MacKenzie Scott gives $45 million to Trevor Project, stabilizing services

MacKenzie Scott donated $45 million to the Trevor Project on Jan. 12, 2026, the largest gift in the nonprofit’s history, a boon for an organization that provides crisis intervention and suicide-prevention services for LGBTQ+ youth nationwide, including those in San Francisco County.

The gift arrives after a period of internal upheaval at the Trevor Project. The organization recently experienced leadership turnover, staff layoffs and reductions in federal funding that forced emergency fundraising and adjustments to budgets and staffing. Those changes strained the nonprofit’s ability to deliver steady support at a moment when demand for mental health and crisis services remains high among young people.

Local impact is likely to be immediate and practical. San Francisco County relies on a network of national and local providers to reach LGBTQ+ youth in crisis, and the Trevor Project’s helplines, digital outreach and prevention programs are an important part of that safety net. The infusion of unrestricted funds may help stabilize operations, rehire or retain staff, and sustain outreach that connects young people to local care and community resources.

The gift also has broader operational implications. Large, flexible donations can give national nonprofits breathing room to shore up core infrastructure, maintain 24/7 crisis capacity and invest in staff training and technology. For San Francisco, that means fewer service disruptions for callers and texters who rely on immediate, confidential support, and less pressure on local emergency and mental health services when national partners can sustain response capacity.

This donation follows a pattern of major philanthropy that directs significant sums to nonprofits facing acute need. For the Trevor Project, the $45 million marks a turning point after a fall that included emergency appeals to supporters. The funding should enable leadership to implement longer-term financial planning and reduce dependence on short-term fundraising cycles, provided governance and transparency measures stay front and center after recent turnover.

For families, educators and youth-serving programs across San Francisco County, the gift should translate into steadier access to crisis intervention resources and smoother coordination with local services. City public health officials and community organizations will watch how the Trevor Project allocates the funds to ensure that local lines of support remain intact and that outreach reaches the county’s most vulnerable young people.

What comes next is implementation: how the Trevor Project translates this historic donation into sustained services, rebuilt staffing and measurable outcomes for youth. For San Francisco residents, the expectation is clearer continuity of a lifeline that many of the city’s LGBTQ+ young people rely on during their most vulnerable moments.