Bill and Melinda Gates are the top American philanthropists.Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
- The Chronicle of Philanthropy publishes an annual list of the top 50 philanthropists (both individuals and couples) by calculating their yearly donations.
- In 2017, America’s wealthiest residents donated $14.7 billion to nonprofit organizations.
- About 60% of the total was donated by people who made their fortunes in tech, suggesting America’s philanthropic center is shifting away from Wall Street and towards Silicon Valley, according to The Chronicle.
America’s wealthiest people donated $14.7 billion in 2017 to causes, alma maters, foundations, and charities — more than doubling the amount given away in 2016, reported Forbes.
For 18 years, The Chronicle of Philanthropy has published an annual round up of the top-50 philanthropists in America by calculating their yearly donations. In 2017, the individuals and couples on the list donated a median of $97 million, doubling the giving amount from the first list published in 2000. The total donation amount of the 2017 list is the highest amount since the 2008 recession, according to Forbes.
The 2017 list features 11 individuals or couples from the technology industry accounting for $8.7 billion in donations, or about 60% of the total, suggesting America’s philanthropic center is shifting away from Wall Street and towards Silicon Valley, according to The Chronicle.
The top three donors who gave away at least $1 billion each are tech moguls: Michael and Susan Dell, Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan, and Bill and Melinda Gates.
Notably missing from the list is billionaire investor Warren Buffett, who made a multibillion-dollar donation in Berkshire Hathaway stock to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in 2017. But because the “annual installment” was part of Buffett’s initial 2006 pledge to donate more than $36 billion in Berkshire Hathaway shares to the Gates’ organization, the Chronicle did not count it as a 2017 donation.
Below are the top 25 philanthropists who donated more than $97 million each in 2017. Note that four people passed away after the ranking was first published in February — Porter Byrum, David Rockefeller, Florence Irving, and Henry Hillman.
25. Sheryl Sandberg
Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg.Greg Sandoval/Business Insider
Source of wealth: Technology
Total amount donated: $97,999,000
Biggest causes: Sheryl Sandberg & David Goldberg Family Fund, LeanIn.org and OptionB.org
Source: Forbes
23. (TIE) Kenneth and Pamela Ricci
Pamela and Kenneth Ricci, founder of Directional Aviation Capital.YouTube/ND Loyal
Source of wealth: Transportation
Total amount donated: $100,000,000
Biggest causes: University of Notre Dame
Source: Notre Dame News
23. (TIE) Agnes Gund
Agnes Gund, president emerita of the Museum of Modern Art and chairman of its International Council.Stuart C. Wilson/Getty
Source of wealth: Family wealth (banking)
Total amount donated: $100,000,000
Biggest causes: Art for Justice Fund, criminal justice reform, literacy organizations including Actors’ Gang, the National Book Foundation, PEN America and the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting
Source: Inside Philanthropy
22. Joseph (Rusty) Walter III and Paula Walter
Source of wealth: Oil
Total amount donated: $101,000,000
Biggest causes: Houston Methodist Hospital for lifesaving treatments research and the hospital’s transplant center
Source: Inside Philanthropy
21. Roberta Elliott
Roberta Elliott next to her brother Warren BuffettJim Young/Reuters
Source of wealth: Family wealth
Total amount donated: $105,800,000
Biggest causes: Montage Health Foundation and Northwestern University
Sources: The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Philanthropy News Digest
20. William and Linda Frost
Cal Poly graduate and Chemlogics founder William and Linda Frost.Courtesy of Cal Poly University
Source of wealth: Chemicals
Total amount donated: $110,000,000
Biggest causes: California Polytechnic State University
Source: Los Angeles Times
19. Jay Shidler
Source of wealth: Real estate
Total amount donated: $117,000,000
Biggest causes: University of Hawaii at Manoa Shidler College of Business and Mākālei and Lē’ahi beach parks off Diamond Head in Hawaii
Source: Honolulu Magazine
18. T. Denny Sanford
T. Denny Sanford is the chairman and CEO of United National Corporation.Amy Sussman/AP
Source of wealth: Finance
Total amount donated: $140,000,000
Biggest causes: Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, Zoological Society of San Diego, National University in La Jolla, California, and Sanford Health Foundation
Source: The Chronicle of Philanthropy
17. Porter Byrum
Source of wealth: Law and real estate
Total amount donated: $140,024,500
Biggest causes: Wake Forest University, Queens University in Charlotte, and Wingate University
Source: The Chronicle of Philanthropy
16. David Geffen
David Geffen of Asylum Records, Geffen Records, Geffen Film Company, and Dreamworks SKG.Stephen Lovekin/Getty
Source of wealth: Entertainment
Total amount donated: $150,000,000
Biggest causes: David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Museum of Modern Art, Licoln Center, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, and funds areas of health, education, arts and culture, LGBT and the fight against AIDS
Source: Inside Philanthropy
15. Jack and Laura Dangermond
Esri co-founders Jack and Laura Dangermond.Michael Loccisano/Getty
Source of wealth: Technology
Total amount donated: $165,000,000
Biggest causes: Nature Conservancy, Esri, donated GIS software to k-12 schools in the US
Source: Forbes
14. Larry and Beth Gies
Larry GiesYouTube/U17 News
Source of wealth: Finance
Total amount donated: $177,250,000
Biggest causes: University of Illinois at Urban-Champaign, Lucile Packard Foundation, Northwestern University, Gies Foundation, Huntington Disease Society, Sarcoidosis Foundation, and Misericordia Women’s League
Source: Inside Philanthropy
13. Henry and Susan Samueli
Broadcom Corp. co-founder and owner of the NHL Anaheim Ducks Henry and Susan Samueli.Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty
Source of wealth: Telecommunications
Total amount donated: $200,000,000
Biggest causes: University of California at Irvine College of Health Services, Samueli Foundation and Broadcom Foundation funding areas include: health, education, youth services, social services, Jewish community, and Southern California community
Sources: UCI News, Inside Philanthropy
12. David Rockefeller
David Rockefeller was chairman and chief executive of Chase Manhattan Corporation.Brendan Smialowski/Getty
Source of wealth: Family wealth
Total amount donated: $202,000,000
Biggest causes: Council of Foreign Relations, Museum of Modern Art, Mount Desert Land & Garden Preserve, Americas Society
Source: The Chronicle of Philanthropy
11. George Soros
George Soros of Soros Fund Management.Sean Gallup/Getty
Source of wealth: Finance
Total amount donated: $208,200,000
Biggest causes: Open Society Foundation — democratic ideals, humanitarian efforts, economic development, education, and policy reform
Source: Inside Philanthropy
9. Pierre and Pam Omidyar
eBay chairman Pierre and Pam OmidyarDario Cantatore/Getty
Source of wealth: Technology
Total amount donated: $257,500,000
Biggest causes: Omidyar Network, Humanity United, Democracy Fund, First Look Media, and Hopelab
Source: The Chronicle of Philanthropy
8. John and Laura Arnold
John and Laura ArnoldYouTube/Nexus Global Youth Summit
Source of wealth: Energy and finance
Total amount donated: $285,000,000
Biggest causes: Laura and John Arnold Foundation — education, scientific integrity, criminal justice, and public pensions
Source: Inside Philanthropy
7. Charles Butt
CEO of HEB grocery stores Charles Butt.Facebook/H-E-B
Source of wealth: Retail
Total amount donated: $290,000,000
Biggest causes: Holdsworth Center, The Charles Butt Foundation primarily funds grants towards education, cultural, and health institution with past grants for St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, The Menil Collection, and Meadows mental Helath Policy Institute
Source: Inside Philanthropy
6. Florence Irving
Source of wealth: Food and beverage
Total amount donated: $680,000,000
Biggest causes: Columbia University Herbert and Florence Irving Medical Center, New York-Presbyterian Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Metropolitan Museum of Art
Source: The Chronicle of Philanthropy
5. Michael Bloomberg
Michael Bloomberg, founder and CEO of Bloomberg, the financial data and media company.Tim P. Whitby/Getty
Source of wealth: Media
Total amount donated: $702,000,000
Biggest causes: Arts, education, environment, public-health groups, and programs aimed at improving city governments around the world
Source: The Chronicle of Philanthropy
4. Henry Hillman
Henry Hillman, of Pittsburgh Coke & Chemical, and his wife Elise.Keith Srakocic/AP
Source of wealth: Investments
Total amount donated: $850,000,000
Biggest causes: Hillman Family Foundation
Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
3. Michael and Susan Dell
Source of wealth: Technology
Total amount donated: $1,000,000,000
Biggest causes: Michael and Susan Dell Foundation — children and family poverty in Central Texas, India, and South Africa; social enterprises and nonprofits for urban education and family economic stability
Source: Forbes
2. Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan.Adam Berry/Getty
Source of wealth: Technology
Total amount donated: $2,018,944,200
Biggest causes: Chan Zuckerberg Foundation, Chan Zuckerberg Donor Advised Fund at Silicon Valley Community Foundation
Sources: The Chronicle of Philanthropy and Forbes
1. Bill and Melinda Gates
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Source of wealth: Technology
Total amount donated: $4,780,000,000
Biggest causes: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation — enhance healthcare, reduce extreme poverty, expand educational opportunities
Source: Forbes
