The Trevor Project has secured the largest donation in its history-$45 million-from billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, the nonprofit announced Monday, a lifeline after losing $25 million in federal funding and weathering years of internal upheaval.
At a Glance
- MacKenzie Scott donated $45 million to The Trevor Project at the end of 2025.
- The gift follows a $25 million federal funding cut and multiple staff layoffs.
- The organization currently serves roughly 250,000 youth annually through its independent hotline.
- Why it matters: The unrestricted funds stabilize a critical LGBTQ+ crisis resource after political and financial shocks.
The unrestricted gift, revealed by Daniel J. Whitman and reported by News Of Losangeles, arrives after the Trump administration ended dedicated LGBTQ+ support on the 988 National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in July, stripping The Trevor Project of roughly half its annual contact volume and a quarter of its revenue stream.
“I literally could not believe it and it took some time. I actually gasped,” CEO Jaymes Black said upon learning of Scott’s decision. Scott had previously contributed $6 million in 2020; the new donation was not listed among the more than $7 billion in gifts she publicized in December.
A Tumultuous Growth Trajectory
From a $4 million annual budget in 2016, the organization ballooned to $83 million by 2023, tax filings show. Rapid expansion preceded boardroom turmoil: the board ousted then-CEO Amit Paley in 2022, and multiple layoffs followed. The 2026 budget has been pared to $47 million, Black said, reflecting a leaner, more cautious structure.
After the 988 funding loss, The Trevor Project launched an emergency campaign that has already raised $20 million. Black believes the effort signaled resilience to Scott’s team: “They were clear… this gift was made for long-term impact.”
Federal Funding Volatility
Between September 2022 and July 2025, the 988 system handled 1.5 million contacts, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Removing the LGBTQ+-specific “Press 3” option eliminated about 250,000 annual Trevor-run interactions on top of the organization’s own hotline, which still fields roughly 250,000 contacts each year.
Thad Calabrese, a New York University professor studying nonprofit finance, told News Of Losangeles that swift growth frequently strains nonprofits. He noted that public dollars, once considered stable, now fluctuate with political shifts, forcing charities to restructure business models. “You are now also open to changing political fortunes,” Calabrese said.
On revenue diversification, he added, “You’re less dependent upon a few funders, but… do you have the management capacity for that?”
The Scott Model
Scott’s philanthropy favors large, unrestricted grants to equity-focused organizations, rarely soliciting proposals. Research by the Center for Effective Philanthropy found little evidence that Scott’s mega-gifts spur waste or unsustainable growth, crediting extensive pre-grant vetting.
Vice president of research Elisha Smith Arrillaga said funders sometimes double down on struggling groups much like venture investors: “People make all different kinds of investments because they really believe in the outcomes that organization can make.”
In her 2025 giving essay, Scott defended “peaceful, non-transactional contribution,” writing: “What if the fact that some of our organizations are vulnerable can itself be a powerful engine for our generosity?”
Next Steps and Accountability
Black pledged deliberate planning before deploying the $45 million, emphasizing sustainability. “We will continue to be really intentional… around growth and what growth really means,” he said, calling the donation “a powerful validation” that positions the nonprofit for a strategic rebound.
Key Takeaways
- The Trevor Project’s $45 million windfall from MacKenzie Scott eclipses its previous record gift and offsets recent federal funding losses.
- The nonprofit has shrunk from $83 million to a $47 million budget, trimming staff and refocusing services.
- Federal support for specialized LGBTQ+ crisis lines has proven politically volatile, prompting charities to diversify revenue.
- Scott’s unrestricted funding model allows grantees flexibility, but recipients face pressure to balance growth with organizational stability.
