In a historic move that underscores her ongoing commitment to advancing HBCUs, philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has donated $50 million to Winston-Salem State University. This remarkable gift not only marks the largest single donation in the university’s 133-year history but also brings Scott’s total giving to the campus to $80 million—following a previous $30 million gift in 2020.
Most of the $30 million Scott donated went to founding Winston-Salem State’s endowment. The remaining amount is for real estate property for the university. The increase in property assets helped manage the increase in students staying on campus while also helping support growth at the university both academically and student-wise. With this unrestricted gift, leadership at Winston-Salem State has already started to create a plan that further supports the university’s goal of long-term student success.
“This gift is truly life-changing for our students and our community,” said Chancellor Bonita J. Brown. “MacKenzie Scott’s confidence in Winston-Salem State University enables us to transform lives, not just today, but for generations. Her investment empowers us to make a high-quality education accessible, affordable, and within reach for students who never believed college was possible, and for that, I want to say thank you. We are all profoundly grateful for her choosing to invest in the future of our students and this institution.”
Although the university has received this generous gift from Scott, they are still asking for gap funding to help with student expenses. Gap funding typically goes to help students with small balances, usually $200 or less. This funding allows the university to quickly assist students in need. While Scott’s donation is unrestricted, gifts of this size take awhile to mature before the university can generate spendable earnings. Winston-Salem State plans to share its plans for its newest donation in the upcoming months.
This is Scott’s third donation to an HBCU within the last month. Earlier this month she donated $80 million to Howard University and the Howard University College of Medicine. Her third donation to the Washington, D.C., HBCU in five years. Last month, she donated $63 million to Morgan State University, her second donation to the university in five years.
