MacKenzie Scott’s $7 Billion Year: A New Era of Trust-Based Philanthropy
In 2025, billionaire philanthropist Mackenzie Scott announced more than $7 billion in gifts to nonprofits around the world, making the largest single-year giving total of her philanthropic career. This brings her total lifetime giving to approximately $26 billion since she began publicly sharing her donations in 2019.
What sets Scott apart ins't just the scale of her giving, it's her approach: unrestricted gifts, trust-based relationships, and a focus on equity, education, and community empowerment.
A New Philanthropic Milestone
In a December 2025 announcement posted on her website, Scott revealed that she has given around 7.2 billion in grants this year, dwarfing her previous annual totals.
In her accompanying essay, Scott wrote:
"This dollar total will likely be reported in the news, but any dollar amount is a vanishingly tiny fraction of the personal expressions of care being shared into communities this year."
This reflection underscores her belief that philanthropy is more than a headline figure, it's about impact, relationships, and shared values.
What Scott’s Giving Supports
1. Education and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)
Education remains a major focus of Scott's philanthropy.
In 2025 alone:
HBCUs received approximately $783 million, with total donations since 2020 exceeding $1.35 billion.
She has made transformational gifts to multiple universities, including historic first-time or largest-ever donations to institutions such as Bowie State University and others.
Significant unrestricted gifts, such as $70 million to the United Negro College Fund, are designed to build long-term financial stability for former member institutions.
These investments aim to expand opportunity, strengthen research and scholarship programs, and increase access for students who have historically faced barriers to higher education.
2. Supporting Underserved Communities
Scott's giving also supports groups that work directly with under-deserved populations:
Native Forward Scholars Fund received major gifts supporting Native students and leadership, with an emphasis on tribal sovereignty and educational opportunity.
Additional large gifts to community colleges, tribal colleges, and scholarship providers amplify educational access across diverse communities.
These donations reflect a broader commitment to equity-centered philanthropy, giving organizations the resources they need and the trust to use them as they see fit.
3. Other Notable Contributions
Beyond education, Scott’s 2025 giving included support for:
Climate and environmental initiatives — including substantial grants to climate coalitions like Forests, People, Climate and others focused on global climate action.
Cultural preservation and heritage — such as a $40 million gift to the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund to protect historic sites and expand narratives of American history.
Public universities and community institutions, including significant unrestricted gifts to Cal State University, Northridge and more, boosting local impact and long-term stability.
These investments demonstrate Scott’s broad and evolving vision for philanthropy that spans education, community development, cultural preservation, and environmental stewardship.
A Trust-Based Philanthropic Philosophy
Scott’s model of giving is uniquely trust-based, meaning:
Most gifts are unrestricted, organizations decide how best to use the funds.
No lengthy applications or reporting requirements are required, minimizing administrative burden on nonprofits.
Many organizations have received repeat gifts, reflecting deepening partnerships.
As Scott wrote in her essay:
"There are many ways to influence how we move through the world, and where we land."
Her focus on trust, empowerment, and flexibility challenges traditional philanthropic models and encourages a more humble and collaborative approach to giving.
Why Scott’s Approach Matters
Experts and nonprofit leaders suggest that unrestricted, trust-based funding allows organizations to:
Scale impactful programs
Address long-term structural challenges
Innovate without bureaucratic constraints
This philosophy has made Scott’s giving one of the most studied and discussed philanthropic movements of the decade.
Looking Ahead
MacKenzie Scott’s 2025 giving showcases a mature, boldly strategic, and deeply human approach to philanthropy. By centering community needs, prioritizing trust, and expanding access for underserved populations, she offers a model of giving that goes beyond checks and balances to embrace shared human impact.
Whether philanthropists, nonprofit leaders, or everyday community members, her message resonates:
Generosity, in all forms, shapes not only organizations, but the futures of the people and communities they serve.
To learn more information, visit www.womenspeakupus.org for resources, events and more.
Written by: Peighton Yoakam
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