MacKenzie Scott has donated more than $26 billion in nonprofits since her 2019 divorce from Amazon mogul Jeff Bezos.
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MacKenzie Scott, the philanthropist and author who was once married to billionaire Jeff Bezos, recently revealed that she donated $7.1 billion to nonprofits in 2025 — and Texas institutions are benefiting from her generosity.
The donation is nearly three times higher than her previous contributions: $2.6 billion in 2024 and $2.1 billion in 2023. Scott has donated more than $26 billion to nonprofits since her 2019 divorce from the Amazon mogul, according to her website, Yield Giving.
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“This dollar total will likely be reported in the news, but any dollar amount is a vanishingly tiny fraction of the personal expressions of care being shared into communities this year,” Scott wrote in a blog post this week.
She donated to more than 180 organizations and primarily supported institutions championing DEI, education, humanitarian aid and disaster recovery, sectors decimated by President Donald Trump’s administration this year.
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Scott’s gifts are unrestricted, meaning recipients can use them however they see fit. She also doesn’t accept applications for funding; instead, Scott has been known to award donations at her discretion, often with little warning.
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Three institutions in Texas received gifts this year — Texas A&M International University, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, and Prairie View A&M University.
TAMIU receives its second donation from Scott
Texas A&M International University received $38 million from Scott, the second-largest donation in the institution’s history. The largest donation — $40 million — was given by Scott in 2020.
“This is an investment in our future,” said Dr. Christopher Maynard, president of TAMIU. “The earnings from this investment will impact the success of TAMIU students for generations to come. It is also a remarkable catalyst that allows us the privilege of working with our partners to maximize and extend their support to always secure what truly benefits our students and drives their success.”
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In a statement, the school said it will determine the best use of the new funds by mid-spring.
For TAMU-Kingsville, gift is ‘transformational’
Texas A&M University-Kingsville, which is designated as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), announced Monday that it also received a landmark gift of $38 million, the single largest gift in the school’s history.
“For 100 years, Texas A&M University-Kingsville has served as a beacon of hope for the students and families in South Texas and beyond, and this gift will usher in a new era of innovation and impact for our region,” said Dr. Robert Vela, president of TAMUK. “We are profoundly grateful for this transformational gift and are incredibly excited about the opportunities this will provide to our community.”
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“A century ago, this university was the first institution of higher learning to believe in the promise of South Texas, and today, we are grateful that MacKenzie Scott and her team believe in us,” Vela continued.
Specific guidance for the gift is still to be determined, but the school said its general investment priorities include expanding tuition affordability programs, creating a Workforce Innovation Campus, supporting a new rural nursing program and developing new programs designed to cater to regional economic needs, with hopes of reaching Research 1 (R1) status.
Major investment in Texas’ oldest HBCU
Established in 1876, Prairie View A&M University is the state’s oldest public Historically Black College and University (HBCU).
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It received $50 million from Scott in 2020 and an additional $63 million this year, bringing her total support to $113 million.
After the initial donation, Prairie View said it allocated the money toward need-based scholarships, emergency aid, academic support programs and its endowment. A portion of the gift also supported the creation of the Toni Morrison Writing Program, which brings distinguished visiting authors to campus to teach writing-intensive courses.
The new gift will expand on that investment, the school said in a statement.
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“This gift is more than generous — it is defining and affirming,” said Tomikia LeGrande, president of Prairie View A&M University. “MacKenzie Scott’s investment amplifies the power and promise of a Prairie View A&M University education as we advance our vision of becoming a premier public, research-intensive HBCU that serves as a national model for student success. We are deeply grateful for her profound endorsement of our mission, our momentum, and our impact on the world.”
