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Mackenzie Scott, ex-wife of Jeff Bezos, donates $1.1M to Harrisburg nonprofit

Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Capital Region has a new home on Third Street in Harrisburg. (Photo provided)
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MacKenzie Scott is at it again – sharing her wealth with another nonprofit organization in south-central Pennsylvania.

This time the lucky recipient is Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Capital Region. The nonprofit will receive a gift of $1.1 million.

The gift is part of a $122.6 million donation to Big Brothers Big Sisters nationwide that is being split among 38 local chapters.

The Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Capital Region service area covers Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon and Perry counties.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Capital Region creates and supports one-to-one mentoring relationships matching adult volunteers and children ages five through young adulthood.

The nonprofit said that the $1.1 million contribution is the largest donation from a single individual in the organization’s history.

“This generous gift will provide opportunities to collaborate and create partnerships so we can expand our services,” Amy Rote, president and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Capital Region said in a news release. “It’s more than an investment it is bringing innovation and transformation to mentorship for the youth and families in our region. We can’t do this alone, we invite our community to join us and defend the potential of our young people today and for generations to come.”

In February, Communities In Schools of Pennsylvania, which is based Harrisburg announced that it had received a donation of $1.5 million from Scott.

In 2020, Scott donated more than a million dollars to several nonprofit organizations in south-central Pennsylvania including Community First Fund, Goodwill Keystone Area, United Way of Berks County, YWCA Greater Harrisburg, YWCA Lancaster and YWCA York.

MacKenzie Scott is a philanthropist, and ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. She is ranked as the 30th richest person in the world by Forbes.

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