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MacKenzie Scott Gives $38 Million to UC Merced After $50 Million to Cal State East Bay

The pattern reflects a strategy focused on public-access campuses under financial strain.

MacKenzie Scott, a novelist and former wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, has an estimated net worth of at least $34 billion and has pledged to give away at least half of her fortune. 
UC Merced Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz takes a selfie with freshman while participating in the annual Scholar’s Bridge crossing at UC Merced in August 2024. The campus announced Monday it will receive $38 million from MacKenzie Scott, its second major donation from the philanthropist.

Overview

  • UC Merced announced a $38 million gift on Monday, the largest in its 20-year history and Scott’s second award to the campus after a $20 million donation in 2021.
  • Cal State East Bay received $50 million on Thursday, the largest gift in its history and the first Scott donation to a Bay Area university.
  • UC Merced plans to strengthen faculty research and experiential learning, expand scholarships for students with high financial need, invest in infrastructure, and grow its endowment.
  • Cal State East Bay reports enrollment down to 10,892 from 15,855 in 2016, a projected $13.2 million deficit for 2025–26, and faces a CSU system shortfall reported at $2.3 billion with proposals to consolidate services.
  • Scott’s recent higher‑education philanthropy includes major gifts to Cal Poly Pomona ($40 million), Cal State Fullerton ($40 million), Cal State Northridge ($40 million), and Cal State Channel Islands ($15 million), with recipients selected through quiet research and an open call process.