Here’s A Full List Of MacKenzie Scott’s HBCU Donations

UPDATE — Friday, April 17, 2026, 11:41 a.m. EST:

MacKenzie Scott’s impact on HBCUs has officially crossed into a whole different stratosphere. With her latest $42 million gift to Elizabeth City State University, Scott’s total giving to historically Black colleges and universities has now climbed to well over $1 billion, further cementing her as one of the biggest philanthropic allies Black higher education has ever seen. ECSU’s newest gift was announced in March and quickly made history on its own.

The latest donation wasn’t just another headline either. Elizabeth City State said the $42 million contribution is the largest dollar-per-student gift any HBCU received in Scott’s recent round of giving, and it came at a major moment for the North Carolina school as it rolls out its five-year ASCEND 2030 strategic plan. University leaders say the money will help fund scholarships, academic growth, and upgrades to academic, athletic, and residential spaces across campus.

Scott first came into public view as the ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, but over the last several years, she’s built a reputation that stands on its own. The novelist and philanthropist has used her Yield Giving platform to pour more than $26 billion into thousands or organizations, and one of her clearest priorities has been supporting institutions that have historically had to do more with less — especially HBCUs. Her giving style has stood out because the gifts are usually unrestricted, meaning schools can decide themselves where the money is needed most instead of jumping through hoops for a donor.

That’s a huge deal because HBCUs have long been underfunded compared to predominantly white institutions, even while continuing to produce outsized cultural, academic, and professional impact. Scott’s donation have helped schools think bigger about scholarships, endowments, infrastructure, faculty support, and long-term planning. Simply put, she hasn’t just been writing checks — she’s been helping reshape what serious investment in Black education can look like.

Here’s a list of the HBCUs MacKenzie Scott has donated to, with the reported amounts:

1. Alabama State University – $38M in 2025
2. Alcorn State University – $42M in 2025 (plus an earlier gift in 2020)
3. Bowie State University – $50M in 2025 (plus $25M in 2020)
4. Claflin University – $20M in 2020
5. Clark Atlanta University – $38M in 2025 (plus $15M in 2020)
6. Delaware State University – $20M in 2020
7. Dillard University – $5M in 2020
8. Elizabeth City State University – $15M in 2020 (plus a new $42M gift in 2026)
9. Hampton University – $30M in 2020
10. Howard University – $80M in 2025 (plus $40M in 2020)
11. Lincoln University (PA) – $20M in 2020
12. Morehouse College – $20M in 2020
13. Morgan State University – $63M in 2025 (plus $40M in 2020)
14. Norfolk State University – $50M in 2025 (plus $40M in 2020)
15. North Carolina A&T State University – $63M in 2025 (plus $45M in 2020)
16. Prairie View A&M University – $63M in 2025 (plus $50M in 2020)
17. Spelman College – $38M in 2025 (plus $20M in 2020)
18. Tougaloo College – $6M in 2020
19. Tuskegee University – $20M in 2020
20. University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) – $38M in 2025
21. Virginia State University – $50M in 2025
22. Voorhees University – $19M in 2025 (plus $4M in 2020)
23. Winston-Salem State University – $50M in 2025 (plus $30M in 2020)
24. Xavier University of Louisiana – $20M in 2020

Additionally, Scott also made major HBCU supporting gifts outside of direct campus donations. In 2025, UNCF received a landmark $70 million gift to strengthen the pooled endowment fund for its 37 member HBCUs, and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund disclosed that Scott’s total support to the organization has now reached $120 million since 2020. Those moves are a big reason her broader HBCU giving is now being reported as well over the $1 billion.

The significance of MacKenzie Scott’s donations cannot be overstated. By giving unrestricted money on this scale, she’s giving HBCUs room to move how they need to move — whether that means building endowments, expanding scholarships, fixing facilities, or setting students up with better long-term resources. At a time when Black institutions are still fighting for equitable funding, that kind of trust and investment hits different.

RELATED: MacKenzie Scott Donates Record-Breaking $63M To HBCU Morgan State