MacKenzie Scott’s $50 Million Donation to Boost Native Student Scholarships
Angelique Albert, CEO of the Native Forward Scholars Fund, was overwhelmed with emotion when she received a call from a representative of MacKenzie Scott, informing her that the organization would be receiving a $50 million donation. This generous gift, one of the largest-ever donations to a Native nonprofit, marks the second time Scott has supported the Native Forward Scholars Fund with an unrestricted donation, following a $20 million donation in 2020.
Courtesy Native Forward Scholars Fund
Transforming Native Higher Education
Albert has led the Native Forward Scholars Fund since 2017 and is determined to channel the new donation directly to students. The organization has already earmarked part of the donation to award scholarships to an additional 400 students and is considering creating a pooled endowment to ensure long-term support. According to Albert, “I don’t know that people really understand how transformative it is when you take a $5,000 scholarship and put it into the hands of someone who is brilliant and talented.”
The Native Forward Scholars Fund has a long history of supporting Native students, with alumni including Debra Haaland, the first Native person to serve as a U.S. cabinet secretary; Pulitzer finalist Tommy Orange; and Cynthia Chavez Lamar, director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian. Founded in 1969, the organization offers scholarships, programming, funding, and mentorship to Native students pursuing undergraduate, graduate, and professional opportunities.
Aiding 22,000 Scholars from 500 Tribes
The organization’s impact is significant, with contributions to 1,700 law degrees and 2,200 Ph.D. degrees, aiding some 22,000 scholars from more than 500 Tribes across all 50 states. However, demand for scholarships far outpaces supply, with the organization only able to fund about 22 percent of applicants in a typical year. Albert noted that scholarship applications have surged 35 percent in 2025, with roughly 7,000 applicants this year, of which only about 1,000 have received aid.
Albert attributed the increased need in part to a rollback of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies and recent changes to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). “It’s critically important that we are intentional with this funding so that it can continue to give to students in the future in the most impactful way,” she said.
MacKenzie Scott’s trust-based approach to philanthropy, which relies on quiet research and major, unrestricted donations, has led to significant gifts in the field of education. In September, she donated $70 million to UNCF, a nonprofit that supports historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), boosting endowments at more than three dozen schools across the U.S.
As Albert reflected on the impact of Scott’s donation, she noted, “She is changing the landscape of Native higher education, not to mention all of the other fields that she’s impacting.” Given the transformative results of the 2020 gift, Albert is eager to see what this new one will accomplish. “It’s a much different world than it was five years ago, and I look forward to seeing what this looks like in another five years.”
Read more about MacKenzie Scott’s $50 million donation to the Native Forward Scholars Fund Here
Image Source: observer.com
