American Indian College Fund builds a seven-year plan around a $70 million gift from MacKenzie Scott
The Denver nonprofit said on Oct. 29 that the unrestricted gift, made through Yield Giving, will pay for scholarships, student support and tribal college programs, and that $20 million of it goes into a designated endowment.
Adults who hold a bachelor's degree or higher
Denver. The American Indian College Fund, the Denver nonprofit that supports Native students and the nation's tribal colleges and universities, said on Oct. 29 that it has built a seven-year plan around an unrestricted $70 million gift from MacKenzie Scott, made through Yield Giving. It is the second gift the College Fund has received from Ms. Scott in five years, and the larger of the two, the organization said.
The College Fund said it drew up the plan after meeting with Native students, tribal college and university presidents, community members and its board of trustees.
Where the money goes
For students, the plan expands tribal college scholarships, college success coaching, wellness and academic resources, internships, career assessment and mentoring, along with pathways from college to careers, a family friendly campus initiative and wellness programs that reflect Native cultures.
For the colleges, it pays for faculty development, more institutional capacity, cultural and environmental programs, curriculum, research and governance training, along with public education and public service campaigns. For the College Fund itself, it pays for projects to raise its visibility and puts $20 million into a designated endowment. The release does not break down the rest of the $70 million by program or by year.
“We built this plan by listening first. By pairing scholarships with culturally relevant support programs and institutions, Native students graduate and enter careers to serve their communities.”
The gap the College Fund describes
The College Fund pointed to a report it released with the Brookings Institution in August, which found that less than 1 percent of U.S. philanthropic investment serves Indian Country. It also cited Census data showing that 16 percent of American Indian and Alaska Native adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, against 33 percent nationally, and a study by the American Indian Higher Education Consortium that found every dollar spent on tribal colleges returns $1.60 to taxpayers.
Its own research, the College Fund said, shows that its scholars graduate and enter careers at a rate 1.5 times higher when they receive support beyond a scholarship.
Founded in 1989, the College Fund provided more than $26 million in scholarships and other student support in the 2025 to 2026 year, and more than $434 million since its founding, it said. It also supports programs at the nation's 34 accredited tribal colleges and universities, which are on or near reservations.
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