MacKenzie Scott Says We Underestimate the Impact of Small Acts of Kindness. Science Agrees
By Jessica Stillman
Published on March 3, 2026.
The novelist and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has made a significant contribution to her charitable efforts, giving away $7 billion in 2025, more than her ex-husband, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, has given away in his entire lifetime. In an end-of-year essay, she highlighted the small scale scale impact of everyday acts of kindness, which she believes add up to over $1 trillion annually. She also highlighted the intangible benefits of kindness to individuals and society. The total donated to US charities in 2020 was $471 billion, with nearly a third of it in increments of less than $5,000.
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