April 21, 2026, 1:15 p.m. PT
- Jeff Bezos awarded actor-producer Eva Longoria $50 million as part of his Courage & Civility Award.
- Longoria is directing the funds to her charities, which focus on empowering Latina communities through education and entrepreneurship.
- Other recipients of the award include Bill McRaven, Dolly Parton, Van Jones, and José Andrés.
In an era when billionaires increasingly shape social priorities through personal giving, Jeff Bezos has handed Eva Longoria $50 million, trusting the actor‑producer to direct the money toward problems she believes philanthropy can help solve.
In 2025, Bezos’ philanthropic spending ran about $10 billion, 3.8% of his wealth.
Although he has not yet signed the Giving Pledge, a public commitment by the world’s mega-wealthy to give away at least half of their wealth to charitable causes, like Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, he does give charitably of his own accord.
The gift to Longoria was one of two $50 million donations in 2024 that Bezos gave as a part of his Courage & Civility Award, a philanthropic prize he and wife Lauren Sánchez Bezos created to support leaders making significant, constructive contributions to society.
That year, Bill McRaven was awarded the other half of the 9-figure donation. McRaven is most notably known as the four-star Navy admiral whose leadership role led to the capture of Osama bin Laden. McRaven previously said he wanted to direct the funds toward initiatives for veterans.
Longoria, 51, recently stated in an interview with Fortune that “impact doesn’t come from how much money you have, it comes from how you show up.” Longoria has pumped the $50 million Bezos awarded into her Eva Longoria Foundation to support Latina entrepreneurs.
What is the Bezos Courage & Civility Award?
Launched in 2021, Bezos’ award gives recipients unrestricted funding. They can use the money however they see fit to advance their charitable missions.
The first awardees in 2021 were Van Jones and José Andrés, a political analyst and chef, respectively. They each received $100 million. In 2022, Dolly Parton received $100 million. She has not made public the specific charities or projects she has funded or will fund, but she has a long history of philanthropy, including supporting efforts to reduce child illiteracy through her Imagination Library program.
No award was given in 2023. The $5 million awards followed Longoria and McRaven’s 2024 awards. Mathematician Richard Rusczyk and Math Stars Founder Ilana Walder-Biesanz received the single-digit sum in 2025.
Why was Eva Longoria chosen?
Longoria was honored by the Bezos philanthropy for her longstanding work empowering Latina communities, particularly through The Eva Longoria Foundation, which funds communities throughout California, Texas, Florida, and Michigan.
Founded in 2012, the foundation’s most notable results include grants that support Latin-owned organizations and college scholarships.
According to financial reports, the foundation has awarded 40 collegiate scholarships for first-generation Latina students since its inception. In 2026, Longoria’s foundation also committed $1 million over three years to UCLA’s Latino Policy and Politics Institute.
At the time Longoria was awarded the Bezos award, she said she would invest the $50 million into the Latina community and access to education.
Who will be the 2026 award recipient?
As of April 2026, no official winner has been announced. Historically, winners have been announced in mid-to-late year. Check the official Bezos channels for more information about the award.
Criticism on the philanthropic front
Even though Bezos has pledged to donate billions of dollars, he has faced significant criticism for giving only a small percentage of his total wealth away. He has also been criticized for his reluctance to sign the Giving Pledge.
According to TIME, the very wealthy are also criticized when they donate money because their contributions affect social change, which needs to be managed thoughtfully. Perhaps because of the contradiction, Bezos has been long on promises, delivering only a small portion of his wealth.
Other Bezos commitments
Bezos pledged $10 billion to fight climate change via his Bezos Earth Fund Commitment in 2020. With it, he supports a wide range of initiatives from conservation to research. Bezos projects the funds will be fully dispersed by 2030.
The Bezos Day One Fund focuses on ending family homelessness. According to the fund’s official website, it has awarded hundreds of millions since 2018 to help families transition into permanent housing.
The Bezos Family Foundation invests in scientific research, with a focus on youth education. The most notable contribution was a $710.5 million donation to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle in 2022.
McKenna is a reporter for the Daily Press. She can be reached at mmobley@usatodayco.com.
