UC Merced receives $38 million donation from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott
Updated story: UC Merced faces big decisions on how to allocate $38M donation from MacKenzie Scott Original story: UC Merced has received a $38 million donation from MacKenzie Scott, the university announced in a news release Monday morning.
The donation is the largest in the university’s history, ahead of the $21 million given to the school by Scott in 2021.
“This remarkable act of generosity affirms what we know to be true — UC Merced is changing lives, uplifting families, and reshaping what is possible for California and beyond,” Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz said in the release. “We are profoundly grateful for Ms. Scott’s continued trust in our mission and for her belief in our faculty, students and the extraordinary promise of higher education.”
According to the news release, the money will help the university “accelerate programs that deepen its commitment to access and opportunity ... .”
Scott, an author and philanthropist, is one of the wealthiest individuals in the world. She was previously married to Amazon founder and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos.
The latest gift will be a huge boost to UC Merced’s comprehensive fundraising campaign, Boldly Forward, which has a goal of raising $200 million by June 30, 2030.
According to a Dec. 5 article on Forbes.com, Scott’s “total donations to dozens of colleges, universities, and other higher education organizations now exceed $1 billion for the year.”
Cal State East Bay announced it received $50 million on Thursday.
This story was originally published December 8, 2025 at 10:48 AM.
