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A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes. The term may apply to any volunteer or to anyone who makes a donation, but the label is most often applied to those who donate large sums of money or who make a major impact through their volunteering, such as a trustee who manages a philanthropic organization.
A philanthropist may not always find universal approval for his/her deeds. Common accusations include supporting an unworthy cause (such as funding art instead of fighting world hunger) or having selfish motivation at heart (such as avoiding taxes or attaining personal fame).
Some notable philanthropists
- Jane Addams ~ co-founder of the Hull House settlement house in Chicago[1].
- Prince Karim Aga Khan IV ~ founder[2] and chairman[3] of the Aga Khan Development Network which focuses on health, education, culture, rural development, institution-building and the promotion of economic development[3].
- Howard Ahmanson, Jr. ~ multi-millionaire philanthropist and financier of the causes of many conservative Christian cultural, religious and political organizations.
- William Allen - founded and endowed many institutions and causes including 'Schools of Industry' at Lindfield and Newington Academy for Girls.
- Michael Bloomberg ~ Donations include over USD$300 million to Johns Hopkins University.
- Bono ~ co-founder of Product Red and of the One Campaign for the abolition of AIDS and poverty in Africa.
- Warren Buffett ~ pledged USD$30.7 billion worth of Berkshire Hathaway stock to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
- Nicholas Murray Butler - president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace from 1925 to 1945.
- Andrew Carnegie ~ donated money to build over 2500 libraries world-wide. Founder of The Carnegie Foundations, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and Carnegie Mellon University.
- Mickey Beyer-Clausen ~ founder of Happiness Foundation unlocking the hidden potential inside all of us to use our knowledge and skills to accelerate the impact of charitable projects.
- Anthony Ashley Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury - chairman of the Ragged Schools Union (during the Victorian era).
- Walt Disney ~ helped to fund California Institute of the Arts
- Anthony J. Drexel ~ founder of Drexel University
- Maulana Dr. Abdul Sattar Edhi ~ head of the Edhi Foundation in Pakistan.
- Marc S. Ellenbogen, Chairman, The Global Panel Foundation; co-founder The Prague Society
- Mohamed Al-Fayed ~ founder of The New School at West Heath.
- Chuck Feeney ~ founder of Atlantic Philanthropies.
- Edsel Ford ~ co-founder of the Ford Foundation.
- Henry Ford ~ co-founder of the Ford Foundation.
- Bill Gates ~ co-founder of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
- Melinda Gates ~ co-founder of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
- J. Paul Getty ~ funded the construction of the Getty Villa, the original Getty Museum, and donated his art collection to it. Upon his death, left his fortune to the Getty Museum, which eventually expanded to the Getty Center in Los Angeles.
- Thomas Holloway ~ Victorian patent medicine entrepreneur and founder of Royal Holloway, University of London
- Johns Hopkins ~ founder of the Johns Hopkins University and the Johns Hopkins Hospital
- Amal Hijazi ~ a Lebanese singer, who is known for her philanthropy
- Howard Hughes ~ Aviator, engineer, industrialist and film producer, donates US$1.56billion to various charities including the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
- Yusuf Islam (also known as Cat Stevens) ~ founder of Islamic schools, Muslim Aid and Small Kindness.
- Angelina Jolie ~ American Actress,who is well know for her humanitarian world wide and who is also a Goodwill Ambassador for the UN Refugee Agency
- Alicia Keys ~ American singer/songwriter and spokeswoman for Keep a Child Alive.
- H. F. Lenfest ~ donated $5 million in coherence with Chester County to preserve over 1,000 acres (4.0 km²) of land in Newlin Township, Chester County, PA. The land is now owned by Natural Lands Trust.
- Julius Curtis Lewis, Jr. ~ Estimated lifetime donations of USD$130 million to various civic, spiritual; charitable organizations. Many in Savannah, Georgia.
- Juliette Gordon Low~ Also known as "Daisy", founded Girl Scouts of the USA in 1912 in Savannah, GA.
- Catherine T. MacArthur ~ co-founder of the MacArthur Foundation.
- John D. MacArthur ~ co-founder of the MacArthur Foundation.
- Paul Mellon ~ major benefactor of arts and education, and co-founder of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
- Ailsa Mellon-Bruce ~ co-founder of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
- Mary Louise Milliken Childs ~ Builder of the Milliken Memorial Community House, the first privately donated community house in America.
- Samuel Morley MP ~ founded Morley College, London and endowed other institutions and causes.
- Jamie and Karen Phelps Moyer ~ founded the Moyer Foundation to assist non-profit organizations in raising money for children with serious distresses.
- Sidney Myer ~ Founder of the Iconic Australian Department store chain Myer.
- Paul Newman ~ Founder of Newman's Own and the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp for seriously ill children, as well as major donations to other charities.
- Alfred Nobel ~ founder of the Nobel Prizes.
- Princess Bernice Pauahi ~ left properties to the education of Hawaiian boys and girls in what is now Kamehameha Schools.
- Linus Pauling ~ donated time and effort and spent personal funds to bring about the worldwide ban on above ground nuclear weapons testing.
- Charles Pratt ~ founder of Pratt Institute.
- Christopher Reeve ~ founder of the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation.
- Sir David Robinson ~ founder of the Robinson Charitable Trust, and of Robinson College.
- John D. Rockefeller ~ founder of the Rockefeller Foundation and Rockefeller University.
- John D. Rockefeller Jr. - dramatically expanded the Rockefeller Foundation and Rockefeller University. He also bought and then donated the land in Manhattan upon which the United Nations headquarters was built.
- John D. Rockefeller 3rd ~ major third-generation Rockefeller philanthropist and founder of the Asia Society (1956), the Population Council (1952) and a reconstituted Japan Society, he was chairman of the Rockefeller Foundation for twenty years. He established the Rockefeller Public Service Awards in 1958. Among his many other achievements, he was the driving force behind the construction of the landmark Lincoln Center, built between 1959 and 1966, in New York City.
- J.K. Rowling President of One Parent Families, and advocate for social equity.
- Shakira ~ founder of Pies Descalzos Foundation.
- Sir Run Run Shaw ~ founder of the Shaw Prize Foundation.
- Gary Sinise ~ co-founder of Operation Iraqi Children.
- George Soros ~ estimated to have donated more than USD$6 billion, often through the Open Society Institute and Soros Foundations.
- Ellen Gates Starr ~ co-founder of Hull House.
- Levi Strauss ~ Gave to many notable foundations of his time. He also gave to many Jewish synagogues and organizations (he was Jewish himself).
- Belinda Stronach - co-founder of Spread the Net
- Abdul Razzak Tabba ~ founder of the Aziz Tabba Foundation for the welfare of the Memon community.
- Mother Teresa ~ founded the Missionaries of Charity. Her work among the poverty-stricken in Calcutta made her one of the world's most famous people.
- Cornelius Vanderbilt ~ funded Vanderbilt University.
- William Henry Vanderbilt ~ cofounder of the Metropolitan Opera.
- William Wilberforce ~ English politician, headed successful parliamentary campaign against the British slave trade, and later supported the campaign for complete abolition.
- Oprah Winfrey ~ estimated donations above USD$300 million, and founder of Oprah's Angel Network.
- Steve Wozniak ~ provided all the money, as well as a good amount of on-site technical support, for the technology program for the Los Gatos School district. Founder of Unuson.
Greatest philanthropists by amount of USD
The following table orders the greatest philanthrophists by estimated amount given to charity, corresponding to USD. Still, it should be noted that philanthropy is much more than numbers.
| Name |
Amount given |
Cause |
| Warren Buffet |
$30.7 billion |
healthcare, extreme poverty, education, access to information technology |
| Bill Gates |
$29 billion |
Education, AIDS-prevention |
| George Soros |
$6 billion |
Democratic governance, anti-Facist publications, human rights, economic, legal, and social reform |
| Howard Hughes |
$1.56 billion (in 1976) |
Medical |
Other
For a longer list of philanthropists, see Category: Philanthropists.
See also
References
External links
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