MacKenzie Scott donates $84.5 million to the Girl Scouts

Novelist and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott gave the Girl Scouts a record-breaking donation of 84.5 million dollars, the organization announced Tuesday. 

"It's the largest donation the Girl Scouts have received from an individual since their founding in 1912," NPR reports.

According to a statement, the organization will divide the contribution between the national Girl Scouts of the USA office and 29 regional chapters of Scott's choosing. 

"We are so appreciative of MacKenzie Scott's gift to Girl Scouts. This is a great accelerator for our ongoing efforts to help girls cultivate the skills and connections needed to lead in their own communities and globally," said Girl Scouts of the USA CEO Sofia Chang.

The organization plans to use the money to recover from the pandemic, elevate its existing programs, and support its volunteers and staff.

This donation is one of many that Scott has gifted since her divorce from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos in 2019. So far, she has given away "a staggering 12 billion in three years" and plans to "keep giving until it's mostly gone," writes Axios.