MacKenzie Scott Announces $7.1 Billion in 2025 Philanthropic Giving

MacKenzie Scott Discloses 2025 Donations Totaling $7.1 Billion

On Tuesday in New York, author and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott revealed that she has donated $7.1 billion to nonprofits in 2025. She made the disclosure in an essay posted on her website.

Scott stated that she donated $2.6 billion in 2024 and $2.1 billion in 2023. With the new 2025 figure, she reported that her total giving since 2019 has reached $26.3 billion.

Details of Donations to Historically Black Colleges and Universities

Before Scott’s 2025 giving announcement appeared on her website, more than a dozen historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) publicly reported receiving donations from her this year. According to research by Marybeth Gasman, a professor at Rutgers University and expert on HBCUs, these institutions disclosed a combined total of $783 million in donations from Scott so far in 2025.

Gasman’s research indicates that not all schools that previously received funding from Scott obtained a gift this year, and that some institutions were first-time recipients. She has tracked a total of $1.35 billion in donations from Scott to HBCUs since 2020.

Additional Major Recipients in 2025

In addition to the HBCUs, UNCF, described as the largest provider of scholarships to minority students, received $70 million from MacKenzie Scott. UNCF stated that it will invest this gift in a collective endowment it is building for participating HBCUs.

Another $50 million went to the Native Forward Scholars Fund. The fund, which had previously received a gift from Scott, provides college and graduate scholarships to Native American students.

Unrestricted Giving Approach and Research Findings

Scott’s donations are characterized in the report as coming without restrictions and frequently being large relative to the annual budgets of recipient organizations. With the exception of an open call for applications in 2023, organizations cannot apply directly for her support, and she maintains no public-facing office or foundation. Nonprofits are typically informed through an intermediary that they will receive a donation, and that notice often comes with little advance warning.

Research conducted in 2023 by the Center for Effective Philanthropy examined the impact of Scott’s philanthropy. The study found that few recipient organizations had difficulty managing the funds and few experienced a reduction in support from other funders following her gifts.

Example of a Large Grant to 10,000 Degrees

One 2025 recipient, 10,000 Degrees, a California-based nonprofit, was notified this year of its first donation from Scott. The organization’s CEO, Kim Mazzuca, said 10,000 Degrees received $42 million. She stated that this amount is approximately double the nonprofit’s annual budget.

10,000 Degrees provides scholarships, mentoring and other support to low-income students, with the stated aim of helping them graduate from college without taking on loans. Mazzuca said the $42 million gift will allow the organization to reach more students, test technology tools and start an endowment.

Scott’s Stated Perspective on Generosity and Investment

In an essay posted on her website in October under the title “We are the ones we’ve been waiting for,” Scott shared a prophecy from the Hopi Tribe that ends with the same phrase. She expanded that essay in December to announce her 2025 giving and described how acts of generosity can extend into the future. She cited receiving help while in college, including a dentist who repaired a tooth for free and a roommate who loaned her $1,000.

Scott has since invested in that former roommate’s company, which offers loans to students who might have difficulty obtaining financing from banks. She has characterized these actions as part of an effort she announced in the previous year to move more of her wealth into what she called “mission aligned” investments, rather than investments focused solely on maximizing monetary returns.

In her 2025 essay, Scott wrote, “There are many ways to influence how we move through the world, and where we land.”