MacKenzie Scott just gave $7 million to a Boston nonprofit

The donation is the largest single individual gift in Jewish Vocational Service's history.

A Boston workforce development nonprofit announced on Thursday that it received its largest single individual gift in its history — $7 million — from philanthropist and novelist MacKenzie Scott.

The unrestricted donation was given to Jewish Vocational Service, an adult education and workforce development provider in Greater Boston.

“This extraordinary gift is a profound endorsement of the long-term impact we aim to make at JVS,” Kira Khazatsky, CEO of JVS Boston, said in a statement. “This investment ensures we can continue our mission for generations to come.”

JVS Boston has an annual operating budget of $30 million, Khazatsky told Boston.com in a statement. She said the investment will allow JVS Boston to respond to the “ever-changing needs of the Massachusetts workforce.”

JVS Boston, founded in 1938 during the Great Depression to assist Jewish immigrants who were trying to join the American workforce, said the gift will allow the organization to “strategically plan for the future while also advancing its immediate priorities.”

Scott, formerly married to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, has given over $17 billion to over 2,300 nonprofits, according to her website Yield Giving.

The philanthropist, worth nearly $37 billion, promised to give at least half of her money to charity following her divorce, according to CNN, by signing the Giving Pledge which encourages the world’s wealthiest to dedicate a large sum of their money to charity.

JVS Boston provides many job training programs for animal care technicians, automotive technicians, bank careers, biotechnology manufacturing, carpentry, nursing, and early childhood education, among others. The organization also has education advancement initiatives to prepare for college and improve English skills.

“MacKenzie Scott’s investment in JVS Boston ensures that we will be here to meet the needs of our community not just today, but for many years to come,” Trine Lustig, chief advancement officer of JVS Boston, said. “Her gift gives us the freedom to think boldly about the future, making sure we can adapt and innovate to serve more people in an ever-changing economic landscape.”

Lindsay Shachnow covers general assignment news for Boston.com, reporting on breaking news, crime, and politics across New England.