Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has donated $15 million to the Jacksonville-based Wounded Warrior Project, the second major donation in a week to an organization in Northeast Florida.
The Wounded Warrior grant was among donations she announced Wednesday to 465 organizations and institutions, including Habitat for Humanity and Planned Parenthood.
The list also included several Boys & Girls Clubs, including the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida, a grant first reported last week.
The Wounded Warrior Project said the $15 million grant is the largest individual contribution in its history. It will go toward services for veterans who became ill or wounded after 9/11.
"We tackle the most critical needs of our nation's wounded heroes, with a significant focus of our work targeting mental health and wellness," the organization's CEO, Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Mike Linnington, said in a news release. "We are incredibly humbled and grateful to MacKenzie Scott for her generous contribution that will enable us to reach more veterans in need."
A 2021 survey by the Wounded Warrior Project found that the three most common mental health issues reported by injured veterans are post-traumatic stress disorder (75%), anxiety (74%) and depression (72%).
Nearly 1 in 4 reported suicidal thoughts in the past 12 months.
MacKenzie Scott, the ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, said her philanthropy aims to support "underrepresented people from groups of all kinds." She posted a statement online Wednesday promoting unity in a divided society.
"The cause of equity has no sides. Nor can it have a single solution," the statement said. "We are all human. And we all have enormous energy to devote to helping and protecting those we love."
Scott, who divorced Bezos in 2019, has given away more than $12 billion to nearly 1,200 groups. Last week, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida announced it would receive $6.8 million.
In 2020, Scott gave $20 million to the United Way of Northeast Florida and $10 million to Goodwill Industries of North Florida, the largest gifts in their histories. The YMCA of Florida’s First Coast also received a grant but declined to disclose the amount in the announcement.
