MacKenzie Scott’s latest donation takes her HBCU giving to well over $1 billion |
MacKenzie Scott’s latest donation takes her HBCU giving to well over $1 billion
MacKenzie Scott has continued her giving spree to historically Black colleges and universities, and this time she’s crossed a milestone.
One of the billionaire philanthropist’s latest gifts, a $42 million donation to Elizabeth City State University on the school’s Founders Day in North Carolina, pushes her total giving to HBCUs well past the $1 billion mark. And that’s just part of Scott’s $26 billion philanthropic commitment since 2020, in which she’s donated to thousands of organizations focused on DEI, disaster recovery, community development, health, and environmental causes. Tuesday also happens to be Scott’s 55th birthday.
Elizabeth City State University Chancellor S. Keith Hargrove, Sr., expressed his “deepest gratitude” for Scott’s gift, saying she recognizes” the critical role that HBCUs play in expanding opportunity and strengthening communities.”
“Her investment affirms what we already know: that institutions like ECSU are powerful catalysts for change,” Hargrove said in a statement. “Gifts like this do more than provide resources; they accelerate momentum.” Scott’s donation will help the school’s ASCEND 2030 strategic plan, expanding opportunities for students and strengthening ties to the surrounding community.
The gift is the latest in a pattern Scott, the ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, has been building since 2020, when she first began directing hundreds of millions of dollars toward HBCUs. One such gift was to Howard University, the alma mater of former Vice President Kamala........