Yolonda Marshall thought she had received a prank call. Money dangled by an anonymous donor felt like a possible scam. And the fact that the call came to Marshall's personal cell phone, not her work phone, made the CEO of Student Leadership Network, an organization helping underserved students reach college, further question the caller's authenticity. "I'm like, 'How weird is that?'" Marshall recalls. "But the next day I called back. I said to myself, 'What if it's real?'"
It turned out to be a multimillion-dollar decision. After weeks of due diligence and back-and-forth with the benefactress's representatives, one of the world's richest people made a $7 million gift to Student Leadership Network. And unlike many gifts from big-ticket donors, it was unrestricted, meaning Marshall and her team could use the money as they saw fit.
"When you're running a nonprofit, you're so busy doing the work of ensuring that you're making a difference in the lives of so many individuals who need it most, making sure they feel seen," Marshall says. "Receiving the MacKenzie Scott gift made my leadership team and me feel seen."
Most of the time, when well-to-do couples call it quits they must split assets like real estate, jewelry, and artwork. For MacKenzie Scott and Jeff Bezos, their 2019 divorce meant divvying up ownership of one of the world's largest companies.
Denne historien er fra November 2024-utgaven av Town & Country US.
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Denne historien er fra November 2024-utgaven av Town & Country US.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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For Your Eyes Only
A small wedding has many charms. Here's the proof
Anatomy of a Classic
Ballet flats have been around since medieval times. They still know how to have fun.
It's the Capital Gains Tax, Stupid
In the battle for billionaire political donations, the presidential election finally turned Silicon Valley into Wall Street without the monocle.
I'll Have What She's Wearing
Refined neutrals, face-framing turtlenecks, a white coat that says: I've got 30 more. Twenty-five years on, Rene Russo's Thomas Crown Affair wardrobe remains the blueprint for grown-up glamour.
Isn't That RICH?
If fragrance is invisible jewelry, how do you smell as if you're wearing diamonds, not cubic zirconia?
THE MACKENZIE EFFECT
A $36 billion fortune made MacKenzie Scott one of the richest women in the world. How shes giving it away makes her fascinating.
Her Roman Empire
Seventeen floors up, across from the Vegas behemoth that bears her name, Elaine Wynn is charting a major cultural future for America's casino capital, and she's doing it from a Michael Smith-designed oasis in the middle of the neon desert.
Are You There, God? I'm at Harvard
Why on earth are a bunch of successful midcareer professionals quitting their jobs and applying to Harvard Divinity School? Hint: It has nothing to do with heaven.
Bryan Stevenson
He has dedicated his life to defending the unfairly incarcerated and condemned. But his vision for racial justice has always been about more than winning in court.
Emma Heming Willis
Once best known as a model and entrepreneur, today shes an advocate for patients and caretakers dealing with an incurable disease—one that hits very close to home. Here, she speaks with Katie Couric about her mission.
