MacKenzie Scott has altered modern philanthropy with her massive $4.2 billion donation. Photo credit: AFP

Noted philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has announced that she will give nearly $4.2 billion to 384 nonprofit organizations and institutions to combat the devastating economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Six tribal colleges are among the recipients, including Blackfeet Community College, Chief Dull Knife College, the Institute of American Indian Arts, Navajo Technical University, Salish Kootenai College, and Turtle Mountain Community College. “This pandemic has been a wrecking ball in the lives of Americans already struggling,” Scott stated. “Economic losses and heath outcomes alike have been worse for women, for people of color, and for people living in poverty. Meanwhile, it has substantially increased the wealth of billionaires.”

Scott explained that she built a team of advisors who conducted interviews, analyzed data, and ultimately identified the recipient institutions and organizations. Community needs, program outcomes, and institutions with a “high potential for impact” were among the main criteria for selection. “We looked at 6,490 organizations, and undertook deeper research into 822. We put 438 of these on hold for now,” Scott explained. Although the selection process was data-driven, the human connection that resulted from conversations and hearing personal or community struggles affected Scott and her advisors. “Their stories and tears invariably made me and my teammates cry,” she said.

Funds will be gifted with “no strings attached.” Scott clarified that once the amount is paid, monies to the recipients will be “left unrestricted in order to provide them with maximum flexibility.”

In a press release, the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA), announced that it had received a gift of $5 million, stating that monies would be earmarked for financial and technical assistance to students, endowed scholarships, building capacity for graduate programs in studio arts and museum studies, and launching the institute’s new Research Center for Contemporary Native Arts. “This generous gift will be truly transformational for the college, which will unquestionably strengthen IAIA’s ability to serve our students and other stakeholders,” noted Dr. Robert Martin, IAIA’s president. “Most importantly, it will help to ensure that we achieve our vision to continue expanding our mission to offer culturally based undergraduate and graduate programs that benefit Indigenous peoples in the arts.”

Carrie Billy, president of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium, likewise added, “This is a transformative gift for the tribal colleges selected—and for the entire Tribal College Movement. As place-based, culturally grounded institutions, the tribal colleges already are rebuilding and strengthening Indian Country in ways that no other entities can. They are revitalizing our languages, strengthening our tribal governments, sustaining our lands, and giving hope and opportunity to our people,” Billy stated. “This gift will catalyze the tireless work of our colleges and lead us into a new era—the second circle of the Tribal College Movement. We are grateful for the generosity, compassion, and wisdom of Ms. Scott, and we are excited for the great things to come.”