Billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, known for her generous donations to nonprofit organizations, announced on Tuesday that she has donated an additional $640 million to 361 small nonprofits across the United States. This round of donations, made through her organization Yield Giving, marks a departure from her previous approach of conducting "quiet research" to identify organizations for support. For the first time, Scott opened up an application process, receiving over 6,000 applicants from which the 361 awardees were selected.

The selected organizations, focused on addressing disparities in economic outcomes, education, health, and other critical issues, received grants ranging from $1 million to $2 million each. The open call initiative was initially planned to grant $1 million to 250 organizations, but due to the high quality of applications, the number of recipients and the amount they received were increased.

Scott, who signed the Giving Pledge committing to donate the majority of her wealth to society, has donated over $16.5 billion since her divorce from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos in 2019. Her philanthropic efforts have focused on causes such as education, the arts, public health, and diversity. Some of the organizations that received grants in this round include ACLU of Alabama, Black Girl Ventures, GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders, and Ser Familia.

The open call process was managed by Lever for Change, which specializes in running philanthropic prize awards. The application criteria focused on community-led organizations with missions to support individuals and families of meager or modest means. The awardees were selected through a multilayer process, including peer scoring and external expert review.

Scott's commitment to giving back and her innovative approach to philanthropy have been praised by experts in the field. The increase in both the award amount and the number of organizations supported in this round of donations has been seen as a positive step towards empowering transformative organizations that often go unnoticed. Scott's dedication to supporting those in need and her willingness to adapt her giving strategies to maximize impact have earned her recognition as one of the most influential philanthropists of our time.