This month, Alaska Pacific University (APU) in Anchorage, Alaska, received a $18 million dollar gift from MacKenzie Scott’s philanthropic foundation, Yield Giving. APU is one of approximately 225 organizations nationwide that received a portion of the $7.17 billion Scott donated in 2025.

One defining characteristic of Scott’s philanthropy is that her gifts are typically unrestricted, allowing recipient organizations the flexibility to use the funds where they are most needed. This year’s donations supported a diverse range of nonprofits addressing issues such as poverty, social injustice, climate change, and educational access.

While Scott’s most recent essay reflecting on this year’s donations does not detail how individual organizations were selected, her website outlines a rigorous process focused on identifying organizations that expand opportunity for people in underserved communities. This research evaluates factors such as organizational size, geographic context, and mission, along with indicators of sustained positive impact, including financial stability, multi-year track records, evidence-based outcomes, and experienced leadership reflective of the communities served.

APU Board of Trustees Chair Jim Roberts said, “We are deeply grateful to MacKenzie Scott for this transformational gift. It is both an honor and a responsibility to steward this investment, which affirms trust in Alaska Pacific University’s mission and impact. This support strengthens our ability to serve students, advance Indigenous leadership, and ensure opportunity for generations to come.”

Scott reflected on this year’s giving by underscoring that most charitable contributions in the United States come in smaller amounts from everyday people, and that even small acts of kindness can have lasting ripple effects. “The peace-fostering byproducts of one unexpected act of kindness toward a stranger of different background or beliefs might inspire a beneficial chain reaction that goes on for years,” said Scott. “Respect, understanding, insight, empathy, forgiveness, and inspiration are all meaningful contributions to others.”

In 2020, Scott signed The Giving Pledge, committing to give away the majority of her wealth during her lifetime. In a blog post that year, she wrote that she assembled a team of advisors to help accelerate her giving by identifying “organizations with strong leadership teams and results” across a broad spectrum of societal needs. In the midst of the global pandemic, she emphasized a focus on those “operating in communities facing high projected food insecurity, high measures of racial inequity, high local poverty rates, and low access to philanthropic capital.”

Alaska Pacific University extends its sincere gratitude to MacKenzie Scott for this transformational investment. This support strengthens APU’s ability to advance student success, uphold its commitment to Indigenous leadership and self-determination, and continue serving Alaska and beyond as a place of opportunity, learning, and impact for generations to come.