Spelman College has announced a transformative, unrestricted $38 million gift from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, marking her second significant investment in the college in five years.
According to a press release, the contribution will “accelerate Spelman’s strategic vision, strengthening student access and affordability, and allowing for critical investment in modernizing technology infrastructure.”
The release said Scott’s gift enables Spelman to address two of its most pressing strategic priorities: Expanding financial aid and scholarship support to ensure that talented scholars, regardless of their financial background, can complete their education and thrive, and investing in a state-of-the-art technology infrastructure to enhance the academic experience, improve administrative efficiency, and prepare students for a digitally driven world.
“We are profoundly grateful to MacKenzie Scott for this incredibly generous and unrestricted $38 million gift to Spelman College,” Spelman Interim President Rosalind “Roz” Brewer, said in a statement. “This investment is a powerful affirmation of our mission and our commitment to educational excellence and equity. The flexibility of this gift allows us to move more swiftly to strengthen the entire student experience, modernize our technology infrastructure, and expand financial opportunity for scholars who call Spelman home. It is an investment in both our present and our future as we continue to advance our legacy of producing change-making global leaders.”
This latest contribution builds on Scott’s earlier $20 million gift to Spelman in 2020, which helped to support student scholarships and increase Spelman’s endowment to provide a lasting source of funding for scholarships and academic programs.
