A $38 million donation from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott to UC Merced has become the university’s single largest gift in its history.

The money will go toward education access for students with financial needs, faculty research programs, and expanding capital projects, according to a news release from the university.

“This remarkable act of generosity affirms what we know to be true — UC Merced is changing lives, uplifting families, and reshaping what is possible for California and beyond,” Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz said. “We are profoundly grateful for Ms. Scott’s continued trust in our mission and for her belief in our faculty, our students and the extraordinary promise of higher education.”

$38 Million Comes After Scott’s $20 Million Gift in 2021

The gift significantly moves the needle on the university’s first-ever comprehensive fundraising initiative, Boldly Forward, a $200 million campaign to advance the campus and its research programs.

The campaign seeks to expand operations at UC Merced, including its research on sustainability, agricultural sciences, and climate neutrality.

UC Merced’s partnership with nearby Yosemite National Park helped create the Sierra Nevada Research Institute. The first institute for the university focuses on drought issues, wildfires, agri-food systems, and climate change, according to the website.

The gift follows a $20 million donation from Scott to UC Merced in 2021, which went toward research capacity, student support, and campus growth.

Money supported the university’s three schools — its School of Natural Sciences, School of Engineering, and the School of Social Sciences, Humanities and the Arts. A planned fourth school, the Ernest & Julio Gallo School of Management, would focus on the science, design, technology, and management of complex human systems, the website stated.

“UC Merced is a powerful example of what public higher education can achieve when access and excellence move hand in hand,” UC President James Milliken said. “Ms. Scott’s landmark gift will strengthen the university’s ability to open doors, change lives, and expand opportunity across the Central Valley and beyond. We are deeply grateful for her leadership and generosity.”

Other Scott Donations to Valley Schools

In October 2022, the billionaire donated $20 million to the foundation providing scholarships for Fresno Unified School District graduates. Prior to that, Scott donated $7 million to Porterville College and an unspecified amount to Wells Hills College Lemoore.