By Arkansas Black Vitality — Nov. 18, 2025 — Philander Smith University has received a transformative $19 million unrestricted gift from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, the largest single contribution in the institution’s 147-year history. University leaders hailed the donation as a resounding vote of confidence in Philander Smith’s mission to educate academically accomplished students who are grounded as advocates for social justice and determined to change the world for the better.

“This gift positions us to invest boldly in student success, facilities enhancement, and programs that prepare the next generation of Philander Smith leaders,” said Dr. Maurice D. Gipson, President and CEO. “We are profoundly grateful for this transformational support, which allows us to move Philander First with renewed purpose and vision.”

The unrestricted nature of the gift allows leadership and the Board of Trustees to allocate funds strategically in support of scholarships, academic innovation, infrastructure, and long-term financial sustainability. Dr. Tionna Jenkins, Chair of the Board and a 2001 alumna, emphasized the enduring impact: “Ms. Scott’s generosity helps ensure that the university continues to thrive and expand its impact for generations to come.”

A Broader Commitment to HBCUs

Scott’s philanthropy extends well beyond Philander Smith. The United Negro College Fund (UNCF) recently announced a landmark $70 million gift from Scott to support its bold $1 billion capital campaign. The funds will be invested in the UNCF Members Pooled Endowment Fund, designed to strengthen the long-term financial health of all 37 private UNCF member historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).

“This extraordinary gift is a powerful vote of confidence in HBCUs and in the work of UNCF,” said Dr. Michael L. Lomax, UNCF President and CEO. “It provides a once-in-a-generation opportunity for our member institutions to build permanent assets that will support students and campuses for decades to come.”

Each of the 37 member schools will receive a $5 million stake, with matching campaigns to double that to $10 million per institution. This infusion of permanent capital will raise the median endowment of UNCF member schools by 63%, helping to close the stark gap between HBCU and predominately white institution endowments.

Transformational Philanthropy

Scott’s gifts to Philander Smith underscore her commitment to equity and social justice, particularly through strengthening HBCUs. By entrusting institutions with unrestricted funds, she empowers them to invest in their futures as they see fit. For Philander Smith University, the $19 million gift arrives at a pivotal moment under new leadership, reinforcing its vision of advancing excellence, equity, and opportunity. For UNCF, the $70 million contribution accelerates a campaign that will permanently bolster the financial stability of dozens of HBCUs.

Together, these investments highlight the transformative power of philanthropy in ensuring that Black colleges not only survive but thrive—building capacity, expanding opportunity, and preparing generations of changemaker

Although the Philander Smith gift is significant, Scott has positioned herself as a faithful “Black ally” when most corporations and philanthropists have acquiesced to legal threats from the Trump administration concerning diversity, equity, and inclusion. Through the administration’s faithful adherence to the Hoover Institute’s Project 2025 playbook, corporate commitment to Black communities has significantly waned since the pandemic as Black achievement, history, and excellence have been successfully tied to “wokeness” without a word from the media or traditional progressive allies.

However, Scott, a billionaire, philanthropist, and novelist, who was formerly married to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, has used a large portion of her multi-billion-dollar divorce settlement in 2019 to fund and boost DEI projects nationwide. In 2024 alone, Scott’s Yield Giving Foundation awarded over $2 billion in unrestricted grants to various organizations that primarily focus on housing, education, racial and health equity.

To date, Yield Giving’s San Francisco-based network of staff and advisors has entrusted over $19.25 billion to 2,450+ non-profit teams to use as they see fit for the benefit of others. Besides Philander Smith, Scott’s donation bonanza last week gave $276 million to five other HBCUs — Bowie State University, North Carolina A&T, Prairie View A&M, Norfolk State University, and Winston-Salem State University.

In 1994 she founded Amazon.com, the world’s largest online retailer, with her then husband, Bezos. As part of their 2019 divorce settlement, she received a 4 percent stake in the company, whose valuation topped $2 trillion in 2024. After their divorce, she began using her middle name, Scott, as her surname. Scott made Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people in 2020 and was named the “world’s most powerful woman” by Forbes in 2021.

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