Billionaire MacKenzie Scott just donated $20 million to support America’s youth mental health, as a fifth of teens struggle with suicidal thoughts

Billionaire MacKenzie Scott has become one of the most prolific philanthropists of the modern era by writing massive, no-strings-attached checks to non-profits. And her giving spree shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon, despite having donated nearly half of her net worth. Now, the charitable trendsetter is giving millions to support the youth mental health crisis. 

Active Minds, a U.S. non-profit mobilizing youth and young adults to change the culture around mental health, just received a $20 million gift from the billionaire worth $35.8 billion. 

It’s the largest donation in the organization’s history, and notably, was completely unrestricted; Scott famously allows organizations to spend the money as they see fit, allowing organizations like Active Minds to expand programming, invest in long-term growth, and respond to community needs without donor-imposed restrictions. Scott has previously donated to the non-profit, having gifted $4 million in 2021.

“This gift allows us to make bold, long-envisioned investments in youth leadership and youth-led solutions to champion a new era of mental health,” Alison Malmon, founder and executive director at Active Minds, said in a press release. 

And since receiving the gift, the non-profit says it’s strategized a multi-year plan to dole out the money in scaling national infrastructure that builds community, energizes young leadership, funds youth-led solutions, and “translates youth voices into system change.” Active Mind is also looking to funnel resources into its Mental Health Advocacy Academy for high schoolers, as well as its Mental Health Advocacy Institute for college students.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. You can call or text 998 to reach America’s free and confidential Suicide and Crisis Lifeline for support. Or, you can chat online at 988lifeline.org.

America’s youth is up against a mental health crisis 

Scott’s donation comes at a dire time for U.S. teens’ mental health. 

Around a fifth of American high schoolers have seriously considered attempting suicide, according to 2023 data from the Center for Disease Control (CDC), with 16% even creating a plan. During that same year, around 20% of U.S. adolescents, aged 12 to 17, reported facing feelings of anxiety within the last two weeks; another 18% reported symptoms of depression. 

It’s an issue that’s worsening over time. The proportion of young people experiencing severe anxiety shot up by 86% in the U.S. since the mid-1990s, according to a 2025 study published by mental health researchers. Severe depression also skyrocketed by 145%. 

And it’s no surprise that Gen Zers seem to be struggling the most. Last year, researchers at Harvard University and Baylor University discovered that, on average, young adults aged between 18 to 29 are deeply unhappy. The young adults struggle with poor mental, physical health, negative judgments of their own personal character, finding meaning in life, financial security, and the quality of their relationships. 

Gen Z is so dejected that they’re actively dismantling Harvard’s long-established Flourishing Measure. Now, the happiness curve is flat until around age 50, when life satisfaction begins to rise again.

Scott has been on a $26 billion giving spree since 2020

Scott’s $20 million donation is just a drop in the bucket of her $26 billion philanthropic streak since 2020, when she started steadily donating through her foundation, Yield Giving. 

The philanthropist donated a whopping $7.2 billion in 2025 alone. She’s named the third most generous philanthropist in the world, having given away 46% of her net worth, according to an 2026 analysis from Forbes. In contrast, Forbes also estimated that Bezos and his wife, Lauren Sánchez Bezos, have donated only $4.7 billion throughout their entire lives. 

And her philanthropic priorities often extend to causes and institutions that support vulnerable communities, like combating America’s youth mental health crisis. 

Earlier this year, the early Amazon employee and ex-wife of Jeff Bezos gave a $70 million unrestricted donation to Meals on Wheels America: a leadership organization that supports nationwide charities in providing meals, social connection, and safety checks to more than two million U.S. seniors and homebound people every year. Her contribution came at a time when one in three local Meals on Wheels America providers have a wait-list, with elderly citizens having to wait an average of four months for meals and services.

Scott has also shelled out 10 figures to support education. Just a few months ago, she gifted $72 million to Minnesota tribal college Red Lake Nation College. And just weeks before that, it was revealed that the 56-year-old had donated $42 million to Elizabeth City State University—one of America’s historically Black colleges and universities. That contribution set her at a new milestone, pushing her total giving to HBCUs over the $1 billion mark.

Habitat for Humanity, a global nonprofit organization helping alleviate the housing crisis, also received $436 million in unrestricted giving from the mega philanthropist. Plus, Scott has invested in climate action, donating $90 million to the Forests, People, Climate (FPC) collaborative determined to end tropical deforestation. Even the Girl Scouts of the USA received about $84.5 million from Scott to support girls’ leadership and programming. 

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com