Southeast Texas Girl Scouts receive large donation from Mackenzie Scott

Published 12:10 am Wednesday, October 19, 2022

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Girl Scouts in Southeast Texas on Tuesday announced the largest donation from an individual in the organization’s history after philanthropist Mackenzie Scott gifted $84.5 million to the national organization, $4.2 million of which will go to the Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council.

This council oversees 26 counties, including Orange and Jefferson.

“We are truly humbled and grateful for this generous gift and for Mackenzie Scott’s trust in our mission,” says GSSJC CEO Mary Vitek.

“This gift not only emphasizes the importance of supporting the next generation of female leaders, but it also acknowledges the work of our volunteers and support of our local donors and community. It ensures we can advance our efforts to provide girls with meaningful experiences and equitable access to our leadership development program so they are empowered and equipped to lead.”

The donation was divided among 29 Girl Scouts councils to help fund innovative programs and growth strategies among the organization, according to a news release.

“We are so appreciative of Mackenzie’s gift to Girl Scouts. This is a great accelerator for our ongoing efforts to help girls cultivate the skills and connections to lead in their own communities and globally,” said Girl Scouts of the USA CEO Sofia Chang.

“The support from all our donors, including this generous support from Mackenzie is critical in delivering on our work of reimagination and transformation. We’re excited to prove how Mackenzie’s investment in girls will change the world – because when one girl succeeds, we all succeed.”

Scott is the former wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

She has made national headlines in the last few years giving grants to various organizations, one of which included a $9 million donation to the Southeast Texas Food Bank in 2020.