Jeff Bezos’s ex-wife MacKenzie Scott has continued her unprecedented donation blitz, handing over $700 million to ‘historically black colleges.’
Scott, 55, has given away $700 million since late September to at least 15 Historically Black Colleges and Universities, as well as nonprofit organizations that promote higher education access and affordability for students of color.
Her contributions have earned her the nickname ‘Saint MacKenzie Scott’ by United Negro College Fund President and CEO Michael Lomax after she made a ‘transformational’ $70 million donation to his organization.
‘She is rewriting the book on philanthropy, not just in this country, but in the world,’ Lomax told ABC News.
Scott, who was previously married to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and walked away with about $38 billion in the divorce, recently wrote on her website, Yield Giving: ‘Votes are not the only way to show what we’d like to see more of in our societies.
‘There are many ways to influence how we move through the world and where we land.’
Her most recent donations include a $63million contribution to Prairie View A&M University in Texas, as well as $50 million to Bowie State University in Maryland and $19 million to Philander Smith University in Arkansas.
Bowie State President Dr. Aminta H. Breaux said Scott’s ‘generosity arrives at a pivotal moment in our 160-year story.’
‘It empowers us to expand access, elevate our research and academic excellence, and uplift generations of students who will lead, serve and innovate.
‘Higher education is the pathway to upward social mobility for our students and the communities we serve, and, with this gift, their futures are brighter than ever.’
Bowie State was the 15th historically Black institution to receive a donation from Scott.
Scott’s efforts apparently began in mid-October, when she gave Morgan State University, a Maryland-based HBCU, a $63 million unrestricted gift – its largest ever.
The university announced the funds on October 15, noting that it was Scott’s second major contribution to the school in less than five years.
In 2020, she had donated $40 million to the institution – which is the third largest HBCU in the nation.
Her average donation to the schools, spanning from Alabama to Virginia, is $47 million.
Norfolk State University received a donation of $50 million from Scott, which the school said would ‘catapult’ it to a new level of excellence, while the single largest donation she is known to have made was to Howard University, with a gift of $80 million at the beginning of November.
Scott also donated $38 million to the University of Maryland Eastern Shore one week later, representing the largest single gift in the school’s history.
She had previously given $20 million to the institution five years ago.
‘This gift is a resounding vote of confidence in UMES and in the strategic direction President [Heidi] Anderson has said,’ University System of Maryland Chancellor Jay A. Perman said.
‘MacKenzie Scott’s generosity will deepen the university’s capacity to serve students, strengthen communities across the Eastern Shore and expand UMES’s national impact as a high-value, high-quality HBCU.’
In a message to the UMES community, Anderson said the school will take suggestions on how to use the newfound money.
The letter notes, however, that a ‘significant portion’ would go toward strengthening the school’s endowment, Maryland Matters reports.
Some other uses for the money at the school of nearly 3,000 students would go toward scholarships, academic research and the creation of internships, apprenticeships and jobs.
David Balcom, the vice president for university relations, added that the funding could also be used toward the implementation of the school’s new school of veterinary medicine, which is slated to begin in the fall of 2027.
‘We’re still charting how best to use the funds, but literally hundreds of students will be supported by these funds over time,’ he said.
Scott’s more recent donations include a $38 million gift to Alabama State University, an HBCU in Montgomery.
University president Quinton Ross said the donation ‘marks a defining moment’ in the 158-year history of the school, as its largest-ever gift.
‘Ms Scott’s generosity reaffirms Alabama State University’s reputation as a catalyst for excellence and innovation in higher education,’ he said.
‘This is truly a pivotal moment in ASU’s history.’
Scott further gave away $42 million to Alcorn State University in Mississippi after previously giving the school a $25 million gift in 2020, according to HBCU Gameday.
‘Receiving another record transformational gift within five years is both a powerful affirmation of Alcorn’s impact and a charge to all Alcornites to help accelerate our work for student success, campus sustainability and enrollment growth,’ Dr Marcus D Ward, senior vice president for institutional advancement and executive director of the ASU Foundation.
Like Morgan, university leaders will collaborate with the ASU Foundation to strategically allocate the money across initiatives that strengthen the school’s infrastructure, enhance academic programs and expand access.
‘This gift opens a new chapter for Alcorn State,’ said Dr Tracy M Cook, the university president. ‘We will use every dollar to support students, strengthen the university and serve Mississippi and the nation for generations to come.’
Scott made a $10 million unrestricted donation to the George M. Pullman Educational Fund last month, as well as a $42 million gift to 10,000 Degrees, a California-based nonprofit.
Those funds would be used to help the organization expand its support for low-income students, the group announced.
‘We are deeply grateful for Ms Scott’s confidence and investment in our mission and proven college success model,’ President and CEO Kim Mazzuca said.
‘This extraordinary gift is not only a bold affirmation of the power of education, but it is a vital investment in our communities at a time when it’s needed most.’
Finally, the Native Forward Scholars Fund, the largest direct provider of college scholarships for Native American students, announced a $50 million gift from Scott this fall, marking her second major gift to the fund.
The gift was the largest private donation to date to a Native American organization, and comes as Native Forward is seeing a 35 percent increase in scholarship applications, according to Forbes.
‘This unrestricted gift allows us to meet Native students where they are, respond to their most pressing needs and ensure they not only enroll, but thrive and graduate,’ said Angelique Albert, CEO of Native Forward Scholars Fund.
Scott is estimated to have a net worth of more than $33 billion, most of which came as part of her divorce settlement in 2019, when she received a four percent stake in Amazon.
She has since signed the Giving Pledge, vowing to give away at least half of her fortune over the course of her lifetime.
