- Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has given $15M to a social enterprise that provides cheap eyeglasses.
- VisionSpring said it'll help generate $1 billion in income for agricultural and artisan workers.
A social enterprise that provides affordable eyeglasses to those who couldn't otherwise afford them is the recipient of MacKenzie Scott's latest charitable donation.
VisionSpring, which aims to help people earning less than $4 a day, said the $15 million donation will help agricultural and artisan workers in India, Bangladesh, Ghana, Kenya, and Uganda generate income of more than $1 billion this decade.
VisionSpring CEO Ella Gudwin said in a press release: "The gift from Ms Scott is an incredible acknowledgment of the power of a simple pair of eyeglasses to unlock earning, learning, safety, and wellbeing for people vulnerable to poverty.
"We need many more philanthropic investors, along with governments, companies, and NGOs to join in bringing the wonder of clear vision to everyone."
The World Health Organization estimates that half the world's population could be shortsighted by 2050, which VisionSpring said should be a major global concern.
The 52-year-old is one of the world's wealthiest people and the former wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. She has donated billions of dollars to 465 nonprofits since her last major giving spree announcement in June 2021, she previously wrote in a blog post.
Scott has pledged to give away most of her fortune as part of the Giving Pledge she signed in 2019. Her net worth topped $60 billion when Amazon shares soared during the pandemic in 2020 but is now worth just under $35 billion, according to Forbes.
Scott recently gave two Beverly Hills mansions worth about $55 million to the California Community Foundation. It is the second time Scott has assisted the charity following her $20 million donation last year to establish the LA Arts Endowment Fund.