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MacKenzie Scott’s $7.2 Billion gift Accelerates Focus on Education and Climate Action
Philanthropist’s 2025 donations mark a significant increase in giving, with a pronounced emphasis on supporting historically Black colleges and universities and environmental conservation efforts.
MacKenzie Scott continues to reshape the landscape of modern philanthropy, announcing this month a staggering $7.2 billion in donations for 2025 – a significant increase over previous years. This latest round of giving brings her total contributions over the past six years to more than $26 billion, positioning her as one of the most impactful philanthropists of our time, rivaling the lifetime giving of Warren buffett and Bill Gates.
Scott, whose estimated $30 billion net worth stems largely from her Amazon stake following her divorce from Jeff Bezos, pledged in 2019 to donate the majority of her wealth to charitable causes. Her approach is characterized by a purposeful lack of public fanfare, allowing recipient organizations to determine disclosure levels, primarily awarding unsolicited grants, and communicating her philanthropy through periodic online updates. Though, the sheer magnitude of her contributions consistently makes headlines.
“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,” Scott wrote in a recent blog post, underscoring her belief in the collective power of philanthropy. She highlighted that in 2020 alone, U.S. charities received $471 billion in donations, with nearly a third coming from gifts under $5,000.
Of the nearly 200 organizations supported in 2025,approximately 120 were repeat grantees,demonstrating Scott’s commitment to long-term partnerships. The largest single grant – $90 million – was awarded to Forests, People, Climate (FPC), a collaborative focused on reversing tropical deforestation, bringing its total funding to over $1 billion. “Now is the time for climate philanthropy to take action with vision and courage: to embrace the potential of forests and back the bold leaders best suited to protect them,” stated Lindsey Allen, executive director of FPC.
A significant portion of Scott’s giving was directed toward education, emerging as the largest beneficiary, accounting for 18 percent of the total. she donated $70 million each to UNCF and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, both dedicated to supporting historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Prairie View A&M University, Morgan State University, and Howard University each received $63 million, while the Hispanic Scholarship Fund and Native Forward Scholars Fund were awarded $70 million and $50 million, respectively.
Beyond education, organizations focused on economic security and regranting received 13 percent of the funding, and environmental causes accounted for 12 percent.Additional support was allocated to groups working in equity and justice, democratic processes, health, and arts and culture.
Scott’s philanthropic model distinguishes itself through its unrestricted nature, granting organizations complete autonomy in utilizing the funds. A recent study by the Center for Effective philanthropy found that nearly 90 percent of surveyed organizations reported improved long-term financial sustainability as an inevitable result of Scott’s donations, with a median grant size of $5 million.
