Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has donated $50 million to Native Forward Scholars Fund, the largest gift in the organisation’s history.

Of the total, $40 million will go into the organisation’s endowment, providing a permanent source of funding for Native students pursuing higher education. The remaining $10 million will support immediate scholarship and programme needs.

Native Forward Scholars Fund, formerly the American Indian Graduate Center, is the largest scholarship provider for Native American and Alaska Native students in the United States. The endowment gift dramatically strengthens its ability to support students for generations.

The donation is part of Scott’s ongoing philanthropic strategy of large, unrestricted gifts to organisations serving underrepresented communities. Recipients have said such gifts allow them to plan long-term rather than chase annual fundraising.

Education leaders said the gift comes at a critical time, as Native students continue to face some of the highest barriers to college completion in the country. The endowment will help the organisation expand scholarships, mentoring and support services for Native scholars.