MacKenzie Scott Gave $7 Billion in 2025, Accounting for One-Third of U.S. Megagifts
Updated
Updated · Fortune · Jun 25
MacKenzie Scott Gave $7 Billion in 2025, Accounting for One-Third of U.S. Megagifts
3 articles · Updated · Fortune · Jun 25
Summary
$7 billion in 2025 made MacKenzie Scott the source of roughly one-third of the $19.2 billion in U.S. megagifts tracked by Giving USA and Indiana University.
That banner year lifted Scott’s five-year cumulative giving to $26.2 billion across thousands of groups focused on housing, DEI and disaster recovery, even as she kept many donations out of public view.
The quiet approach also left her off the Chronicle of Philanthropy’s top-50 donor list, which said Scott and her representatives did not provide enough information about possible donor-advised-fund gifts.
U.S. charitable giving overall reached $617.2 billion in 2025, up 5.7% from a year earlier, with religion, human services, education and health among the biggest recipient categories.
With billionaires now dominating charity, what is the future for the small, community-based donor?
As 'trust-based' philanthropy grows, what are the hidden risks of giving nonprofits millions with no strings attached?
MacKenzie Scott’s $2.1 Billion in 2025: How Unrestricted Giving and Strategic Investments Are Transforming Global Philanthropy
Overview
In 2025, MacKenzie Scott's philanthropy stood out for its evolving and distinctive approach, combining her established methods of giving with significant strategic shifts. She expanded beyond traditional donations by making for-profit investments in mission-aligned ventures, aiming to address challenges like affordable housing and health care through capital deployment, not just grants. For example, her investment in Funding U signaled a broader toolkit for achieving impact. This shift highlights Scott’s commitment to using new strategies while maintaining her unique, hands-off style of empowering organizations to maximize their impact.