At a Glance
- $45 million donated by MacKenzie Scott to The Trevor Project, the nonprofit’s largest gift ever
- The LGBTQ+ youth crisis hotline lost $25 million in federal funding when the Trump administration ended its 988 Press 3 service
- Emergency fundraising has already pulled in $20 million since July
Why it matters: The unrestricted cash injection stabilizes a lifeline that reaches roughly 500,000 young people each year.
The Trevor Project has secured the biggest donation in its history-$45 million from billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott-months after losing a key federal contract that stripped away $25 million in annual support.
Historic Gift Arrived in Secret
Olivia Bennett Harris reported that the nonprofit, best known for its 24/7 crisis line for LGBTQ+ youth, received the unrestricted funds in late 2025. Scott, whose wealth stems from her former marriage to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, did not list the gift on her public donation roster released in December, even as she disclosed more than $7 billion in other grants that year.
“I literally could not believe it and it took some time. I actually gasped,” said Jaymes Black, CEO of The Trevor Project, describing the moment he learned of the donation.
Scott had already contributed $6 million to the organization in 2020, making this her second-and far larger-show of support.
Federal Funding Vanished Overnight
The cash boost arrives after a turbulent summer. In July, the Trump administration ended dedicated LGBTQ+ support within the 988 National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. The change eliminated the 988 Press 3 option tailored for gay, trans, and gender-nonconforming youth, a service The Trevor Project staffed.
- $25 million-amount The Trevor Project says it lost when the contract ended
- 250,000-additional youths served annually through the now-defunct 988 Press 3 line
- 250,000-young people who still reach the nonprofit’s independent hotline each year
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the 988 system handled more than 1.5 million contacts from September 2022 to July 2025.
Years of Internal Upheaval
The organization’s rapid expansion preceded its recent struggles. Public tax filings show its budget swelled from roughly $4 million in 2016 to more than $83 million in 2023. That trajectory unraveled in 2022 when the board removed its CEO, and multiple rounds of layoffs followed, including cuts this past July.
“We are a smaller organization than we were before,” Black said. “And we will continue to be really intentional and really mindful around growth and what growth really means for the organization.”
The Trevor Project’s approved budget for 2026 now stands at $47 million.
Emergency Fundraising Filled Part of the Gap
After losing the federal contract, the nonprofit launched an emergency campaign that has raised $20 million so far. Black believes the effort may have signaled to Scott that the organization was determined to survive.
“MacKenzie Scott’s folks were clear, like this gift was made for long-term impact,” Black said. Leadership plans to deliberate carefully before allocating the new funds.
Nonprofit Sector Feels Funding Whiplash
Thad Calabrese, a New York University professor who studies nonprofit financial management, told News Of Philadelphia that swift expansion often leads to budget strain. He added that recent volatility in federal support has disrupted traditional revenue models.
“Academic research has often viewed public funding as very stable, as a signal to donors that you’ve arrived as an organization, but the reality is you are now also open to changing political fortunes,” Calabrese said.
He noted that research remains inconclusive on whether broadening revenue streams always improves stability.
“You’re less dependent upon a few funders, but on the other hand, if you have a lot of different revenue streams, do you have the management capacity for that?” he asked, speaking generally about sector trends.
Scott’s Giving Strategy Stands Apart
Scott has carved out a distinctive approach among major donors by offering large, unrestricted grants focused on equity and social justice. Except for an open call in 2023, she neither requests proposals nor accepts applications.
Despite gifts that can dwarf an organization’s annual budget, fears about misuse or runaway growth appear unfounded. Research from the Center for Effective Philanthropy found such concerns “largely not borne out,” likely because Scott’s team conducts extensive due diligence before each gift.
Elisha Smith Arrillaga, the Center’s vice president of research, likened the approach to an investor doubling down on a promising startup facing temporary setbacks.
“People make all different kinds of investments because they really believe in the outcomes that organization can make and what their gifts can do to help accelerate that,” she said.
Validation of Mission and Impact
In announcing her 2025 philanthropy, Scott wrote, “The potential of peaceful, non-transactional contribution has long been underestimated, often on the basis that it is not financially self-sustaining, or that some of its benefits are hard to track. But what if these imagined liabilities are actually assets? … What if the fact that some of our organizations are vulnerable can itself be a powerful engine for our generosity?”
Black called the second gift from Scott “a powerful validation” of the nonprofit’s mission, adding, “We’re calling this our turnaround story.”
Key Takeaways
- MacKenzie Scott’s $45 million unrestricted donation is the largest in The Trevor Project’s history
- The funds follow a $25 million federal funding cut that ended the 988 Press 3 LGBTQ+ option
- The organization’s independent hotline still reaches 250,000 youths yearly
- Emergency fundraising has drawn $20 million since July, helping bridge the gap
- Leadership will take a deliberate approach to deploying the new resources
