MacKenzie Scott donated $20 million to Active Minds, a nonprofit mobilizing youth and young adults to transform mental health culture, marking the largest single gift in the organization’s history and reinforcing Scott’s position as one of the world’s most prolific philanthropists.
The unrestricted grant, announced July 7, 2026, comes as Active Minds continues its two-decade mission to shift how young people and society approach mental health. Founded in 2001 by Alison Malmon after her older brother’s suicide, the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit has grown to reach more than 4.5 million youth and young adults through peer-led programs, education, and advocacy.
Malmon said in a statement that the investment allows Active Minds to make “bold, long-envisioned investments in youth leadership and youth-led solutions to champion a new era of mental health.” The organization plans to use the funding to expand its Mental Health Advocacy Academy for high school students and Mental Health Advocacy Institute for college students, strengthening youth leadership development and deepening community engagement across schools and campuses nationwide.
The donation arrives at a critical moment for American youth. According to 2023 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately one in five American high schoolers have seriously considered attempting suicide, with 16 percent having created a plan. Around 20 percent of adolescents aged 12 to 17 reported experiencing anxiety in the previous two weeks, and 18 percent reported depression symptoms during the same period.
The mental health crisis among young people has intensified over time. A 2025 study published by mental health researchers found that severe anxiety among young people in the United States has surged 86 percent since the mid-1990s, while severe depression has skyrocketed 145 percent. Harvard and Baylor University researchers discovered in 2025 that young adults aged 18 to 29 struggle significantly with mental and physical health, financial security, and finding meaning in life.
Scott’s $20 million gift to Active Minds is part of her broader giving surge. Since 2020, she has donated over $26 billion through her philanthropic vehicle, Yield Giving, to more than 2,700 nonprofits. In 2025 alone, she gave $7.2 billion, earning recognition as the third most generous philanthropist in the world. According to a 2026 Forbes analysis, she has given away 46 percent of her net worth, surpassing the lifetime charitable contributions of her former husband, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, and his wife Lauren Sánchez Bezos, who have donated $4.7 billion combined.
This is Scott’s second major gift to Active Minds. She previously donated $4 million to the organization in 2021. Scott’s philanthropic focus extends across multiple sectors—she has given $59 million to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, $40 million to the Jed Foundation, and $45 million to the Trevor Project, a nonprofit focused on suicide prevention and support for LGBTQ+ youth. Her giving also spans education, with over $1 billion donated to historically Black colleges and universities, as well as housing, climate action, and food security.
Active Minds’ Malmon emphasized that while the gift is transformational, it underscores the need for sustained, cross-sector support. “Philanthropy alone cannot solve this crisis,” she said. “Lasting progress requires sustained, cross-sector investment.”
Sources
- Active Minds — press release on the $20 million gift, organization history, and planned use of funds
- Fortune — reporting on the donation, youth mental health crisis data from CDC, and MacKenzie Scott’s giving history
- CDC — 2023 data on teen suicide and mental health prevalence
- Mental health researchers — 2025 study on trends in anxiety and depression among youth
- Harvard and Baylor University — 2025 research on young adult mental health and life satisfaction
- Forbes — 2026 analysis of MacKenzie Scott’s philanthropic giving and net worth
