Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta has received the largest single donation from an individual in its history.
Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott donated $3.6 million to the organization, which works to ensure youth have access to mentoring experiences. It matches “Littles” with mentors called “Bigs” to inspire and impact young lives.
“This is incredibly transformational for our organization and the young people we serve,” said Kwame Johnson, president and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta. “With that said, we are going to think carefully about how to use the funding, so that we can serve more kids and build our capacity for the long term. With a big vision, we can leverage this gift to raise more money and impact more lives.”
The donation was part of a broader $122.6 million gift from Scott to Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, the national youth-mentoring charity, and its 38 local agencies.
Scott, the former wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, said in 2019 that she planned to give away most of her wealth during her lifetime. Since 2000, she has given nearly $12.5 billion to more than 1,000 nonprofits, according to news reports.
In March, Scott gifted $436 million to Habitat for Humanity International and its affiliate organizations.
