By Lauren Burke
In the world of major philanthropy, where naming buildings gets all the headlines, MacKenzie Scott is operating differently. Over the past several years, Scott has made hundreds of unrestricted donations to historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and other Black operated organizations. This week, it was announced that Morgan State University would receive $63 million. President David Wilson described the $63 million gift as not just a financial boost, but an affirmation of the university’s trajectory as a research institution. Wilson announced that Morgan State would be turning into a “fully smart campus,” with new faculty positions and AI research embedded in its future.
MacKenzie Scott gave $70 million to UNCF in September 2025, which added to a previous $10 million donation Scott made in 2020. The 2025 gift was one of her largest single known donations. Scott’s donation was focused on financially strengthening historically Black colleges and universities. The donations by Scott arrive at a moment when Black institutions are deeply underfunded, and the Trump Administration is targeting corporations and academic institutions not to fund anything related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The impact of Trump’s actions is being felt in the Black community, as so many entities are struggling with a lack of investment. Scott is ignoring that and continues to take action by forging an independent course without fanfare and grand announcements. Though many philanthropic organizations aim to support equity, few have embraced unrestricted giving at the scale Scott is investing in. Her approach reflects a belief in trust and a focus on marginalized communities and their institutions.
For many HBCUs, this trust may be just as important as the dollars, and the lasting impact is tangible. Study after study shows that HBCU endowments trail other institutions by more than 50-70%. The disparity in access to philanthropic capital has also meant that many Black colleges are more vulnerable to budget shortfalls, declines in enrollment, deferred maintenance, and fewer research resources. Scott’s large donations have the potential to shift the baseline and ensure that Black educational institutions can plan over decades in advance. MacKenzie Scott, 55, was a student of Toni Morrison’s at Princeton, and she first entered public view as a co-founder of Amazon alongside her then-husband, Jeff Bezos. The two divorced in 2019. Scott has now generously given tens of billions to hundreds of organizations, including HBCUs, women’s groups, and community nonprofits. She is known for her anonymity and speed, and her team quietly looks for recipients for unrestricted gifts and keeps it moving. At a time when giving at this scale comes with strings attached, Scott has forged a unique and revolutionary style with her philanthropic efforts.
