MacKenzie Scott donations to HBCU crosses $1 billion mark
MacKenzie Scott has set a new milestone in her philanthropy to historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), with her latest donations taking her total giving to the institutions to more than $1 billion. The former wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos , who sold about half of her Amazon stake in 2020, has given tens of millions of dollars to individual HBCUs, including a $42 million gift to Elizabeth City State University that pushed her total HBCU donations past the $1 billion mark. MacKenzie Scott’s $42 million donation to Elizabeth City State University in North Carolina was made earlier this year on the university’s Founders Day. The gift took her total donations to HBCUs to well over $1 billion. Keith Hargrove thanked Scott for the donation and said it would support the university’s ASCEND 2030 strategic plan. Since 2020, she has committed about $26 billion to thousands of organisations working across areas including education, health, community development, disaster recovery and environmental causes. In November 2025, she gave Howard University $80 million. The donation was among the largest in the university’s 158-year history. In 2025, Scott also donated $70 million each to the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and the United Negro College Fund. MacKenzie Scott’s HBCU donations include: Alabama State University: $38 million in 2025 Alcorn State University: $42 million in 2025 Bowie State University: $75 million across 2020 and 2025 Clark Atlanta University: $53 million across 2020 and 2025 Howard University: $120 million across 2020 and 2025 Morgan State University: $103 million across 2020 and 2025 Norfolk State University: $90 million across 2020 and 2025 Prairie View A&M University: $113 million across 2020 and 2025 Spelman College: $58 million across 2020 and 2025 Virginia State University: $50 million in 2025 Winston-Salem State University: $50 million in 2025 Elizabeth City State University: $57 million across 2020 and 2026 Her donations have also gone to schools including Hampton University, Morehouse College, North Carolina A&T State University, Tuskegee University, Xavier University of Louisiana and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.
Elizabeth City State University Chancellor S. Scott’s giving to HBCUs is part of a wider philanthropic effort. Scott has made several large donations to HBCUs over the past six years. She has also donated to institutions including Morgan State University, Prairie View A&M University, Norfolk State University, Bowie State University, Virginia State University and Winston-Salem State University. Many of Scott’s donations are unrestricted. This means universities can decide how to use the money instead of following conditions set by the donor. The funds can be used for scholarships, faculty hiring, endowments, campus upgrades or other priorities identified by the universities. Get the latest technology news and updates. Download the TOI App.
Scott has previously described her approach to giving as based on trust and direct support for organisations.