Billionaire MacKenzie Scott continued her 2020 philanthropy whirlwind Wednesday, announcing $4.2 billion in new gifts to nearly 400 organizations nationwide, including to a Maryland university and two local nonprofits for their programs and services.
Scott donated $25 million to Bowie State University, a historically Black college and university housed in Prince George’s County. The gift more than triples Bowie State’s endowment, which stood at $10.5 million in 2019, according to U.S News & World Report.
The university said it’s the largest gift in its history. It follows a $40 million gift to another local HBCU, Morgan State University, announced Tuesday, and a $40 million gift to Howard University earlier this year — also the D.C. university’s largest-ever single gift. For Bowie State, this comes as it was already underway on a capital campaign.
“The timing is meaningful as we embark on BSU’s largest-ever fundraising effort: The Campaign for Excellence,” Bowie State President Aminta Breaux said in a statement. “This gift underscores the urgent need for support of higher education for marginalized communities, as well as BSU’s strong and distinctive position to make a dramatic difference.”
