Robeson, Bladen Community Colleges Get Combined $36M Gift from MacKenzie Scott

Billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has gifted two Southeastern North Carolina schools with their largest-ever gifts, a combined $36 million.

Robeson Community College in Lumberton, NC, celebrated receiving $24 million, while Bladen Community College received $12 million.

Scott has made her mark on various organizations nationwide, with gifts that require nothing in return. Neither school applied for the funding, but were just gifted as a surprise.

"Bladen Community College is honored and humbled to announce the largest philanthropic gift in our history," Dr. Amanda Lee, President of Bladen Community College, said. "It is a transformative contribution that will shape the future of our college and the community we serve for generations to come."

Robeson Community College serves 9,587 students, acting as a vital gateway for higher education and job training in the area.

"This generous gift is far more than a financial contribution; it is a profound affirmation of our students, our faculty and staff, and the limitless potential of Robeson County," Robeson Community College President Melissa Singler said in a release. "I am beyond grateful to MacKenzie Scott and want to make sure she understands that this investment in Robeson Community College will yield an incredible return. Never before have we been given a gift of this magnitude that affords our team the time, space and freedom to think, dream and plan boldly."

Both schools plan to improve facilities and initiatives for students with the funding, including improvements to outdated buildings, and technology enhancements.

"She has given us the complete, unrestricted gift," Dr. Lee said. "We can use it where we feel like it will make the biggest impact. It is definitely early in the process but we are trying to put our students first. We are going to assess the biggest way that we can impact our students and their success. We are also going to look at some things that we have wanted and needed to address throughout our college."

Scott is a celebrated author and was notably married to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. Since 2019, Scott has gifted more than $26 billion to non-profits and other charitable organizations. In 2025 alone, she's given out more than $7 billion.