MacKenzie Scott donates $45M to LGBTQ+ nonprofit The Trevor Project after Trump cuts funding
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON: Billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has donated $45 million to The Trevor Project, a nonprofit organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services for LGBTQ+ youth. The contribution comes after the Trump administration reportedly cut $25 million in federal funding to the organization.
Scott, who previously donated $6 million in 2020, made the latest gift as a show of support for LGBTQ+ young people and to strengthen the nonprofit’s long-term sustainability.
The Trevor Project CEO praises MacKenzie Scott’s $45M LGBTQ+ donation
Jaymes Black, CEO of The Trevor Project, called Scott’s donation an “extraordinary contribution.” They said the gift “comes at a pivotal moment for our organization and the LGBTQ+ young people we serve.”
“A $45 million investment in The Trevor Project reflects deep confidence in our mission, impact, operations, and long-term vision,” Black added. This donation marks the largest single contribution in the nonprofit’s nearly three-decade history.
CEO shares plans to invest Scott’s donation in LGBTQ+ youth services
Black shared that the donation will be invested in a strategic plan to strengthen core crisis services, improve sustainability, and expand support for LGBTQ+ youth nationwide. “Over the coming months, we will roadmap a thoughtful investment plan focused on strengthening our core crisis services and accelerating our progress toward a world where every LGBTQ+ young person knows they are loved and supported,” Black said.
They emphasized that Scott’s gift “sends a powerful message: LGBTQ+ young people matter, and the world is full of people fighting for their safety and well-being.”
Trump administration’s federal funding cuts prompted historic donation
The Trump administration’s funding cuts in 2025 prompted concern among LGBTQ+ advocates. At the time, Rachel Cauley, Communications Director at the White House Office of Management and Budget, said the organization “does not…grant taxpayer money to a chat service where children are encouraged to embrace radical gender ideology.”
Black responded, calling the decision “devastating” and emphasizing that “suicide prevention is about people, not politics.”
The funding loss had sparked public support from celebrities. Jamie Lee Curtis urged donations on Instagram, while Jonathan Van Ness called The Trevor Project “the only lifeline that some of our most vulnerable youth have.”
Scott’s $45 million donation now ensures the nonprofit can continue and expand its lifesaving programs for LGBTQ+ youth across the United States.
