Meals on Wheels America was shocked when it received a donation of R70 million from MacKenzie Scott last week, the largest donation in the history of the organization. Known for his unconventional approach to philanthropy, Scott does not accept grant applications; instead, he conducts silent research to select recipients, making his gifts unexpected and transformative.
“We were totally unprepared for this offer,” Jenny Young, the association’s chief membership and chief human resources officer, told the Observer. “It really surprised me.”
Scott’s donation, which was given in January and revealed by Meals on Wheels earlier this month, comes at a time of growing need. The nonprofit organization supports more than 5,000 community-based programs across the US, many of which are struggling to keep up with the high demand from seniors.
Among participating providers, one in three currently has a waiting list. Some adults wait as long as four months to eat. “This comes at an amazing time. There is such a need,” Young said.
This isn’t Scott’s first donation to Meals on Wheels; donated $5 million to the organization in 2020 It is estimated at $31.7 billion-heavily tied to his Amazon stake in his previous marriage to Jeff Bezos-UScott pledged in 2019 to divest most of his wealth.
Since then, he has donated more than $26 billion, including $7.2 billion in 2025 alone. His most recent gifts include $42 million to Elizabeth City State University, a Historically Black College/University (HBCU) in Elizabeth City, NC, and $7 million to Red Lake Nation College, a nation’s college in Red Lake, Minn.
Meals on Wheels plans to use Scott’s $70 million through a “phased approach,” focusing on infrastructure and technology development, according to Young. This approach will “ensure that we are maximizing our total gift capacity, rather than disbursing funds all at once.”
The support comes as the organization faces growing funding gaps. Federal aid remains flat through 2024, forcing programs to serve fewer seniors as costs rise. “Every year that money stays low, it brings less food and helps the elderly less because of the rising costs,” said Young.
The challenge is compounded by the aging population. Fourteen million older Americans are now worried about having enough to eat, according to Meals on Wheels’ analysis of Census data. At that time, the provision of the base did not keep up with the speed: only 1 percent of US nonprofit funding goes to seniorsaccording to Candid.
Older generations have been neglected in giving, Young said, in part because many are homeless. America “doesn’t hold aging and our elders to the same standard as other cultures,” she said.
With Scott’s historic contribution, that may begin to change. “We hope that this gift is an encouragement to others to see the importance of the work we do,” he added.
