Minnesota indigenous nonprofit receives $1.5M from MacKenzie Scott

A Minneapolis nonprofit aimed at supporting indigenous homebuyers and entrepreneurs is among the latest recipients of MacKenzie Scott's multimillion-dollar donations.

On Thursday, the Mni Sota Fund announced the "transformative" $1.5 million gift from the novelist and billionaire philanthropist, which will "help us empower individuals and families to create sustainable economic opportunities."

"Thank you, MacKenzie Scott, for believing in our vision and commitment to uplift Indigenous voices," the group said. "Together, we’re building a brighter future!"

The $1.5 million was a "surprise" to the organization, whose leaders didn't know the billionaire was even aware of them, the Star Tribune reports.

“It’s one of those things you dream about as you’re seeing headlines of other people getting this funding," Mni Sota Fund Executive Director Kit Fordham told the paper. "It’s so nice that it happened in reality."

Since her divorce from Amazon head Jeff Bezos, Scott has made a name for herself giving away vast sums of money to a variety of causes and organizations across the country — which she has done since signing a 2019 pledge to donate at least half of her $35 billion fortune.

For his part, Bezos attracted criticism by declining to sign the same pledge, Vox noted that year.

Scott's gift to Mni Sota Fund is just the latest in a long line of donations she's made in Minnesota .

As Forbes reports , this and other grants Scott has made since the beginning of September — totaling $100 million — signal "a large new wave of donations that the Seattle-based donor is in the process of distributing."

The publication says Scott also gave "at least two additional grants worth a combined $24 million" over the summer.