues,” Noni Ramos, CEO of Housing Trust, told Fortune in late 2024 when her organization received a $30 million gift from Scott.
