MacKenzie Scott Donates $7.2 Billion in 2025

The philanthropist distributed funds to 186 nonprofits as part of her broader charitable initiative.

Updated on Oct. 26, 2026 in Philanthropy

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Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott distributed $7.2 billion to 186 nonprofit organizations in 2025 through her Yield Giving initiative, supporting a range of sectors. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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In 2025, MacKenzie Scott donated $7.2 billion to 186 nonprofit organizations through her foundation, Yield Giving. This brings her total charitable contributions to $26.2 billion across more than 2,500 organizations since 2019.

Why it matters

These contributions represent a significant portion of the $19.2 billion in total U.S. megagifts reported in 2025, underscoring the role of private wealth in supporting various social and educational sectors.

Scott's $7.2 billion donation accounts for a substantial share of the $19.2 billion in total U.S. megagifts recorded in 2025. Her lifetime giving since 2019 now totals $26.2 billion, distributed among more than 2,500 different organizations.

The players

MacKenzie Scott

A prominent philanthropist known for her large-scale, unrestricted donations to a wide range of nonprofit organizations.

Yield Giving

An organization founded by MacKenzie Scott in 2022 to manage and distribute her charitable contributions.

Michael Bloomberg

A philanthropist and business leader who donated $4.3 billion to charitable causes in 2025.

Bill Gates

A philanthropist and co-founder of Microsoft who contributed $3.7 billion to charitable efforts in 2025.

Warren Buffett

A business magnate and investor who donated $1.34 billion to philanthropic ventures in 2025.

The details

Yield Giving, founded in 2022 to streamline her charitable efforts, manages the distribution of these funds. Since 2020, Scott has also directed $1.34 billion specifically toward historically Black colleges and universities, supporting 60 institutions through this dedicated channel.

Timeline

  1. MacKenzie Scott began her total charitable contribution period in 2019.

  2. Support for historically Black colleges and universities commenced in 2020.

  3. Yield Giving was officially founded in 2022.

  4. The core $7.2 billion in charitable donations occurred in 2025.

Market Landscape

Scott's 2025 donations establish her as a primary driver of the $19.2 billion in total U.S. megagifts tracked for the year. This level of activity positions her as a dominant force in the philanthropic sector, significantly outpacing the annual donation figures of other major donors.

These donations provide critical, often unrestricted funding that helps recipient nonprofits maintain operations or expand services without the typical constraints of traditional grants. For the average subscriber or client of these organizations, this support can mean more stable access to community programs and services.

The takeaway

Large-scale philanthropic giving continues to serve as a vital resource for diverse nonprofit sectors across the country. Readers may observe that such significant capital infusions often enable organizations to pursue long-term projects that were previously restricted by limited funding.

Further reading

For more context on how large-scale donations influence the sector, read the latest coverage on Philanthropy.

Source note: This article includes information reported by Inc..

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