A list of America's top 50 donors of 2020

A list of America's top 50 donors of 2020

(Associated Press)


1 photo
Save Story
Leer en español

Estimated read time: 5-6 minutes

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

These are the donors who gave the most in 2020, according to the Philanthropy 50, an annual ranking compiled by the Chronicle of Philanthropy. A searchable database with more information on the donors and their beneficiaries is available at philanthropy.com.

___

1. Jeff Bezos

Amazon founder

$10.2 billion

Biggest gift: $10 billion to Bezos Earth Fund

___

2. MacKenzie Scott

Author and ex-wife of Jeff Bezos

$5.7 billion

Biggest gift: Various

___

3. Michael Bloomberg

Founder of Bloomberg financial news company

$1.6 billion

Biggest gift: Various

___

4. Philip and Penelope Knight

Nike co-founder and wife

$1.4 billion

Biggest gift: $900.7 million to Knight Foundation

___

5. Jack Dorsey

Co-founder and CEO of Twitter and Square

$1.1 billion

Biggest gift: Donor-advised funds

___

6. John and Laura Arnold

Retired hedge-fund manager and wife

$567 million

Biggest gift: $482 million to Laura and John Arnold Foundation

___

7. Eric and Wendy Schmidt

Former Google CEO and wife

$469.6 million

Biggest gift: $335.3 million to Eric and Wendy Schmidt Fund for Strategic Innovation

___

8. Pierre and Pam Omidyar

Founder of eBay and wife

$441 million

Biggest gift: Various

___

9. Frederick and June Kummer

Construction magnate (Frederick) and architect (June)

$300 million

Biggest gift: $300 million to Kummer Institute Foundation

___

10. Denny Sanford

Banker

$224.2 million

Biggest gift: Various

___

11. Stephen Ross

Real-estate developer

$179.5 million

Biggest gift: $100 million to U. of Michigan at Ann Arbor

___

12. John and Susan Sobrato

Real-estate developers

$176.8 million

Biggest gift: $135.2 million to Sobrato Foundation at Silicon Valley Community Foundation

13. Bill and Melinda Gates

Microsoft co-founder and wife

$157 million (estimated)

Biggest gift: Estimated $157 million to Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

___

14. Reed Hastings and Patty Quillin

Netflix co-founder and wife

$151 million

Biggest gifts: $40 million each to Morehouse and Spelman colleges and United Negro College Fund

___

15. Sheryl Sandberg

Facebook chief operating officer

$122.8 million

Biggest gift: $63 million to the Sandberg Goldberg Charitable Support Fund

___

16. Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan

Facebook co-founder (Mark) and pediatrician (Priscilla)

$120 million

Biggest gifts: $60 million each to Chan Zuckerberg Donor Advised Fund at Silicon Valley Community Foundation and Chan Zuckerberg Foundation

___

17. (tie) Craig Newmark

Craigslist founder

$100 million

Biggest gift: $60 million to Craig Newmark Foundation

___

17. (tie) David and Barbara Roux

Technology investor and wife

$100 million

Biggest gift: $100 million to Roux Institute at Northeastern University

___

19. Phyllis Brissenden

Family wealth

$96.9 million

Biggest gift: $48.5 million to the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis

___

20. Sergey Brin and Nicole Shanahan

Google co-founder and wife

$78.3 million

Biggest gift: $23.9 million to Bia-Echo Foundation

___

21. Irwin and Joan Jacobs

Qualcomm co-founder and wife

$66.41 million

Biggest gift: $17.1 million to Joan and Irwin Jacobs Fund at the Jewish Community Foundation of San Diego

___

22. George and Renee Karfunkel

Businessman and wife

$66.4 million

Biggest gift: $66.4 million to Congregation Chemdas Yisroel

___

23. Arthur Blank

Home Depot co-founder

$65.7 million

Biggest gift: $65.7 million to Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation

___

24. Charles and Helen Schwab

Financial-services company founder and wife

$65 million

Biggest gift: $65 million to Tipping Point Community

___

25. Hock Tan and Lisa Yang

Broadcom CEO and wife

$64.5 million

Biggest gift: $28 million for K. Lisa Yang and Hock E. Tan Center for Molecular Therapeutics in Neuroscience

___

26. Wilbur (Billy) and Ann Powers

Construction company founder and wife

$60 million

Biggest gift: $60 million to Clemson University

___

27. David and Dana Dornsife

Chairman of the Board of the Herrick Corporation (David) and founder and CEO of Lazarex Cancer Foundation (Dana)

$59 million

Biggest gift: $40 million to World Vision

___

28. Robert Smith

Financier

$55 million

Biggest gift: $50 million to Student Freedom Initiative

___

29. Leon and Debra Black

Financier (Leon) and Broadway theater producer (Debra)

$53.8 million

Biggest gift: $53.8 million to Debra and Leon Black Family Fund at National Philanthropic Trust

___

30. Gail Miller

Businesswoman

$52.8 million

Biggest gift: $50 million to Intermountain Healthcare

___

31. Michael Jordan

Retired basketball player

$52 million

Biggest gift: Various

___

32. Richard and Mary Templeton

CEO of Texas Instruments (Richard) and computer scientist (Mary)

$51 million

Biggest gift: $51 million to Union College

___

33. (tie) Chris Malachowsky

Technology company co-founder

$50 million

Biggest gift: $50 million to University of Florida

___

33. (tie) Gordon Rausser

Venture capitalist, former college dean

$50 million

Biggest gift: $50 million to University of California at Berkeley

___

33. (tie) Sheldon and Anne Vogel

Former Atlantic Records executive and wife

$50 million

Biggest gift: $50 million to Monmouth Medical Center

___

36. Ronald and Eileen Weiser

Real-estate developer and wife

$44.5 million

Biggest gift: $24.5 million to University of Michigan Elizabeth Weiser Caswell Diabetes Institute

___

37. Bob and JoAnn Glick

Founder of Dots and wife

$42.4 million

Biggest gift: $42 million to MetroHealth System

___

38. Jim and Thomas Duff

Businessmen

$41.1 million

Biggest gift: $26 million to University of Mississippi

___

39. Richard and Nancy Kinder

Businessman and wife

$40.03 million

Biggest gift: $40.03 million to Kinder Foundation

___

40. (tie) Marc and Lynne Benioff

Salesforce founder and wife

$40 million

Biggest gift: $10 million to Jane Goodall Legacy Foundation

___

40. (tie) William and Joanne Conway

Private-equity firm co-founder and wife

$40 million

Biggest gifts: $20 million each to Catholic University of America and University of Virginia

___

40. (tie) Haslam Family

Founders of Pilot Corporation

$40 million

Biggest gift: $40 million to University of Tennessee at Knoxville Haslam College of Business

___

40. (tie) Will and Cary Singleton

Managers of Singleton Ranches

$40 million

Biggest gift: $40 million to Saint John's Health Center Foundation

___

44. Irvin Kanthak

Real-estate investor

$33.7 million

Biggest gift: $30 million to University of St. Thomas

___

45. (tie) Bruce and Debra Grewcock

Kiewit Corporation executive chair and wife

$30 million

Biggest gift: $30 million to the Colorado School of Mines

___

45. (tie) Daniel and Jennifer Hord

Real-estate developers

$30 million

Biggest gift: $30 million to Baylor University

___

47. Joseph Gebbia Jr.

Airbnb co-founder

$27 million

Biggest gift: $12.5 million each to All Home and Rising Up-Larkin Street Youth Services

___

48. Richard McVey

Financier

$25.9 million

Biggest gift: $20 million to Miami University

___

49. Warner and Debbie Lusardi

Construction-company executive and wife

$25.1 million

Biggest gift: $25.1 million to Scripps Memorial Hospital

___

50. (tie) Steve and Jackie Bell

Real-estate investor and wife

$25 million

Biggest gift: $25 million to University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

___

50. (tie) Christopher and Lisa Jeffries

Real-estate developer and wife

$25 million

Biggest gift: $25 million to Henry Ford Health System

___

50. (tie) Brad and Alys Smith

Technology executive (Brad) and lawyer (Alys)

$25 million

Biggest gift: $25 million to Brad and Alys Smith Outdoor Economic Development Collaborative at West Virginia University

___

50. (tie) Helena Theurer

Businesswoman

$25 million

Biggest gift: $25 million to Hackensack University Medical Center Foundation

___

This article was provided to The Associated Press by the Chronicle of Philanthropy. The AP and the Chronicle receive support from the Lilly Endowment for coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits. The AP and the Chronicle are solely responsible for all content.

Copyright © 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Photos

Most recent Business stories

Related topics

Business
The Chronicle of Philanthropy
    KSL.com Beyond Series

    KSL Weather Forecast

    KSL Weather Forecast
    Play button