When billions of dollars are in play, the couplings and uncouplings of the ultra-wealthy can reverberate throughout the world of philanthropy for years. Jeff Bezos offers a prime example. Less than a half-decade ago, we were wondering what role his former wife MacKenzie Scott would have in the future of the Amazon fortune — and look how that turned out.
Now that Bezos has made the scope of his philanthropic ambitions official, Lauren Sanchez, whose relationship with the billionaire went public in 2019, is undeniably a new mega-donor to watch. The two are charting out a philanthropic path together, and recently sat down for an interview with CNN, where, among other things, Bezos talked about his plans to give away most of his fortune during his lifetime. At the moment, he said, “We’re building the capacity to be able to give away this money.”
My colleague Philip Rojc recently explored Bezos’ escalating giving, including his new Bezos Day One Fund, which funds relief for unhoused people and early childhood education, and the climate-focused Bezos Earth Fund. But besides Bezos, who has a net worth of $113 billion as of this writing, there’s also the question of what individual philanthropic interests Sanchez brings to the table and how she might deploy this power.
Born to a second-generation Mexican-American family in Albuquerque, Sanchez began her career as a desk assistant at KCOP-TV in Los Angeles. She was later an entertainment reporter on “Extra.” And in 1999, Sanchez became the first Latina to anchor UPN 13 News. But what can we expect from Sanchez the philanthropist in the coming years?
Steady support for a nonprofit working at the border
Sanchez is a strong supporter of This Is About Humanity (TIAH), a nonprofit that describes itself as a “community raising awareness about family separation at the border.” Sanchez has been backing the organization for years, and this summer, gave $1 million to the organization. In partnership with the International Community Foundation, the funds will go toward building additional education spaces for migrant children, and also support mental health, food insecurity, and other projects. In the past, Sanchez’s philanthropy through TIAH has impacted educational spaces in Tijuana, Mexico.
During the announcement of the donation earlier this year, Sanchez said, “At any given time, thousands of people are seeking safety and the border of the U.S. and Mexico. Many of those people are children and teens that are still growing and learning. It should be clear to all that no matter where you were born, you deserve the right to a playful, educational and enriching childhood. This Is About Humanity is supporting that dream for so many children and I am so proud to be a part of their essential work. I hope to see many more join us along the way as we rebuild communities and foster hope in the next generation of activists. We’re just getting started.”
So looking ahead, in addition to TIAH, we can likely expect Sanchez to support other grassroots organizations working to empower immigrant families living on both sides of the border.
Women’s causes may loom large, too
Sanchez supports The Little Market, a nonprofit, fair-trade shop dedicated to supporting dignified income opportunities for women and other underserved communities around the world. In addition to her other professional work, Sanchez founded Black Ops Aviation, the first women-owned aerial film and production company.
Another way to understand what Sanchez might support is through her political donations. Through the years, reporters have tried to pin down Jeff Bezos’ politics, but they’re not entirely clear. In 2012, he put $2.5 million into a campaign to defend same-sex marriage in Washington. Those close to Bezos have described him as libertarian. The Bezos Family Foundation, run by Bezos’ parents, is historically a strong backer of charter schools.
Sanchez’s track record of political donations is scant, but what record there is seems to lean Democratic. She’s given modest support to both Cory Booker and Kamala Harris, per OpenSecrets. Sanchez appears only to have been giving since 2017, around the same time that she started donating to This Is About Humanity. So it seems as though Sanchez, 52, is just getting serious about using her money to influence causes she cares about.
In partnership with Bezos
As is common among wealthy donor couples, Sanchez is also involved in philanthropy through the charitable vehicles that Bezos has established. She is vice chair of the Bezos Earth Fund, a $10 billion, 10-year commitment to combat climate change. The fund initially focused on obvious green groups but has since expanded its focus to climate justice groups. It also works collaboratively with other big green funders.
Then there’s Bezos Academy, the couple’s tuition-free, Montessori-inspired preschool for underserved children in Florida, Texas and Washington, and the Day 1 Families Fund, which focuses on human services. Since 2018, the Day 1 Families Fund has issued 170 leadership awards totaling $521.6 million to organizations in 45 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico.
Sanchez also seems to share Bezos’ interest in space travel. During the recent CNN interview, she spoke about her own plans to travel to space in 2023. But rather than heading out with Bezos, she will instead join a crew of women.