October 23, 2025
Training nonprofit plans to increase to colleges with a bigger inhabitants of traditionally underserved college students, together with faculties with the next share of Black college students.
Billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott stays a gradual contributor to Black college students regardless of efforts by opponents of variety, fairness, and inclusion (DEI) practices to discourage such funding.
Her newest act of benevolence: a $42 million present to 10,000 Levels, a nonprofit that helps low-income college students of coloration, together with Black Individuals, pursue extra training and profession alternatives.
The donation is reportedly essentially the most vital funding from Scott via her Yield Giving fund in 10,000 Levels’ almost 45-year historical past. However Scott’s charity is only a portion of her generosity.
She has given at the very least $270 million to help Black college students over the previous 5 years, based on BLACK ENTERPRISE analysis. All advised, the previous spouse of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has bestowed billions of {dollars} on quite a few organizations.
Simply this yr, together with the help to 10,000 Levels, she donated $70 million in September to the United Negro Faculty Fund to assist traditionally Black schools and universities (HBCUs). This month, she made donated $63 million to Morgan State College, the biggest within the faculty’s historical past. And she or he gave $40 million to the Maryland HBCU in 2020.
Scott’s actions are opposite to latest assaults by President Donald Trump’s regime and others on DEI. Some college students of coloration have expressed how they could possibly be affected by DEI rollbacks.
For California-based 10,000 Levels, the contribution marks the primary time the training nonprofit has obtained a grant from Scott. It comes because the agency is launching a brand new strategic plan. It’s going to study how the present can increase current applications and companies for Black and Brown college students within the Bay Space.
Kim Mazzuca, the CEO of 10,000 Levels, advised BLACK ENTERPRISE by e mail, “This present comes at a second once we’re seeing proposed cuts to Pell grants and monetary support on the federal stage. It sends a message to policymakers and invests in our communities at a time when it’s wanted most.”
She stated that to this point in 2025, about $7 million in scholarships went to over 2,900 Black and Latino college students out of $9.4 million awarded to over 4,300 college students.
She shared that 68.5% of Black and Latin college students obtained scholarships, with $1.4 million going to 274 Black college students and $5.6 million to 2,695 Latino college students.
Mazzuca stated slightly below 10% of Black college students obtain scholarships yearly. That determine has remained regular over the previous a number of years. Many of the associate faculties 10,000 Levels works with, she stated, have comparatively small Black pupil populations. As compared, 29 of its 44 associate excessive faculties have a majority of Latino college students.
She says of the 44 faculties, solely two in Contra Costa, and one every in Marin and Napa, have 10–20% Black pupil enrollment. 4 in San Francisco are nearer to 25%. “With this present, we plan to increase to colleges with a bigger inhabitants of traditionally underserved college students, together with faculties with the next share of Black college students,” she stated.
Mazzuca says monetary limitations are usually not the one elements impacting Black pupil school enrollment. Perceptions of belonging, experiences of racism, and restricted entry to instructional sources are amongst systemic points impacting pupil outcomes.
“As we increase partnerships with excessive faculties in our area which have a bigger Black pupil inhabitants, we stay dedicated to addressing these challenges and creating supportive environments that promote educational success and a way of inclusion,” she says.
Economist William Michael Cunningham, proprietor of Artistic Funding Analysis, is amongst these intently analyzing DEI points.
“The assist proven comes at a essential time, when others are backing away and too scared to talk, a lot much less present actual monetary assist,” he says. “I feel Black individuals will bear in mind who was with us when the chips had been down.”
Mazzuca says 10,000 Levels plans to increase its 5 core applications—Faculty Entry, Faculty Success, Group Faculty Success, Profession Success, and Black Pupil Engagement —and introduce initiatives aimed toward reaching extra underserved college students.
Scholarship enrollment with 10,000 Levels is now open via March 2, 2026. For extra data, go to right here.
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