The Chronicle of Philanthropy released its annual list of the biggest charitable gifts from individuals or foundations this year, and the leading 12 donations total more than $6 billion.
The three largest contributions make up half of the total amount, and two of the dozen gifts were made by the same donors.
Check out who gave the most money to charity in 2024 and to what.
Four donors shared ninth place this year, giving $150 million each: Barbara Britt, the widow of former Time Warner Cable (CHTR) CEO Glenn Britt, gave $150 to Dartmouth College for financial aid; Hyatt (H) Brown, a retired insurance executive, and his wife, Cici Brown, gave $150 million to The Museum of Arts and Sciences in Daytona Beach, Florida; Ernest Stephens Jr., a financier, and his daughter Tessa Stephenson Brand, an event planner, gave City of Hope $150 million for pancreatic cancer research; and Byron Trott, chair of BDT & MSD Partners merchant bank, and his wife Tina Trott, gave the STARS College Network $150 million through their foundation to help rural students graduate college.
Jeff Bezos’ parents, Jackie and Mike Bezos, gave the Aspen Institute $185.7 million through the Bezos Family Foundation to establish the Center for Rising Generations.
Walmart (WMT) heiress Alice Walton gave Mercy Health $350 million to create a cardiac care center.
Roy Vagelos, the former chairman of Merck (MRK), and his wife Diana Vagelos gave the Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons $400 million.
Netflix (NFLX) co-founder Reed Hastings and his wife Patty Quillin gave $502.4 million to their own fund, the Hasting Fund at Silicon Valley Community Foundation.
Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) CEO Warren Buffett gave $716.1 million to the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation.
Ruth Gottesman, professor emerita at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, gave $1 billion to the Albert Einstein College of Medicine for financial aid. Former NYC Mayor and Bloomberg founder Michael Bloomberg also gave $1 billion to Johns Hopkins University for financial aid.
Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings and his wife, Patty Quillin, who gave the fifth-largest donation, also made the biggest gift of the year. They donated $1.1 billion to their own fund, the Hastings Fund at Silicon Valley Community Foundation.
