Author and Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has gifted billions of dollars to organizations and HBCU's nation-wide, in as part of a philanthropic effort to support racial equity. As a result, Norfolk State University received $40 million dollars, and Virginia State University received $30 million dollars!
NSU President Javaune Adams-Gaston accepted the donation on behalf of the university, saying that it will help “advance the mission of NSU in support of access, student achievement, and academic excellence.”
The university is currently planning a major campaign to enhance endowment, increase student scholarships opportunities, develop workforce and economic development activities for its students.
Virginia State University says the funds will be used to continue to transform lives through education as the University works to fulfill its mission and the tenets of the University’s new strategic plan. The gift will provide broader opportunities focusing on a holistic approach to academic excellence and student success and engagement while emphasizing leadership and professional development, career planning, and experiential learning.
“Ms. Scott’s legacy and generosity will touch the lives of Virginia State University students for years to come,” says VSU President, Dr. Makola M. Abdullah. “Thanks to her investment in VSU, a generation of students who are living through the challenges of a pandemic, a social justice movement, and reduced scholarship funding will have additional resources as they continue to pursue their dreams of a world class education at Virginia State University.”
Ms. Scott is named by Forbes magazine as one of the World’s 100 Most Powerful Women for 2020. Earlier this year, she also gifted four other HBCUs record donations. She has donated roughly $1.67 billion to more than 100 non-profit organizations over the past year. “I asked a team of advisors to help me accelerate my 2020 giving through immediate support to people suffering the economic effects of the crisis,” says Ms. MacKenzie Scott. “They took a data-driven approach to identifying organizations with strong leadership teams and results.”
Ms. Scott donated over $4 billion to to 384 organizations across the country, Puerto Rico, and Washington D.C., including in Hampton Roads and northeast North Carolina.
Hampton University received $30 million from Scott earlier this year.