MacKenzie Scott gives $70 million to Meals on Wheels

In this March 4, 2018, file photo, MacKenzie Scott, the former wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, arrives at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party in Beverly Hills, Calif. Scott donated $70 million to Meals on Wheels America last week to help more seniors access meals, support and social connection. Evan Agostini/Associated Press

After donating $139 million to three smaller Texas universities in late 2025, philanthropist MacKenzie Scott is backing Meals on Wheels with a major donation.

The organization announced a $70 million unrestricted donation late last week. The Meals on Wheels nonprofit network delivers meals and services to seniors, addressing hunger and isolation.

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“We are deeply grateful for this extraordinary act of generosity and trust that will help us move closer to a world where every senior who needs Meals on Wheels gets it,” said Ellie Hollander, president and chief executive officer at Meals on Wheels America, in a statement. “This investment will help accelerate our strategic plan and strengthen the capacity of local providers so more seniors can access the meals and social connection they need."

The donation is intended to expand the number of seniors that can be helped and strengthen the Meals on Wheels network. The group has more than 5,000 community-based programs around the country including several in the Houston area like Montgomery County Meals on Wheels, Bay Area Meals on Wheels, Northwest Assistance Ministries, YMCA Houston and IM Meals on Wheels.

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"The needs of the aging population are growing rapidly, and infrastructure and resources have not kept pace," according to a news release from Meals on Wheels America.

During the pandemic in 2020, Scott gave $8 million to Meals on Wheels Central Texas as one of 384 recipients of Scott’s philanthropic giving initiative that year.

In December, she announced donations to three small Texas universities. Houston's Prairie View A&M University received $50 million in 2020 and an additional $63 million in 2025, totaling $113 million.

Texas A&M University-Kingsville was awarded $38 million in 2025 and Texas A&M International University received $40 million.

“This gift is more than generous — it is defining and affirming,” said Prairie View A&M University President Tomikia P. LeGrande. “MacKenzie Scott’s investment amplifies the power and promise of a Prairie View A&M University education as we advance our vision of becoming a premier public, research-intensive HBCU."