Gender Equality News: MacKenzie Scott, Melinda French-Gates Donate $40M To 4 Organizations
Philanthropists Melinda French-Gates and MacKenzie Scott on Thursday teamed up to donate $40 million to four gender-equality organizations as part of the "Equality Can’t Wait Challenge."
The four organizations — they were chosen for efforts to promote equality in caregiving, tech, and higher education along with supporting minority communities — were selected from a pool of more than 500 applicants and will each receive $10 million.
Scott recently divorced the world's richest person, Jeff Bezos, and is the world’s third-richest woman, with a fortune of $64 billion, according to Bloomberg's Billionaire Index. French-Gates, who recently divorced the world's fourth-richest person Bill Gates, has a net worth of $3.2 billion.
“The awardees are strong teams working on the front lines and from within communities to help women build power in their lives and careers,” Scott said in a statement.
“We can break the patterns of history and advance gender equality, but we must commit to lifting up organizations, like the ones receiving awards today, that are ready to lift up women and girls,” French-Gates said in a statement.
Two finalists of the challenge were also recognized -- one works on domestic violence issues and one helps instruct women on how to be politically empowered. They will split an $8 million award to continue their work.
Scott described the groups as "strong teams working on the front lines and from within communities to help women build power in their lives and careers."
Scott is on a donation streak and has plans to keep the support going. Her contribution to the challenge adds to her already more than $8 billion donated in the past year.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation plans to continuously support the growth of gender equality by donating $2.1 billion over the course of the next five years.
French-Gates announced her divorce in May, while Scott has been divorced from Bezos since July of 2019.
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