MacKenzie Scott Donates $42 Million to Expand College & Career Opportunities for Low-Income U.S. Students

MacKenzie Scott Donates $42 Million to Expand College & Career Opportunities for Low-Income U.S. Students

In a major philanthropic gesture, MacKenzie Scott has donated $42 million to 10,000 Degrees, a nonprofit organization focused on ensuring that students from low-income backgrounds have access to higher education and career pathways. Good News Network+2KTVU FOX 2 San Francisco+2

This is not Scott’s first high-profile gift. Over the years, she has deployed large, often unrestricted grants to mission-driven organizations, particularly in education, equity, and community development. Wikipedia+3Wikipedia+3Wikipedia+3 Her philanthropy is channeled through Yield Giving, her principal giving vehicle, which emphasizes trust-based grants and flexibility for nonprofit recipients. Wikipedia+1

10,000 Degrees: Mission, Reach, and Capacity

10,000 Degrees, based in San Rafael, California, works with students throughout California to “support students to, through, and beyond college.” Good News Network+2ABC7 San Francisco+2 Founded in 1981, the organization has awarded more than $100 million in scholarships and aided tens of thousands of students from underprivileged backgrounds. KTVU FOX 2 San Francisco+2ABC7 San Francisco+2

One of the distinguishing features of 10,000 Degrees is its holistic approach: it doesn’t only provide financial aid but also offers advising, mentorship (often from recent college graduates), and support in navigating higher education and early career transitions. PACEsConnection+3KTVU FOX 2 San Francisco+3ABC7 San Francisco+3 The nonprofit reports an 80% graduation rate for the four-year students in its program, a strong performance given the challenges many of its students face. KTVU FOX 2 San Francisco

With the new infusion of funds, 10,000 Degrees has announced a five-year expansion plan that would nearly double the number of students served annually. KTVU FOX 2 San Francisco+1 The donation stands as the largest gift in its 45-year history. ABC7 San Francisco+1

According to Kim Mazzuca, President and CEO of 10,000 Degrees, Scott’s gift is a “bold affirmation of the power of education” and will allow the organization to deepen its impact in communities that most need support. Good News Network

Why This Gift Matters

1. Addressing the Opportunity Gap

The gap in college access and completion between students from higher-income families and those from lower-income backgrounds is profound and persistent. Many low-income students face multiple barriers: lack of information about college pathways, limited financial resources, challenges balancing work/family responsibilities, and under-resourced K–12 schooling.

A gift like this helps scale an organization that already combines scholarship support with mentorship and advising. The integrated model is especially important because financial support alone often isn’t enough, wraparound support is critical for student persistence and success.

2. Trust-Based, Unrestricted Funding

Scott’s approach to philanthropy tends to emphasize unrestricted funding and trust in nonprofit leadership. In contrast to many grants that come with tight restrictions, such grants allow recipient organizations flexibility to respond to needs as they evolve. This approach reduces transactional burden and can foster innovation and stronger local leadership. Good News Network+3Wikipedia+3Wikipedia+3

Such an approach also signals confidence in the recipient’s capacity, allowing 10,000 Degrees to manage growth, cover operational overhead, and invest in long-term infrastructure.

3. Multiplying Social Return

Scale matters. By nearly doubling its reach, 10,000 Degrees can extend its impact to more students, which may yield ripple benefits: higher educational attainment, increased earnings, more civic engagement, and improved intergenerational mobility in underserved communities.

Moreover, large gifts like this tend to attract attention, potentially drawing additional funders or public support to the field of college access and equity.

Broader Context in Scott’s Giving Strategy

This donation aligns with Scott’s pattern of giving large, bold gifts to education and equity causes. For instance, earlier in 2025 she gave $70 million to the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) to bolster historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). AP News

Her cumulative giving since 2019 now totals in the tens of billions, with a consistent emphasis on scale, equity, and nonprofit autonomy. Wikipedia+2Wikipedia+2

By giving through Yield Giving, she also places emphasis on decentralizing decision-making, relying on local expertise and emphasizing mission alignment over prescribing detailed usage restrictions. Wikipedia+2Wikipedia+2

Challenges & Considerations

While this gift is transformative, scaling is not without challenges:

• Organizational capacity: To manage growth, 10,000 Degrees will need to strengthen staff, infrastructure, data systems, and evaluation.

• Maintaining quality: Rapid expansion often risks diluting the intensity or quality of support. Ensuring student-mentor ratios, strong training, and accountability will be key.

• Sustainability: One-time infusions are powerful, but long-term impact often requires ongoing support or diversified revenue sources to maintain expanded programming.

• Equity and access across regions: While 10,000 Degrees is California based, geographic disparities in opportunity are national; scaling may require context-specific approaches in different states.

Looking Ahead

MacKenzie Scott’s $42 million gift to 10,000 Degrees is a striking example of bold philanthropy aimed at systemic issues. By enabling greater scale, flexibility, and trust, it may serve as a model for how targeted investments in education equity can amplify long-term social progress.

If the expansion is successful, more students from underprivileged backgrounds may be able to complete college and transition into meaningful careers, helping break cycles of generational inequality.