Here are the North Carolina nonprofits and HBCUs getting millions from MacKenzie Scott
Billionaire MacKenzie Scott donated to several nonprofits and historically Black colleges in North Carolina.
Millions of dollars have gone to Elizabeth City State University, North Carolina A&T State University and Winston-Salem State University, the schools announced Tuesday.
The gifts are part of Scott’s efforts to give away more than $4.1 billion in the past four months, which have been marked with hardships for many families, she wrote Tuesday on the website Medium. Other North Carolina recipients listed in her post:
- Food Bank of Eastern & Central North Carolina
- Goodwill Industries of Northwest North Carolina
Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont
- MANNA Food Bank
- Meals on Wheels Durham
- Self-Help Ventures Fund
- United Way of Greater Greensboro
- United Way of the Greater Triangle
- YMCA of Greater Charlotte
- YMCA of High Point
“This pandemic has been a wrecking ball in the lives of Americans already struggling,” Scott wrote in her post. “Economic losses and health outcomes alike have been worse for women, for people of color, and for people living in poverty. Meanwhile, it has substantially increased the wealth of billionaires.”
Scott, the ex-wife of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, said she donated to 384 organizations after a team identified areas where she would be able to make the greatest impact. Scott, who said the process started with a review of 6,490 organizations, didn’t mention in detail how the three North Carolina colleges were chosen.
In the state, the donations were welcome news to the HBCUs she selected.
At Winston-Salem State, officials say Scott’s $30 million donation was the largest one person had ever given.
“This gift will immediately change lives,” Chancellor Elwood L. Robinson said in a news release. “Words cannot express our most sincere appreciation to Ms. Scott for choosing to invest in our university. This gift will allow us to nationally highlight our impact in the community, put our students at the forefront of academic success and leverage a whole new standard of philanthropic giving.”
Elizabeth City State and North Carolina A&T universities — which received $15 million and $45 million, respectively — also shared their gratitude for Scott in news releases.
The news comes as famous graduates recently have helped to put historically Black colleges and universities in the national spotlight. Earlier this year, billionaire Michael Bloomberg made a pledge to donate $100 million to medical programs at four HBCUs, McClatchy News reported.
There are 101 HBCUs nationwide, and some of the schools this fall expected enrollment drops due to the coronavirus pandemic. While tuition at public HBCUs is below average, lower endowments and COVID-19 have threatened schools’ survival, The News & Observer reported in August.
This story was originally published December 16, 2020 at 12:33 PM with the headline "Here are the North Carolina nonprofits and HBCUs getting millions from MacKenzie Scott."
