Photo: Getty Images
Three organizations in the Charlotte region received significant donations from billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott.
Scott, former wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, has spent much of the past few years giving away her enormous fortune to hundreds of charities. According to WCNC, Scott recently donated $436 million to 84 Habitat for Humanity affiliates across the country, including three around Charlotte receiving a combined total of $18.5 million. The Habitat for Humanity of the Charlotte Region received a $13.5 million gift while the group's locations in Catawba Valley and York County each got $2.5 million.
"MacKenzie Scott's generosity is truly transformational not only for Habitat Catawba Valley, but also for disrupting the established philanthropy model," said Mitzi Gellman, executive director of Habitat Catawba Valley. "This gift allows Habitat Catawba Valley to act on long-established priorities, like revitalizing neighborhoods, expanding homeownership equity and access, and forging strategic partnerships, while still being responsive to a rapidly changing landscape of affordable housing needs."
President and CEO of Habitat Charlotte Region Laura Belcher also praised Scott for the donation, saying it "comes at an incredibly opportunistic time" that will guide the organization "over the next several years."
"We're excited to use a portion of these funds to complement those strategies, while also considering more long-range investments and resources to advance our work," said Belcher.
The combined $18.5 million donation will be used for affordable housing and home repairs in the region, the news outlet reports, as well as revitalizing communities that have had fewer economic opportunities.