Girls Scouts of the USA announced on Tuesday that billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has donated $84.5 million to them. It is the highest donation the organisation has ever received since its foundation back in 1912.
Scott, a serial philanthropist, is the former wife of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos– the richest man in the world. Scott received $36 billion in the form of a 4% stake in Amazon which she has since been donating to various charity groups. Explaining her reason behind becoming a philanthropist, Scott said that they are “attempting to give away a fortune that was enabled by systems in need of change.”
Also read: MacKenzie Scott gives $85 million to US Girl Scouts, largest individual donation they ever received
Who are the Girl Scouts?
Girl Scouts of the USA, simply known as Girl Scouts, is an youth organisation for American girls, both in the country and living abroad. It was founded by Juliette Gordon Low in 1912 and was initially based in Savannah. It prepares girls in their youth to to empower themselves by promoting values such as compassion, courage, character, entreprenuership and active citizenship.
The organisation was initially known as the Girl Guides of America but in 1913 it changed its name to Girl Scouts of the US and moved its headquarters from Savannah to Washington DC. It became Girls Scouts of the USA in 1947 and the organisation was given a Congressional charter in 1950.
During World War I and World War II, Girl Scouts teams helped the allied forces by growing victory gardens, selling defense bonds, and collecting waste fat and scrap iron.
Also read: MacKenzie Scott, Amazon CEO’s ex-wife, donates over $4 billion in four months
Several former Girl Scouts have made it big in different walks of life. They include actors Dakota Fanning and Lucille Ball, journalist Katie Couric, and Elizabeth Dole – the former US Secretary of Transportation. Over 20 of NASA’s female astronauts were former members of the Girl Scouts, including Dr. Kathryn Sullivan – the first woman to walk in space.
