MacKenzie Scott Donates $45 Million to The Trevor Project

Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has made a $45 million donation to The Trevor Project, delivering the largest single gift in the LGBTQ youth mental health nonprofit’s history and providing a major boost as the organization works to stabilize after federal funding losses and internal restructuring.

The Trevor Project is best known for its 24/7 crisis services for LGBTQ young people, providing free and confidential support through phone, text, and online chat.

Founded in 1998, The Trevor Project began after the creators of the Academy Award-winning short film Trevor recognized a need for a dedicated crisis resource for young LGBTQ people. Over time, it has grown into one of the most prominent LGBTQ mental health and suicide prevention organizations in the U.S., pairing crisis intervention with research and advocacy focused on the wellbeing of young people.

Scott’s donation comes after a difficult period for The Trevor Project, including the loss of roughly $25 million in federal funding tied to LGBTQ-focused services connected to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. The organization has since operated its crisis services independently, and the AP reported it experienced layoffs and leadership turnover amid financial strain and rapid growth.

According to AP reporting, The Trevor Project’s budget expanded dramatically over the past decade, growing from about $4 million in 2016 to approximately $83 million in 2023. The organization has said it supports about 250,000 young people annually through its services and programs.

Scott, an author and billionaire philanthropist, has become one of the most closely watched donors in modern philanthropy for distributing large gifts with relatively few restrictions. She signed the Giving Pledge in 2019, committing to give away the majority of her wealth during her lifetime.

Her philanthropy accelerated after her 2019 divorce from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, and she has since donated billions to organizations focused on equity, public health, education, and community support. AP reported that Scott had previously donated $6 million to The Trevor Project in 2020, making the $45 million gift a significant expansion of her support for the organization.

The Trevor Project’s CEO, Jaymes Black, described the donation as transformational, telling AP it was a powerful validation of the organization’s work at a time when LGBTQ young people continue to face significant mental health challenges.

While Scott’s gifts have often been described as catalytic, leaders at The Trevor Project have emphasized that long-term stability requires sustained support beyond a single donation. Still, the scale of Scott’s contribution marks a major turning point for the organization’s planning and capacity.

The donation also highlights the increasingly central role of private philanthropy in sustaining LGBTQ crisis services at a time when public funding for those services has shifted. For The Trevor Project, the gift arrives as both a financial lifeline and a high-profile acknowledgment of the urgency of its mission.