University News
GRANTS AND AWARDS Historic Gifts from the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation Gifts and MacKenzie Scott Will Support Clark Atlanta University Scholars
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This transformative gift provides the critical resources our students need to graduate and prepare for leadership in the global marketplace.
In October, Clark Atlanta University announced it will receive $16.5 million from The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation as part of the foundation’s $50 million, 10-year commitment to Atlanta HBCUs. The funds, the largest private gift in CAU’s history, will be used to establish gap scholarships primarily for junior and senior students in good academic standing who have exhausted all other financial resources. Less than 30 days later, philanthropist MacKenzie Scott made a $38 million contribution that will undergird the university’s capacity to develop academic programs and ensure a lack of student financial resources do not short circuit students’ ability to complete their degrees. Beginning in 2026, the Blank Family Foundation scholarship program will help address financial barriers that often force promising students to abandon their education. Across the four Atlanta HBCUs receiving funding—Clark Atlanta University,
Morehouse College, Morris Brown College, and Spelman College— the initiative is expected to support nearly 10,000 students over the next decade. This gift builds on the Blank Foundation’s ongoing support of HBCUs, which has previously included funding for concussion-reducing athletic field Of the Blank gift, President George T French, Jr., said, “This transformative gift provides the critical resources our students need to graduate and prepare for leadership in the global marketplace. Far too often, we see talented students forced to leave school not because of academic challenges, but due to financial constraints. We are profoundly grateful to the Arthur Blank Family Foundation for this historic investment in our students’ futures.” and football helmets for Clark Atlanta University students-athletes.
The largest private donation in CAU history, the recent gift from Ms. Scott— whose philanthropic vision aligns with CAU’s dedication to advancing educational equity and social progress—brings her total donations to the university to $53 million. “The magnitude of Ms. Scott’s generosity significantly enhances our capacity to expand the student success initiatives and support infrastructure already underway, preparing students to thrive on the global stage for generations to come,” said President French. “Her continued support underscores her commitment to historically Black colleges and universities and her trust in our mission to foster academic excellence and innovation.”
Fall 2025
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