Philanthropy 50: List of America’s top 50 donors of 2021

These are the donors who gave the most in 2021, according to the Philanthropy 50, an annual ranking compiled by the Chronicle of Philanthropy

Philanthropy-Philanthropy50

These are the donors who gave the most in 2021, 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. Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates

Microsoft co-founder (Bill); founder of Pivotal Ventures investment firm (Melinda)

$15 billion

Biggest gift: $15 billion to Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

___

2. Michael Bloomberg

Founder of Bloomberg financial-news company

$1.7 billion

Biggest gift: Various

___

3.William Ackman and Neri Oxman

Pershing Square Capital Management founder and wife

$1.2 billion

Biggest gift: $1.2 billion to Pershing Square Foundation, Bill Ackman and Neri Oxman Foundation, and Oxman-Ackman Family Fund

___

4. Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan

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

$1.05 billion

Biggest gift: $723 million to Chan Zuckerberg Donor Advised Fund at Silicon Valley Community Foundation

___

5. Sergey Brin and Nicole Shanahan

Google co-founder and wife

$816.1 million

Biggest gift: $464 million to Sergey Brin Family Foundation

___

6. Jack Dorsey

Co-founder of Twitter and Block

$764.6 million

Biggest gift: $764.6 million to Jack Dorsey Donor Advised Fund at Fidelity Charitable and other DAFs

___

7. Denny Sanford

Banker

$725 million

Biggest gift: $650 million to Sanford Health

___

8. Phil and Penny Knight

Nike co-founder and wife

$700 million

Biggest gift: $500 million to University of Oregon

___

9. Jeff Bezos

Amazon founder

$510.7 million

Biggest gift: $200 million to Smithsonian Institution, National Air and Space Museum

___

10. Patrick and Shirley Ryan

Businessman and wife

$480 million

Biggest gift: $480 million to Northwestern University

___

11. Eric and Wendy Schmidt

Former Google CEO and wife

$382.8 million

Biggest gift: $358.5 million to Eric and Wendy Schmidt Fund for Strategic Innovation

___

12. Steve and Connie Ballmer

Former Microsoft CEO and wife

$355.9 million

Biggest gift: $355.9 million to Ballmer Group Donor Advised Fund at Goldman Sachs Philanthropy Fund

___

13. Pierre and Pam Omidyar

Founder of eBay and wife

$332 million

Biggest gift: Various

___

14. John and Laura Arnold

Retired hedge-fund manager (John) and former lawyer (Laura)

$270 million

Biggest gift: $270 million Laura and John Arnold Foundation

___

15. Goodwin Family

Real-estate developers

$250 million

Biggest gift: $250 million to Break Through Cancer

___

16. Charles Koch

Koch Industries chairman and CEO

$240.5 million

Biggest gift: $109 million to Stand Together Trust

___

17. Sobrato Family

Real-estate developers

$212.1 million

Biggest gift: $162 million to Sobrato Family Foundation

___

18. Irwin and Joan Jacobs

Qualcomm co-founder and wife

$209.9 million

Biggest gift: $100 million to Salk Institute for Biological Studies

___

19. Jerome Richardson and Rosalind Sallenger Richardson

Businessman and wife

$150 million

Biggest gift: $150 million to Wofford College

___

20. Jared and Monica Isaacman

Founder of Draken International and Shift4 Payments and wife

$145 million

$125 million to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

___

21. John and Tashia Morgridge

Chairman emeritus of Cisco Systems and wife

$135 million

Biggest gift: $135 million to University of Wisconsin at Madison

___

22. Oscar Tang and Agnes Hsu-Tang

Financier (Oscar) and archaeologist and art historian (Agnes)

$125 million

Biggest gift: $125 million to Metropolitan Museum of Art

___

23. Daryl and Christine Burton

Real-estate developers

$123.9 million

Biggest gift: $123.9 million to Arizona Community Foundation

___

24. William Miller III

Financier

$101.3 million

Biggest gift: $50 million to Johns Hopkins University and $50 million to Santa Fe Institute

___

25. (tie) Mark and Robyn Jones

Insurance company founders

$101 million

Biggest gift: $101 million to Montana State U. College of Nursing

___

25. (tie) Frank and Monica McCourt

Financier and wife

$101 million

Biggest gift: $100 million to Georgetown University

___

27. (tie) Harry and Linda Fath

Businessman and wife

$100 million

Biggest gift: $50 million to Mercy Ships and $50 million to University of Notre Dame

___

27. (tie) Penny Pritzker

Businesswoman

$100 million

Biggest gift: $100 million to Harvard University

___

27. (tie) Arthur Riggs

Geneticist

$100 million

Biggest gift: $100 million to City of Hope

___

27. (tie) Julian Robertson Jr.

Financier

$100 million

Biggest gift: $100 million to Robertson Foundation

___

31. K. Lisa Yang

Former investment banker

$82 million

Biggest gift: $51.7 million to Massachusetts Institute of Technology

___

32. Bruce and Elizabeth Dunlevie

Benchmark Capital founder and wife

$80 million

Biggest gift: $80 million to Lucille Packard Foundation for Children’s Health

___

33. Melanie Smith Taylor

Olympic gold medalist

$79.5 million

Biggest gift: $79.5 million to University of Tennessee at Martin

___

34. (tie) James and Paula Crown

Henry Crown and Company president and wife

$75 million

Biggest gift: $75 million to University of Chicago

___

34. (tie) Paul and Joyce Robsham

Real estate developers

$75 million

Biggest gift: $75 million to Boston College

___

36. Austin Russell

Luminar Technologies founder

$70 million

Biggest gift: $70 million to Central Florida Foundation

___

37. Robert and Karen Hale

Granite Telecommunications co-founder and wife

$63.1 million

Biggest gift: $30 million to Connecticut College

___

38. Helene Houle

Businesswoman

$60 million

Biggest gift: $60 million to Mayo Clinic

___

39. John and Carolyn Sonnentag

Business owners

$57 million

Biggest gift: $57 million to University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire Foundation

___

40. Agnes Neill Williams

Lawyer

$56.5 million

Biggest gift: $24.3 million to College of the Holy Cross

___

41. Arley Cathey

Businesman

$54.5 million

Biggest gift: $54.5 million to University of Chicago

___

42. Peter and Stephanie Nolan

Financier and wife

$52.5 million

Biggest gift: $50 million to Cornell University

___

43. Tessa Ader

Jewelry designer

$50.2 million

Biggest gift: $50.2 million to University of Virginia

___

44. Richard and Nancy Kinder

Businessman and wife

$50.04 million

Biggest gift: $50.04 million to Kinder Foundation

___

45. (tie) Donald and Andrea Friese

Businessman and wife

$50 million

Biggest gift: $50 million to Providence Tarzana Foundation

___

45. (tie) Robert and Donna Manning

Financier and wife

$50 million

Biggest gift: $50 million to University of Massachusetts

___

45. (tie) Paul and Cleo Schimmel

Biophysical chemist and wife

$50 million

Biggest gift: $50 million to Massachusetts Institute of Technology

___

45. (tie) Leonard Stern

Businesman

$50 million

Biggest gift: $50 million to New York University, Leonard N. Stern School of Business

___

49. Charles (Buddy) Weill Jr.

Investor

$48.2 million

Biggest gift: $48.2 million to Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro

___

50. Doris Kelley Christopher

Businesswoman

$45 million

Biggest gift: $45 million to University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

___

The Associated Press receives support from the Lilly Endowment for coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits. The AP is solely responsible for all content.