Fortune magazine has published an inspiring feature on the philanthropic journey of Mackenzie Scott. For more than a decade, Scott has been a beacon of generosity, making thousands of donations that champion equity and foster innovation in organizations dedicated to creating positive transformations in their communities.
The profile by Fortune highlights Scott's belief in the transformative power of support during one's formative years.
In her October 2025 essay, "We Are the Ones We've Been Waiting For," featured on Yield Giving, Scott reminisces about pivotal moments in her life, like the local dentist who offered her free dental care while she was in college and the supportive roommate who loaned her a thousand dollars, helping her stay in school during a challenging year.
Scott elaborates on the ripple effect that generosity can create. After seeing the impact her roommate made in Scott's life, she started a company 20 years later that offers loans to low-income students without requiring a co-signer.
"And how quickly did I jump at the opportunity to support her dream of helping students just as she had once helped me? Scott writes.
We have no idea where the generosity of each of the thousands of students thriving on those gratitude-powered loans will lead them.
In September 2025, the United Negro College Fund announced a landmark gift of $70 million from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott that will support their $1 billion capital campaign, launched in 2021.
According to UNCF, the gift will be invested in the UNCF Members Pooled Endowment Fund, which is designed to strengthen the long-term financial health of our 37 member institutions.
Studies show that Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have endowments that are significantly smaller than those of predominantly white institutions (PWIs), trailing PWI endowments by at least 70%.
To fully leverage this gift, the UNCF urged member institutions to launch their matching $5 million campaigns. The pooled funds will be managed in perpetuity and provide annual distributions at a 4% payout rate, providing long-term financial stability for the campuses and their students.
Scott's gift reportedly brings UNCF significantly closer to the goal of raising $370 million specifically for the pooled endowment, a critical component of our broader $1 billion capital campaign. Previously, Scott contributed $10 million to UNCF in 2020 to bolster UNCF's emergency reserve fund.
UNCF also said that the organization continues to work to raise $100 million in scholarship endowments, $80 million to increase their operating endowment, and $100M to advance technology across their membership, as it builds the permanent capacity our institutions need to thrive.
Each year, UNCF awards more than 11,000 scholarships totaling more than $62 million. The scholarships support students attending more than 600 US-based colleges and universities, including 37 UNCF-member HBCUs.
Scott continued to make significant strides in philanthropy, with landmark contributions this fall, including an impressive $50 million gift to Bowie State University, an empowering $80 million unrestricted gift to Howard University to bolster access and excellence, and a notable $63 million donation to Morgan State University, one of the nation’s fastest-growing public research institutions.
Additionally, her generous investment of $63 million in North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University underscores the vibrant research environment there.
Scott's $50 million donation to Norfolk State University further illustrates her commitment to transforming students’ lives.
Notably, Prairie View A&M University announced that Scott’s transformative multimillion-dollar contributions to HBCUs began in 2020, with PVAMU receiving $63 million this November.
The University of Maryland Eastern Shore is also grateful for its significant $38 million donation, which is set to accelerate student success, research initiatives, and community impact at this esteemed HBCU.
In Atlanta, Spelman College received $38 million to expand student access and advance technology, and Clark Atlanta University announced a $38 million gift from MacKenzie Scott, adding to her prior $15 million.
Scott's unwavering support doesn’t stop there!
Her commitment to Virginia State University has notably increased from $30 million in 2020 to $50 million by 2025. This funding will enhance opportunities for students, with a strong focus on academic excellence, innovation, and holistic student success, encompassing leadership development, experiential learning, and career readiness.
On November 12, 2020, Winston-Salem State University announced it received a second transformational gift from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott of $50 million.
According to the press release, her latest donation surpassed her previous $30 million contribution in 2020, once again marking the largest single gift in the university’s 133-year history.
WSSU also stated that Scott’s first gift helped to expand student access, fuel scholarship opportunities, and strengthen WSSU’s financial sustainability. The 2025 gift reinforces Scott’s continued confidence in WSSU’s mission, vision, and impact on students and communities.
Back in the spring of 2019, Scott reflected on the Giving Pledge and shared a profound insight she encountered while perusing her college books. She found it in Annie Dillard's The Writing Life, where she was struck by a powerful message:
“Do not hoard what seems good for a later place in the book, or for another book… The impulse to save something good for a better place later is the signal to spend it now. Something more will arise for later, something better… Anything you do not give freely and abundantly becomes lost to you. You open your safe and find ashes.”
This sentiment captures the spirit of generosity that Scott embodies—encouraging us to embrace the moment and make a difference today.
Each act of kindness has the potential to create a brighter future, and with leaders like Mackenzie Scott paving the way, we can be optimistic about the impact of generosity on our communities.
Black Press USA put it this way in their November 16, 2025, commentary, MacKenzie Scott’s Billion-Dollar Defiance of America’s War on Diversity.
"Her most recent gifts to historically Black colleges and universities surpass $400 million this year alone. These are not gestures. They are declarations. They say that the education of Black students is not optional, not expendable, and not dependent on the approval of those who fear what an educated Black citizenry represents."