Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott donates $20 million to Morehouse College

ATLANTA—Author and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has contributed $20 million to Morehouse College. The gift is part of donation to 116 nonprofits driving positive change in the country, including six Historically Black Colleges and Universities(HBCUs).

Scott announced the gift to nonprofits this week in the online news platform Medium. The billionaire said her donation was supporting institutions doing transformative work to improve racial, gender, and LGBTQ+ equity, as well as economic mobility and public health issues, among other areas.

Scott began making $1.7 billion in donations last year after signing a pledge to give most of her wealth away.

“MacKenzie Scott’s beneficent gift to Morehouse and several of our companion institutions in the HBCU network is an investment into the future of Black excellence,” said David A. Thomas, President of Morehouse College. “On behalf of Morehouse and the Board of Trustees, I would like to thank her for supporting our mission to develop men who are academically excellent and focused on leadership and service. This gift will help Morehouse to lay the foundation for the campus of the 21^stcentury and continue the important work we do to produce graduates who effect positive change in their communities, the nation, and the world.”

Founded in 1867, Morehouse is the nation’s only HBCU focused on educating men. The liberal arts college has a nationally-acclaimed business program and is the top feeder school for black men entering Harvard Business School. Morehouse is also the top producer of Rhodes Scholars among HBCUs, with five Morehouse men receiving the honor. The college educates 2,200 students.

As the national epicenter for thought leadership on civil rights, Morehouse is committed to helping the nation address the inequities caused by institutional racism, which have created disparities in income, employment, health, housing, and educational opportunities for people of African descent.

Monique Dozier, vice president of the Office of Institutional Advancement, said Scott’s donation recognizes the world-class education that Morehouse offers its students and she is appreciative of her support.

“This unrestricted gift to Morehouse will help the College to build capacity and invest in strategic academic programs to enrich the experiences of the men of Morehouse,” Dozier said. “We appreciate Ms. Scott’s faith in Morehouse College. This investment in Morehouse will yield dividends that will transform the lives of our students.”