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Exclusive: MacKenzie Scott makes historic donation to Big Brothers Big Sisters

The organization revealed exclusively on TODAY that the philanthropist has made the biggest donation in the 118-year history of Big Brothers Big Sisters.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of America just got a big lift from MacKenzie Scott.

The organization announced exclusively on TODAY Tuesday that the billionaire philanthropist has donated $122.6 million, which is the highest donation by a single person in the 118-year history of Big Brothers Big Sisters.

The historic donation will further the work of an organization that has been fostering one-on-one relationships between kids and their adult mentors across the country for more than a century. The goal is to help children achieve their potential through long-lasting, positive relationships.

"What I would want to say is first of all, thank you," Big Brothers Big Sisters CEO Artis Stevens said on TODAY Tuesday. "And how proud we are of this moment, how proud we are of what this is going to mean for so many different communities.

"And here's what we know, in this country, that no one organization, no one person, can do it alone. We see this investment as not just an investment in our organization, it's an invitation. It's an invitation for more people to join causes like ours to support local communities."

Stevens said he was in his kitchen when he found out about the massive donation via a phone call from a representative for Scott.

"When I got the call, they told me the number and I just started dancing," he said. "I think every dance I've learned since I was 10 years old. My 14- and 12-year-old girls were on the other side (of the room), and they looked at me and they screamed up to their mom saying, 'Mom, something's wrong with dad!'"

Scott's donation is the latest in her extensive philanthropic work. The ex-wife of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has given more than $12 billion to more than 1,200 groups over the past three years.

She says her gift to Big Brothers Big Sisters is to help the organization's strategic vision, commitment to equity and leadership. The massive donation will be divided among 38 agencies, which is what the organization calls its local chapters, according to Stevens.

The CEO also hopes Scott's donation helps spur others to donate their time to volunteer with the organization in areas across the country.

"It is transformative, and it’s going to mean so much for our communities, for our people on the ground, the staff and volunteers who work hard every single day to make a difference in kids' lives," Stevens said.

It's not just younger children who are helped by the organization, either. Big Brothers Big Sisters has also been working with young adults who are looking for career mentoring.

"Our fastest-growing population today that we're serving is 18 to 25 young adults because they're graduating and they're asking, 'What's next for me?'" Stevens said. "And this is an opportunity for us to help kids and help that career path and also help our companies, communities and our country to really think about a talent pipeline."