MacKenzie Scott pledges $15M to PATH Foundation

Billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has pledged $15 million to the Warrenton-based PATH Foundation, an organization that provides grants for health-focused organizations in Fauquier, Rappahannock and Culpeper counties, PATH announced Thursday.

Scott, the billionaire ex-wife of Amazon.com Inc. founder Jeff Bezos, has made large donations to many nonprofits and universities, including in Virginia, over the past two years. She notified PATH Foundation of the grant recently, the organization said in a news release.

“We were so excited to learn that Ms. Scott selected the PATH Foundation for this generous contribution,” Christy Connolly, PATH Foundation’s president and CEO, said in a statement. “We were completely taken by surprise that she was aware of the work we’ve done in the community and thrilled to have this validation of efforts we’ve made since our inception.”

Connolly added, “Our board and staff are incredibly grateful for Ms. Scott’s grant and will use this significant gift to continue investing in our community, guided by our mission and strategic plan.”

PATH was started as the Fauquier Health Foundation and changed its name in 2013 when the Fauquier Health System was sold to LifePoint Health, becoming a standalone, private philanthropic foundation. Since then, PATH has provided $60 million in grants and partnerships with recipients focused on health, childhood wellness, mental health and senior services.

In 2020, Scott made record-setting donations to Hampton, Norfolk State and Virginia State universities, as well as Goodwill of Central and Coastal Virginia. After receiving a quarter of Bezos’ Amazon stock in their 2019 divorce, Scott has donated more than $12 billion to over 1,200 organizations since 2020, according to her foundation.