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MacKenzie Scott continues her HBCU philanthropy, which includes a new $80 million gift for Howard University. Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott’s recent run of blockbuster philanthropic gifts continues. In the past week, Scott has donated $172 million to three Historically Black Colleges and Universities — Howard University ($80 million), Virginia State University ($50 million) and Alcorn State University ($42 million). Those gifts come on top of the more than $30o million she had already donated to several other institutions and higher education organizations in recent weeks. Howard University Scott has given $80 million to Washington, D.C.- based Howard University, according to today’s Washington Post. Of that total, $63 million will go toward the entire university, with the remaining $17 million reserved for expanding Howard’s medical school. Howard is one of only four HBCUs with a medical school. Wayne A.I. Frederick, Howard’s interim president, told the Post he plans to use the donation “to train more medical professionals, upgrade facilities for the growing university and to stave off the effects of the government’s more than month-long shutdown.” Scott previously donated $40 million to Howard in 2020. Virginia State University On October 30, Scott donated $50 million to Virginia State University, the largest gift in that HBCU’s history. It was her second major gift to the institution in the last five years. In 2020, she donated $30 million to Virginia State. MORE FOR YOU “Ms. Scott’s generosity and trust in our mission will change the trajectory of Virginia State University for generations to come,” said VSU president Makola M. Abdullah, in a news release. “Her investment allows us to continue to build upon our legacy of excellence and expand our reach to more students who deserve access to a world-class education.” Alcorn State University Alcorn State University received a $42 million unrestricted donation from Scott last week. It represents the largest single gift in the 154-year history of the nation’s oldest public HBCU. Scott previously donated $25 million to Alcorn State in 2020, bringing her total contributions to $67 million. “Today marks a historic moment for Alcorn State University as we celebrate the largest single donation in our university’s history,” said Dr. Tracy M. Cook, president of Alcorn State University, in its announcment. “We are immensely grateful for Ms. MacKenzie Scott’s continued investment in Alcorn, our students, and mission to create access. I also extend my deepest gratitude to our students, faculty, staff, alumni, and supporters who champion our mission every day. Your unwavering commitment and belief in Alcorn State University make milestones like this possible.” A Focus On Underserved Students Scott’s recent higher education giving has focused on HBCUs and nonprofits that promote higher education access and affordability for traditionally underserved students of color. Her philanthropy has been a major source of support for diversity, equity and inclusion efforts at the very time such initiatives have been singled out for a sustained attack from the Trump administration. With the three new gifts, Scott has recently donated a total of more than $300 million to six HBCUs (the others are $63 million to Morgan State University, $38 million to Alabama State University and $38 million to the University of Maryland, Eastern Shore). In addition, she gave $70 million to the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) in September, which will be invested in the UNCF Members Pooled Endowment Fund, designed to strengthen the financial stability of its 37 member institutions. MacKenzie Scott is the ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. Forbes estimates her net worth at more than $33 billion, most of which came from her divorce settlement in 2019, when she received a 4% stake in Amazon. In May 2019, Scott signed the Giving Pledge, promising to give away at least half of her wealth over the course of her lifetime. Scott’s philosophy of giving allows the nonprofits to which she donates to have full control over how to use her gifts. In a recent post on her Yield Giving website, she praised the generosity of small donors and the many volunteers who work on behalf of others, writing that while her latest round of major gifts would attract a lot of news, “any dollar amount is a vanishingly tiny fraction of the personal expressions of care being shared into the world this year.” Editorial StandardsReprints & Permissions
