ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — United Way of the Greater Capital Region was given a $5 million donation from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. The donation is part of Scott’s pledge to donate the majority of her wealth to non-profit organizations.

The donation is the largest ever received by the organization. United Way of the Greater Capital Region President and CEO Peter Gannon said the donation marks a “new chapter” for the non-profit.

“This transformational gift from MacKenzie Scott is an opportunity to think strategically about the social impact we want to have as an organization and as a region. At United Way we fight for the health, education and financial stability of every person in our community, and this year our work was more meaningful than ever as we supported our neighbors through the COVID-19 crisis. It is an honor to be recognized by Ms. Scott for our impactful work – and this is only the beginning. This donation will help us drive innovative solutions to deep-rooted social issues and advance community well-being for years to come,” Gannon said in a statement.

The organization said it will use the money to address issued that have been “amplified by COVID-19 and expand its racial justice and equity efforts to rebuild in ways that fundamentally shift systems to produce better outcomes for people and communities.”

Scott is the ex-wife of Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos. In 2019, she signed a Giving Pledge to donate half of her fortune. Her donation to the United Way of the Greater Capital Region was one of 384 non-profits to receive donations during her latest round of giving.

In a tweet Tuesday night, Gannon congratulated those who work for United Way across the country.