Billionaire MacKenzie Scott has donated $20 million to Active Minds, a nonprofit mobilizing young people to transform mental health culture, as alarming new data reveals that one in five American high schoolers have seriously considered attempting suicide. The unrestricted gift, the largest in Active Minds' history, arrives at a critical moment when youth mental health in the United States is deteriorating rapidly across multiple measures.

How Bad Is the Youth Mental Health Crisis Right Now?

The statistics paint a sobering picture of adolescent mental health in America. According to 2023 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 20% of American high schoolers have seriously considered attempting suicide, with 16% even creating a plan. The crisis extends beyond suicidal ideation: around 20% of U.S. adolescents aged 12 to 17 reported experiencing anxiety symptoms within the last two weeks, while another 18% reported symptoms of depression during that same period.

What makes these numbers even more alarming is the trajectory. A 2025 study published by mental health researchers found that severe anxiety among young people has increased by 86% since the mid-1990s, while severe depression has skyrocketed by 145% over the same timeframe. Gen Z appears to be struggling the most; research from Harvard University and Baylor University discovered that young adults aged 18 to 29 report being deeply unhappy, struggling with poor mental and physical health, negative self-judgment, difficulty finding meaning in life, financial insecurity, and relationship challenges.

What Is Active Minds Doing With This Major Donation?

Active Minds, a U.S. nonprofit dedicated to mobilizing youth and young adults to change the culture around mental health, received the $20 million gift from Scott, who is worth $35.8 billion. What makes this donation particularly significant is that it comes with no strings attached. Scott is known for providing unrestricted funding, allowing organizations to spend money as they see fit rather than imposing donor-controlled restrictions.

The organization has strategized a multi-year plan to deploy the funds across several key areas. Active Minds intends to scale national infrastructure that builds community, energizes young leadership, funds youth-led solutions, and translates youth voices into system change. The nonprofit is also directing resources toward two specific programs:

• Mental Health Advocacy Academy: Programming designed for high school students to develop advocacy skills and mental health awareness.
• Mental Health Advocacy Institute: A college-level program that trains young adults to become mental health advocates and leaders on their campuses.

"MacKenzie Scott's investment in Active Minds is transformative not just in its scale, but in its validation of young people as the primary drivers of change in mental health," said Alison Malmon, founder and executive director at Active Minds. "Unrestricted support provides us with the flexibility to use resources where the need and opportunity are greatest, while simultaneously building our long-term capacity to meet this pivotal moment."

Alison Malmon, Founder and Executive Director at Active Minds

Malmon emphasized that while the donation provides crucial support, philanthropy alone cannot solve the crisis. "Lasting progress requires sustained, cross-sector investment," she noted.

Malmon

Why Is MacKenzie Scott Focusing on Youth Mental Health?

Scott's $20 million gift to Active Minds is part of a much larger philanthropic commitment. Since 2020, she has donated $26 billion through her foundation, Yield Giving, making her the third most generous philanthropist in the world. In 2025 alone, she donated $7.2 billion, having given away 46% of her net worth according to a 2026 Forbes analysis. This donation to Active Minds represents her second major gift to the organization; she previously donated $4 million in 2021.

Scott's philanthropic priorities consistently target causes that support vulnerable communities. Beyond youth mental health, her giving has extended to education, food security, housing, climate action, and girls' leadership programs. Earlier in 2026, she donated $70 million to Meals on Wheels America, $72 million to Red Lake Nation College, $42 million to Elizabeth City State University, $436 million to Habitat for Humanity, $90 million to climate action, and $84.5 million to the Girl Scouts of the USA.

Steps to Support Youth Mental Health in Your Community

• Learn the Warning Signs: Familiarize yourself with indicators of mental health struggles in teens, including withdrawal from friends, changes in sleep or eating patterns, increased irritability, and talk of hopelessness or suicide.
• Know How to Help: If you suspect a young person is struggling, listen without judgment, take their concerns seriously, and encourage them to seek professional help or contact a crisis line.
• Support Youth-Led Initiatives: Advocate for and support organizations like Active Minds that empower young people to lead mental health conversations and create cultural change on their campuses and in their communities.
• Access Crisis Resources: Know that help is available 24/7 by calling or texting 988 to reach America's free and confidential Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or by chatting online at 988lifeline.org.

The youth mental health crisis represents one of the most pressing public health challenges facing America today. With one in five high schoolers seriously considering suicide and rates of severe anxiety and depression climbing dramatically, interventions that empower young people themselves to drive change offer genuine hope. Scott's substantial investment in Active Minds signals that addressing this crisis requires not just funding, but a fundamental shift in how society approaches youth mental health, placing young voices at the center of solutions.