The Amazon co-founder with a net worth of $115 billion, the world’s fourth-richest man has donated $123 million to organizations to move the homeless into permanent residences.
The grants to 40 groups in 26 US states and Puerto Rico, ranging from $600,000 to $5 million, are the latest and largest allocations from Bezos’ Day One Fund, which was founded in 2018.
According to the Day One Fund, the donations are effective immediately and are part of a total $2 billion commitment to combat homelessness.
The foundation made a $2 billion commitment to focus on making significant and lasting impacts in two areas: funding existing nonprofits that serve homeless families and creating a network of new, world-class nonprofit preschools in low income communities.
Earlier this month: The pledge to fight homelessness is his second charitable donation this month. Bezos previously said that he plans to give away most of his fortune during his lifetime, with most of his philanthropy focused on fighting climate change and supporting those who seek to unify others. She gave Dolly Parton, the music legend who just so happens to be the latest winner of her Courage and Civility award, $100 million to run any charity of her choosing.
Why Bezos is donating his money: The world’s fourth-richest man first announced during an interview with CNN that he plans to donate his money to individuals and charities that are bringing humanity together and helping to heal deep social and political divisions. For years, he largely stayed out of philanthropy and was criticized for not signing the Giving Pledge, a pledge by many of the world’s richest people to donate the bulk of their wealth to charitable causes and other philanthropic gestures.
Bezos charity: Forbes estimates that Bezos has donated more than $2.4 billion to charity in his lifetime.
- He committed a total of $10 billion to his own nonprofit climate organization, the Bezos Earth Fund, in 2020. As of November 2021, the fund had awarded nearly $1 billion of that total.
- Last year, it launched an annual $100 million award for bravery and citizenship that it awards to one recipient to distribute to charities of their choice. He recently awarded that award to legendary singer Dolly Parton.
- He previously awarded similar amounts to chef José Andrés, whose World Central Kitchen feeds people in disaster-stricken areas, and Van Jones, a climate advocate and CNN contributor.