Maine organizations to benefit from MacKenzie Scott’s $4.1 billion giving pledge

BANGOR, Maine (WMTW) - Two organizations in Maine are benefitting from a significant giving pledge by MacKenzie Scott, philanthropist, author and former wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

In a post to Medium on Tuesday, Scott said she has given $4.1 billion total to 384 organizations across the country over the last four months. Scott says she asked a team of advisers to help her “accelerate” her 2020 giving with immediate help to those financially gutted by the pandemic.

Coastal Enterprises Inc. in Brunswick received $10 million. The Good Shepherd Food Bank in Auburn expects to get its donation in early 2021 and will announce the amount at that time.

“MacKenzie Scott’s investment in Maine is a vote of confidence in the work we are all doing together to end hunger in our great state,” said food bank president Kristen Miale. “From our more than 500 community partners and our food donors, to all the individuals, businesses and foundations that support us with financial contributions at every level—we should all feel proud to receive this national and international recognition.””The philanthropic investment from MacKenzie Scott will be an accelerator and amplifier as we work toward the goal of ending hunger in Maine, but the problem is bigger than what any one philanthropist can solve,” said Miale. “Ending hunger and its devastating effects in our great state is within our reach when we all come together and contribute to the solution. With this investment and the continued generosity of all Mainers, together we can end hunger.”

Scott said some of her donations were to groups filling basic needs including food banks, emergency relief funds and support services for those most vulnerable. Others are addressing long-term systemic inequities that have been deepened by the crisis like debt relief, employment training, credit and financial services for under-resourced communities, education for historically marginalized and underserved people, civil rights advocacy groups and legal defense funds that take on institutional discrimination.