MacKenzie Scott gives $20 million to youth mental health nonprofit
Active Minds said the unrestricted gift, its largest ever, will expand youth-led mental health advocacy as teen suicide concerns remain high.
By Daniel Okafor · Business Editor
3 min read
MacKenzie Scott has given $20 million to Active Minds, a U.S. nonprofit focused on youth and young adult mental health. The unrestricted donation gives the group new funding at a time when federal data show many teenagers are reporting suicidal thoughts, anxiety and depression.
Active Minds said in a press release that the gift is the largest in its history. The organization, which works to change how young people talk about and address mental health, said it will use the money for a multi-year expansion plan.
Alison Malmon, Active Minds’ founder and executive director, said in the release that the donation would support “bold, long-envisioned investments” in youth leadership and youth-led mental health work. Scott previously gave Active Minds $4 million in 2021, according to the organization.
How Active Minds plans to use the money
Active Minds said Scott’s latest gift came without spending restrictions. The group said that structure will let it put money toward national infrastructure, community-building, young leaders, youth-led projects and efforts to bring young people’s views into broader systems change.
The nonprofit also said it plans to direct resources to programs including its Mental Health Advocacy Academy for high school students and its Mental Health Advocacy Institute for college students.
Scott, whose wealth was listed at $35.8 billion by the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, has become known for large unrestricted donations to nonprofits. Through Yield Giving, she has donated across education, housing, climate, social services and other causes.
Youth mental health data show persistent strain
The donation comes amid continuing concern about the mental health of adolescents and young adults. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that, in 2023, about one in five U.S. high school students had seriously considered attempting suicide, and 16% had made a plan.
CDC data also showed that in 2023 about 20% of U.S. adolescents ages 12 to 17 reported anxiety symptoms in the previous two weeks, while 18% reported depression symptoms.
A 2025 study published by mental health researchers found that the share of young people experiencing severe anxiety in the U.S. had risen 86% since the mid-1990s. The study also found a 145% increase in severe depression over that period.
Researchers at Harvard University and Baylor University separately found that young adults ages 18 to 29 had low average scores on measures tied to well-being, including mental and physical health, sense of meaning, financial security, relationships and self-assessments of personal character.
Scott’s broader giving
Forbes reported in 2026 that Scott had given away 46% of her net worth and ranked her as the world’s third most generous philanthropist. Fortune reported that her giving since 2020 totals about $26 billion, including $7.2 billion in 2025.
Recent gifts have included $70 million to Meals on Wheels America, $72 million to Red Lake Nation College and $42 million to Elizabeth City State University. Fortune reported that the Elizabeth City State gift pushed Scott’s total giving to historically Black colleges and universities above $1 billion.
Other recipients have included Habitat for Humanity, which received $436 million, the Forests, People, Climate collaborative, which received $90 million, and Girl Scouts of the USA, which received about $84.5 million, according to the reported donation records.
This story draws on original reporting from Fortune.