HAYWARD – California State University East Bay received a surprise this holiday season from billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott: “a record-breaking” $50 million gift.
The largest single donation in the institution’s history is a “transformative investment” in its mission to make a regional impact and advance student success, the university said last week.
Cal State East Bay President Cathy Sandeen said she was “tremendously grateful” for the donation, as it will help the institution grow further. The university has thousands of students, including a high number of transfer, first-generation and adult learners, and offers more than 130 fields of study.
“A transformational gift of this size provides our university with the unique opportunity to build capacity for the future by increasing our endowment, ensuring an ongoing revenue stream from earnings that will support the university and our mission into perpetuity,” said Sandeen in an email. “In the coming new year, we will share the framework for how this gift will be used and provide opportunities for staff and faculty input and ideas as we work through the process.”
In a LinkedIn post, Sandeen wrote that was proud of how the university has been able to elevate its visibility, “strengthening our story, and staying centered on our students and the vibrant East Bay region we serve.”
“This grant ensures this mission will continue now and far into the future. Thank you, East Bay, for your confidence, and thank you, MacKenzie Scott, for this transformational moment in our university’s history,” Sandeen said.
Founded in 1957, California State University East Bay has been serving students from its main campus in Hayward and a center in Concord.
The university did not approach Scott’s organization, Yield Giving, for the donation, according to Evelyn Buchanan, vice president for University Advancement and president of the Cal State East Bay Educational Foundation Board.
“Ms. Scott’s team conducted a thorough and rigorous evaluation process through discreet research assessing an organization’s multi-year record of impact, measurable outcomes, financial stewardship, and experienced leadership,” Buchanan said.
Buchanan also credited Sandeen’s leadership for securing the donation, adding that it was a testament to her “vision and unwavering dedication” to the students and the community the university serves.
Scott, who was married to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos until 2019, has donated over $19 billion to nonprofits, according to Yield Giving. Bloomberg Billionaires Index estimates her total net worth to be $40.1 billion.
The Associated Press described Scott’s giving as “trust-based philanthropy,” noting in 2024 that she had provided “big grants with no strings attached” to over 2,450 nonprofits.
In recent years, Scott has donated to various educational institutions, including California State Universities in Northridge, Fullerton, Channel Islands and Pomona.
Other institutions include the Fresno Unified School District; Long Beach City College; University of California, Merced; Pasadena City College; Los Angeles-based Mount Saint Mary’s University; Santa Barbara City College; and Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science.
In November, Xavier University of Louisiana announced that it had received a $38 million unrestricted gift from Scott. In 2020, she awarded the institution $20 million in recognition of its impact as the only historically Black and Catholic institution in the country, the university said.
On Monday, Texas A&M University-Kingsville and Bay Mills Community College also received donations from Scott.
Texas A&M announced that it received “a landmark” $38 million from Scott, which will reshape the future of the first higher learning institution in South Texas, the university said.
Bay Mills Community College, a tribal college in Brimley, Michigan, recently received $9 million in donations. Dr. Duane Bedell, its president, said the “extraordinary gift” will be transformative for the college and create opportunities for students and the communities they serve.
According to Bedell, the funds will be channeled to support its mission and the development of new programs and infrastructure.
