MacKenzie Scott Gets It
On Bearing Witness to the Ripple Effect
I’ll likely never tire of sharing the great news that we just officially announced: Global Health Corps has received $6 million from MacKenzie Scott and her husband Dan Jewett. It was—is—the largest gift in GHC’s history and one that came with virtually no strings attached.
When I first found this news out, I thought with relief “MacKenzie Scott gets it.” She and her team understand the importance of seeding global health with amazing, diverse talent, which we do through our fellowship program. They value how we invest in rising leaders throughout their careers via our alumni program. And they get that large, unrestricted gifts are critical to optimizing this programming.
Our team was ecstatic and grateful. We took some extra breaths and celebrated this milestone made possible by years of hard work and collaboration among so many. Then we set to work mapping out a plan to boldly and responsibly use these funds to drive our mission forward. We waited for Scott to tell the world that we were one of the chosen ones this time.
And then last week, Scott published “No Dollar Signs This Time” on Medium. Like many others, I was initially confused and even disappointed about her decision not to publish the dollar amount or the names of the grantees in her most recent tranche of funding. GHC was not to be part of a big headline story: “MacKenzie Scott donates billions of dollars to hundreds of organizations.”
But the more I reflected on it, the more my appreciation grew for Scott’s all-in commitment to give from a place of trust, to pass the mic, and to reimagine whose voices and change making efforts matter through her example. And her piece got me thinking about how in the world of social change, philanthropy is not the only concept long overdue for an overhaul.
Our work at GHC is not just about a fellowship or an alumni program — it’s fundamentally about replacing too-narrow, outdated definitions of “leadership” and “impact” in global health with more expansive takes that match the scale and complexity of the challenges we face. It’s about upending the status quo and changing the who and the how in global health leadership.
This kind of work defies current frameworks of monitoring, evaluating, and communicating impact in global health. Health systems are dynamic and people are complex; programs that aim to unlock people’s potential to change these systems, together, are therefore also necessarily complex and dynamic. So I can’t help but agree with Scott’s assessment that “…our very compulsion to count and categorize and rate things is part of the problem. We tend to give more focus to things we can tally.”
Health systems are dynamic and people are complex; programs that aim to unlock people’s potential to change these systems, together, are therefore also necessarily complex and dynamic.
She goes on to write, “Each unique expression of generosity will have value far beyond what we can imagine or live to see.” We at GHC hold dear a similar belief: “Each unique expression of leadership will have value far beyond what we can imagine or live to see.” Already, we bear witness to this kind of ripple effect in our community every day.
The way I see it, MacKenzie Scott and Dan Jewett’s unrestricted gift to GHC is not just fuel for our mission — it’s encouragement to continue pushing for these new, more expansive definitions of leadership and impact in global health.
And ultimately, I hope and believe these gifts to us and hundreds of other amazing organizations are a signal of even greater change on the horizon. Because the more we can get comfortable questioning our long-held assumptions on whose contributions and perspectives matter, the sooner we’ll realize a more equitable world for all.
Heather Anderson brings a deep understanding of systems change, a belief in the power of people, and a cross-sectoral approach to her role as CEO of Global Health Corps (GHC). She leads and manages a global team to drive GHC’s mission to mobilize a diverse community of effective health equity leaders.
Global Health Corps (GHC) is a leadership development organization building the next generation of health equity leaders around the world. All GHC fellows, partners, and supporters are united in a common belief: health is a human right. There is a role for everyone in the movement for health equity. To learn more, visit our website and connect with us on Twitter/Instagram/Facebook.
