MacKenzie Scott is extending her tradition of college contributions, recently giving $17 million “life-changing” to Northern Oklahoma College.
TL;DR
- MacKenzie Scott donated $17 million to Northern Oklahoma College, the largest gift in its history.
- Scott has given over $19 billion to thousands of organizations, focusing on DEI, education, and disaster recovery.
- She also gave $5 million to Little Priest Tribal College, supporting its new campus development plans.
The billionaire philanthropist's incredibly generous donation stands as the most substantial gift the college has ever received, marking a historic moment for the institution founded in 1901, as the school recently shared in a Facebook update.
Scott acquired much of her $38.9 billion fortune from her 2019 divorce from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, and she since has pledged to give away most of her wealth through her organization Yield Giving. So far, she’s donated well over $19 billion across thousands of organizations, focused on issues including DEI, education, disaster recovery, and more.
“I cannot possibly adequately articulate my gratitude for Ms. Scott’s vote of confidence in the mission and activities of the college by allowing us to allocate the resources as we believe are in the best interest of the college,” said NOC President Diana Morris in the post.
The financial support is quite necessary, as approximately 80% of the college's student body relies on financial aid and/or scholarships, and 75% of these students graduate without any student loan debt.
Brad Purdy, who chairs the NOC Foundation Board of Trustees and is a college alumnus, highlighted that the contribution doesn't eliminate the necessity for ongoing financial support.
“We hope this announcement will make our donors even more excited when they open their mail to find information about the annual year-end Greater Gifts drive, recognizing that the college will be using the unrestricted gift from MacKenzie Scott to create new scholarships and programs,” Purdy said.
Scott's approach to giving: Typically generous and unconstrained
Scott's donations are typically substantial, without specific spending deadlines or limitations. Recently, she's broadened her philanthropic efforts to include higher education, contributing more than $740 million to over a dozen historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), such as Howard University and Morgan State University.
In 2019, Scott also joined The Giving Pledge, a philanthropic effort started by Bill Gates, Melinda French Gates, and Warren Buffett. This foundation encourages the planet's richest people and families to pledge publicly that they will donate at least half of their fortunes to charitable causes, either while they are alive or through their wills.
Scott has also contributed to numerous charities over the years, including a $84 million donation to the Girl Scouts, $20 million support for Vermont's Champlain Housing Trust, $436 million assistance to Habitat for Humanity, and $275 million funding for Planned Parenthood. In 2020, she also contributed $10 million to the UNCF. Among the thousands of contributions Scott has made since 2019, her average donation amount is approximately $5 million.
Scott's recent contributions to tribal institutions of higher learning
Scott's contribution to Northern Oklahoma College follows a pattern of her supporting students at less prominent institutions. Beyond HBCUs, she has recently extended her generosity to an additional tribal college. This announcement arrives shortly after the Trump administration's efforts to reduce federal funds, a crucial funding source for tribal colleges' operations.
Scott contributed $5 million to Little Priest Tribal College in Winnebago, Nebraska. This contribution represents the most substantial donation ever received by the college, founded by The Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska in 1996.
“This is a truly historic moment for Little Priest Tribal College. We are deeply grateful to the MacKenzie Scott Foundation for this transformative gift, which will accelerate our plans to develop a new 10-acre campus estimated at $60 million,” LPTC President Manoj Patil said last week.
“The LPTC Board of Trustees has committed these funds entirely to the campus project, expected to begin in mid-2026. This investment will not only expand our physical footprint but also empower us to better serve our students, community, and generations to come.”