Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott to donate $1.5M to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central MN

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Minnesota will receive a $1.5 million donation from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, according to a press release from the organization.

It is the largest donation from a single individual in the organization's history. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Minnesota works with residents in Stearns, Benton, Sherburne, Morrison and Wright counties.

“Ms. Scott understands the life-long transformational importance of one person reaching out and helping another person. Her generous gift to our agency will directly change our kids' lives – and therefore, our communities – today and well in the future," said Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Minnesota Executive Director Jackie Johnson. "This investment is an endorsement of our daily work, and her generosity will benefit this agency for generations to come,"

Nationwide, 38 independent affiliates and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America received a total of $122.6 million from Scott. The donation will support the Central Minnesota organization's vision, which includes plans to expand, providing more mentorship to children in underserved communities.

More: MacKenzie Scott donates $122 million to Big Brothers Big Sisters

“This generous gift helps kick start our $10 million endowment campaign seeking to solidify the sustainability of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Minnesota for many generations," said Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Minnesota Board President Alex Schoephoerster. "We have a long way to go, but with Ms. Scott’s support and the support of all our donors, we have never been more confident in our determination and capacity to ignite and defend the power and potential of our youth."

The endowment campaign will ensure the mission of the program continues long after those working on it now are here, Johnson said.

"It's a time in our world where there's so much darkness and that a program like Big Brothers Big Sisters is really a win-win where the Big can change the life of the Little and the Little can change of the Big and bring joy into each other's lives. And that we're just really grateful for all of the support that we've had to get us to this point to even be considered for a gift like this. There's thousands of people that have been involved to help get us to be able to be considered by MacKenzie Scott for a gift," Johnson told the St. Cloud Times.

More: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Minnesota need male mentors

Scott, who is the ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, is the 36th richest person in the world, with a net worth of $31.8 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires' Index. Since pledging to give away most of her fortune in 2019, she has given away about $12 billion to more than 1,200 organizations.

Those interested in getting involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Minnesota can visit BigDefenders.org or call 320-253-1616.

This article originally appeared on St. Cloud Times: MacKenzie Scott donates $1.5M to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central MN