MacKenzie Scott donates $45 million to The Trevor Project for LGBTQ+ youth in the US
"MacKenzie Scott’s support sends a powerful message: LGBTQ+ young people matter," said CEO Jaymes Black
By Aaron Sugg
Billionaire MacKenzie Scott donated $45 million (£33.3 million) to The Trevor Project for LGBTQ+ youth in the US, following the Trump administration’s shutdown of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Hotline.
Scott’s donation marks The Trevor Project’s largest single contribution in its 27-year history, since being founded in March 1998 by James Lecesne, Peggy Rajski, and Randy Stone.
CEO Jaymes Black called the donation “transformational”, emphasising that it will help expand crisis support services and address the ongoing mental health crisis among LGBTQ youth in the US.
“This gift is a powerful step toward building on our sustainable capacity” – Jaymes Black thanking MacKenzie Scott for her $45 million donation
In a statement, Black said: “This gift is a powerful step toward building on our sustainable capacity, but our organisation will continue to face one of the largest public health crises of our time: LGBTQ+ youth suicide.”
“Our organisation must continue to innovate and connect with more LGBTQ+ young people in crisis. And that requires ongoing support from those who believe in our mission,” Black continued.
Drawing attention to the “stigma, political hostility, and mental health challenges” LGBTQ+ youth are facing worldwide, black said: “MacKenzie Scott’s support sends a powerful message: LGBTQ+ young people matter, and the world is full of people fighting for their safety and well-being.
“I literally could not believe it” – Black on receiving Scott’s donation, marking The Trevor Project history
Black, who made history in 2024 as the first Black and first non-binary CEO of the nonprofit, told the Associated Press: “I literally could not believe it.”
The donation comes after federal funding was cut to LGBTQ+ organisations via the 988 Suicide & Crisis Hotline, following a Trump administration directive to “no longer silo LGBTQ+ youth services.”
After the official announcement that the dedicated LGBTQ+ youth crisis hotline would be terminated on 17 July 2025, Black described the cuts as “devastating”.
“Suicide prevention is about people, not politics” – Black after the Trump Administration shut down The Trevor Project’s 988 crisis line
“Suicide prevention is about people, not politics,” said Black in a statement. “The administration’s decision to remove a bipartisan, evidence-based service that has effectively supported a high-risk group of young people through their darkest moments is incomprehensible,”
Since 2019, Scott has given roughly $26 billion (£20.8 billion) in donations to thousands of nonprofits, including a $6 million (£4.47 million) donation to The Trevor Project in 2020.
Scott was married to Jeff Bezos, Amazon’s founder and former CEO, from 1993 until their divorce in 2019, after which she received roughly 25% of their Amazon shares.
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