Mackenzie Scott donates $50 million to USDA youth programs

Mackenzie Scott, the ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, donated $50 million to the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) youth programs, The Associated Press reported.

In a statement on Tuesday, the National 4-H Council, which supports USDA youth programs, said Scott's donation will help support "positive youth development" for nearly 6 million children and their families.

USDA's National 4-H Council program helps children and teenagers across the country complete health, science and other projects during after-school programs and other venues, according to the AP.

Council President and CEO Jennifer Sirangelo told the newswire that they were informed through a phone call last December about the upcoming donation, adding that the news made her tear up.

"When I heard the gift would be $50 million, I lost my breath and had to sit down," Sirangelo said in a statement.

Scott has donated more than $8 billion of her estimated $45.7 billion fortune in the past two years, the AP reported.

Scott recently donated $15 million to Clark Atlanta University, a historically Black university, in December 2020.

The Communities in Schools, an organization that provides services in schools in low-income neighborhoods, announced earlier this month that it has received a $133.5 million donation from Scott.

Scott and her husband, Dan Jewett, have been discreet about their donations to avoid media attention, but organizations that have been beneficiaries of their philanthropy have announced the donations in statements, the AP noted.