When philanthropist MacKenzie Scott selects an institution for one of her transformative gifts, the national higher education and philanthropic community pays attention. When she selects that institution twice, it signals something even more extraordinary.
This fall, Whittier College received a historic, unrestricted $13 million investment from Scott, representing the largest single donation in the College’s history and the second major gift she has directed to Whittier. The first, a $12 million contribution in 2020, recognized Whittier’s potential. This second gift affirms something far more powerful: Whittier’s momentum is real, measurable, and nationally significant.
MacKenzie Scott has only made 15 reported second gifts to colleges and universities, with many of these being part of a recent, large donation to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in November 2025. Whittier College is now part of that rare group of second gift recipients.