“The mind remembers kindness long after the crisis has passed.” This adage applies to nearly every human being who has walked the earth, but perhaps a little more to megadonor MacKenzie Scott, who is central to our story, and to the 4.5 million young people reached through Active Minds’ mental health support across hundreds of schools and campuses. The $20 million donation is the largest single gift in the organization’s history. Unrestricted in Scott’s typical style, it could not have come at a better time.
Mental health challenges among American teenagers are intensifying, with nearly one in five adolescents reporting thoughts of self harm, according to data cited by Fortune. The scale of the donation is even more striking when compared with the nonprofit’s finances. Active Minds reported approximately $9.9 million in annual revenue for fiscal 2025, meaning Scott’s $20 million contribution is worth roughly twice what the entire organization brought in during that year.
Scott, who according to Forbes is worth around $36 billion today and has given away an average of nearly $10 million a day for seven years, witnessed her fair share of pressure during her college days. She reportedly worked around 30 hours a week alongside her Princeton course load. At one point, she was found crying over financial troubles and feared she would have to drop out because she was $1,000 short. Her friend stepped in and arranged the loan that allowed her to remain enrolled.
Her financial struggles also affected basic necessities. Scott once tried to secure a broken tooth with denture adhesive because she could not afford treatment. A dentist noticed and treated her without charge. She also experienced considerable stress and anxiety around her writing. According to Princeton alumni Weekly, in a May 1990 note, she thanked Toni Morrison for “therapy and breathing lessons” while explaining that she was learning to worry less about finishing and correcting her work. The billionaire understands the importance of help in a world where there are many who need to receive it and relatively few willing or able to give. Scott is firmly on the giving side, and on a scale unlike almost anyone else.
Her unrestricted grant will help Active Minds advance what it calls a “new era of mental health” by expanding programs that empower young people to openly discuss mental health, reduce stigma, and improve access to support in schools, colleges, and communities across the United States. “This transformational investment allows us to build a future where every young person knows mental health is a vital part of their overall well-being,” Active Minds said.
Active Minds comes from a place of experience
The Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit was founded by Alison Malmon while she was a junior at the University of Pennsylvania. Malmon’s older brother and only sibling, Brian, began experiencing depression and psychosis while studying at Columbia University. He reportedly hid his condition from friends for years and was eventually diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder. He later died by suicide.
The seed for Active Minds was sown when Malmon created a small student organization to encourage open conversations about mental health on campus. Today, Active Minds has more than 500 student-led chapters in high schools and colleges across the United States. According to the organization, during the 2024-25 financial year, its programs included approximately 13,485 official chapter members, while chapter-led programs, meetings, and events directly reached more than 400,000 young people with information about mental health and suicide prevention.
