NEW YORK — Billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has donated $70 million to the UNCF, as the nation’s largest private provider of scholarships to minority students works to raise $1 billion to strengthen all 37 of its Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The gift is one of Scott’s largest single donations ever and among the first to be publicly disclosed in 2025. Famously private, Scott only discusses her donations through her website and does not confirm them until after the recipients do. Increasing HBCU endowments is a priority since they trail endowments at non-HBCUs by 70%, according to the UNCF. She previously gave UNCF $10 million in 2020.