billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott donated $45 million to The Trevor Project, a nonprofit that serves LGBTQ+ youth. The large gift comes just months after the Trump administration shut down counseling services for queer youth through the federally funded 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, for which the The Trevor Project administered services.
In a blog post Jaymes Black, CEO of The Trevor Project, called the donation “transformational,” describing Scott’s gift as the biggest single donation the charitable organization has ever received in its 27 years of operating. Scott previously donated $6 million to the nonprofit during the first Trump administration.
Scott, who was one of Amazon’s first employees, divorced Amazon founder Jeff Bezos in 2019. She is a prolific philanthropist and has recently ramped up her charitable donations. In 2025, Scott gave over $7 billion to nonprofit organizations.
“At a time when many LGBTQ+ young people are facing heightened stigma, political hostility, and mental health challenges, MacKenzie Scott’s support sends a powerful message,” Black wrote. “LGBTQ+ young people matter, and the world is full of people fighting for their safety and well-being.”
According to a Trevor Project survey concerning LGBTQ+ youth mental health in the US, around 45 percent of LGBTQ+ youth ages 13 to 24 have considered suicide. The organization aims to help those disproportionately at risk.
Following Trump’s election in 2024, the Trevor Project saw a 700 percent increase in calls, chats, and texts. It saw a 33 percent bump in outreach following the inauguration last year, and also sees upticks following events like last year’s ruling in the US v. Skrmetti case, which upheld Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors.
Black sees Scott’s gift as “a powerful step toward building on our sustainable capacity” as the group works to expand and serve more LGBTQ+ youth around the globe and innovate to make sure services are reaching them when they are in need of help.
“Over the coming months, we will road-map a strategic and thoughtful investment plan focused on strengthening our core crisis services, improving long-term sustainability, and accelerating our progress toward a world where every LGBTQ+ young person knows they are loved and supported,” Black said in the blog post.
Scott’s other recent gifts to charitable organizations include multimillion-dollar donations to groups working on environmental protection and public education.
