ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Some New Mexico institutions are getting big donations from MacKenzie Scott, ex-wife of Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos. One of the six organizations is the Institute of American Indian Arts and is receiving $5 million.
The institute says the donations will go towards financial and technical assistance for students who are struggling to continue their studies during the pandemic. In New Mexico, Scott donated to a total of six organizations; United Way of Central New Mexico, Meals on Wheels of Albuquerque, Goodwill Industries of New Mexico, Roadrunner Food Bank and Navajo Technical University in Crownpoint and Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe.
“We are so grateful to MacKenzie Scott, not only for her very generous donation, but her recognition of IAIA as an institution with a result-oriented leadership team,” said Loren Kieve, chair of the IAIA Board of Trustees said in a news release. “We will use the funds to continue to further IAIA’s mission of empowering creativity and leadership in Native arts and cultures through higher education, lifelong learning, and outreach.”
