Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his fiancée Lauren Sanchez are making major philanthropic contributions ahead of the holiday season, turning their focus to combating homelessness.
Taking
to social media, the couple announced a $110.5 million dollar donation through their Bezos Day 1 Families fund to 40 different organizations that focus on housing, specifically for children and their families.
“Since 2018, we’ve given $749 million to organizations in all 50 states,” Sanchez
wrote in a joint Instagram post. “No child should sleep outside, and it’s a privilege to help in the efforts of these organizations.
The Day 1 Families Fund
is committed to aiding already existing non-profit organizations in hopes of helping families that experience homelessness and “building and operating a network of new, tuition-free preschools in under-resourced communities.”
“With homelessness on the rise, there has never been a more important time to support those individuals and organizations making a difference,” said Sanchez.
“Every family deserves a home, and we’re thankful to be able to play a part in working towards making that a reality,” she added.
Homeward Bound of Marin, who
served over 200 parents and children in shelter and housing programs, and Miami-Dade County Homeless
Trust, which belongs to Bezos’ hometown, are just two of the numerous foundations chosen.
“The 40 organizations we’re recognizing today are leading groundbreaking work on the frontlines of the fight to end homelessness and build independence for families,” said Bezos.
According
to a 2024 report from the National Alliance to End Homelessness, families represent more than 28 percent of the country’s homeless population and saw a dramatic increase between 2022 and 2023.
Bezos is the founder and former CEO of e-commerce giant Amazon and is estimated to have a net worth of $218 billion dollars, according
to Forbes.
The couple got engaged in May of last year and have been known to donate hundreds of millions of dollars to charities over the years.
More recently, the two donated $100 million through
their Bezos Earth Fund, with a $60 million dollar grant specifically going toward the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
According to
a press release, the grant is expected to “revitalize 1.6 million acres of vital U.S. landscapes.”
Back in June, Bezos donated $30 million through his Bezos Center for Sustainable Protein in an effort to support research on three types of “sustainable proteins,” which include plant-based products, cultivated meat, and precision fermentation. 
