October 23, 2025
Education nonprofit plans to expand to schools with a larger population of historically underserved students, including schools with a higher percentage of Black students.
Billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott remains a steady contributor to Black students despite efforts by opponents of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices to discourage such funding.
Her latest act of benevolence: a $42 million gift to 10,000 Degrees, a nonprofit that helps low-income students of color, including Black Americans, pursue more education and career opportunities.
The donation is reportedly the most significant investment from Scott through her Yield Giving fund in 10,000 Degrees’ nearly 45-year history. But Scott’s charity is just a portion of her generosity.
She has given at least $270 million to assist Black students over the past five years, according to BLACK ENTERPRISE research. All told, the former wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has bestowed billions of dollars on numerous organizations.
Just this year, along with the aid to 10,000 Degrees, she donated $70 million in September to the United Negro College Fund to support historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). This month, she made donated $63 million to Morgan State University, the largest in the school’s history. And she gave $40 million to the Maryland HBCU in 2020.
Scott’s actions are contrary to recent attacks by President Donald Trump’s regime and others on DEI. Some students of color have expressed how they could be affected by DEI rollbacks.
For California-based 10,000 Degrees, the contribution marks the first time the education nonprofit has received a grant from Scott. It comes as the firm is launching a new strategic plan. It will examine how the gift can expand existing programs and services for Black and Brown students in the Bay Area.
Kim Mazzuca, the CEO of 10,000 Degrees, told BLACK ENTERPRISE by email, “This gift comes at a moment when we’re seeing proposed cuts to Pell grants and financial aid at the federal level. It sends a message to policymakers and invests in our communities at a time when it’s needed most.”
She said that so far in 2025, about $7 million in scholarships went to over 2,900 Black and Latino students out of $9.4 million awarded to over 4,300 students.
She shared that 68.5% of Black and Latin students received scholarships, with $1.4 million going to 274 Black students and $5.6 million to 2,695 Latino students.
Mazzuca said just under 10% of Black students receive scholarships annually. That figure has remained steady over the past several years. Most of the partner schools 10,000 Degrees works with, she said, have relatively small Black student populations. In comparison, 29 of its 44 partner high schools have a majority of Latino students.
She says of the 44 schools, only two in Contra Costa, and one each in Marin and Napa, have 10–20% Black student enrollment. Four in San Francisco are closer to 25%. “With this gift, we plan to expand to schools with a larger population of historically underserved students, including schools with a higher percentage of Black students,” she said.
Mazzuca says financial barriers are not the only factors impacting Black student college enrollment. Perceptions of belonging, experiences of racism, and limited access to educational resources are among systemic issues impacting student outcomes.
“As we expand partnerships with high schools in our region that have a larger Black student population, we remain committed to addressing these challenges and creating supportive environments that promote academic success and a sense of inclusion,” she says.
Economist William Michael Cunningham, owner of Creative Investment Research, is among those closely analyzing DEI issues.
“The support shown comes at a critical time, when others are backing away and too scared to speak, much less provide real financial support,” he says. “I think Black people will remember who was with us when the chips were down.”
Mazzuca says 10,000 Degrees plans to expand its five core programs—College Access, College Success, Community College Success, Career Success, and Black Student Engagement —and introduce initiatives aimed at reaching more underserved students.
Scholarship enrollment with 10,000 Degrees is now open through March 2, 2026. For more information, visit here.
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