MacKenzie Scott Gives $12 Million to Posse

The Posse Foundation has received a new $12 million gift from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. The gift will support the organization’s mission to expand college success and career development opportunities for outstanding young leaders from across the country.

MacKenzie’s latest gift follows her transformative contribution in 2020, when Posse was among the first 451 nonprofits selected to share in nearly $3.8 billion in grants. Her initial $10 million investment helped lay the foundation for new initiatives at Posse to identify and support promising young leaders nationwide.

“MacKenzie Scott’s second gift is huge for us,” says Posse President and Founder Deborah BIal. “She has a unique combination of vision and selflessness that illustrates a certain trust she has in her grant recipients. This big gift to Posse underscores her confidence in our model and helps to ensure that the program will thrive for generations.”

Central to that mission are Posse’s 60-plus college and university partners. Over the past 36 years, these institutions have invested more than $2.4 billion in full-tuition, merit scholarships for Posse Scholars, who graduate at a rate of 90 percent—well above the national average.

Since its founding in 1989, the Posse Foundation has identified, trained, and supported more than 14,000 Scholars. Over the next few years, Posse will expand to establish 100 partnerships with elite institutions of higher education and recruit 1,000 new Scholars each year.

“We are so grateful to MacKenzie Scott. Thanks to her gift, we are now positioned to do even more,” says Deborah Bial.