MacKenzie Scott donates $3 million to Houston non-profit Collaborative Children in latest gift

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Billionaire writer and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott is again making money move to help Houston.

This time, the non-profit Collaborative for Children is the beneficiary of Scott's generosity.

Scott donated $3 million, which the group called "transformative" and "unexpected."

According to their website, Collaborative for Children says they're dedicated to early childhood education in the Greater Houston area, adding that the money will help them "expand their selection of 25 child care Centers of Excellence annually and employ technological innovations to reach more centers, children, and families."

The non-profit focuses on school readiness for children under five in vulnerable communities and is looking to establish 125 centers over the next five years, the website said.

Scott has been using her philanthropy power for at least a few years now.

In December 2020, Scott donated $50 million to Prairie View A&M. It was the largest donation in that university's history.

Six months later, Brazosport College in Lake Jackson and San Jacinto College in Pasadena received donations, with the later getting $30 million. The money marked the largest private gift in the college's history. Because of that donation, the college said free tuition and fees would be covered for the entire class of 2021.

Project Row Houses, a non-profit artistic community in Third Ward, also received a donation from Scott in June 2021.

In 2022, Scott continued donating tens of millions to Houston charities, including our local Habitat for Humanity getting $11 million, the Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council receiving more than $4 million and a $20 million investment to the Episcopal Health Foundation.

In February 2022, Scott gave a remarkable gift to Communities In Schools, which aims to empower students to stay in school. That gift was $13 million and was part of the $133.5 million donation to the Communities in Schools Network and National Office.

Scott's ex-husband Jeff Bezos launched Amazon.

In 2019, she pledged to give away at least half her wealth to charitable causes until "the safe is empty."

Forbes named Scott the world's most powerful woman in 2021.