Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott announced a fresh wave of large, unrestricted gifts to historically Black colleges and universities, with recent donations totaling in the hundreds of millions across multiple HBCUs. Several institutions reported record-breaking single gifts, earmarked for scholarships, endowment growth, and student-success initiatives. The donations follow Scott’s prior institutional gifts and come at a time when public funding and philanthropic patterns are in flux. Recipients reported plans to use funds for retention, faculty support, program innovation and long-term financial resilience. College development officers should study the stewardship models Scott’s grants use—large, unrestricted capital can accelerate strategic priorities but requires robust governance to ensure sustainable impact. Boards and presidents must align spending policies to protect endowment growth while meeting immediate student needs.