A list of America's top 50 donors of 2020
The donors who gave the most in 2020, according to the Philanthropy 50, an annual ranking compiled by the Chronicle of Philanthropy, include Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, author MacKenzie Scott, and Michael Bloomberg, founder of the Bloomberg financial news company
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Your support makes all the difference.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.
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1. Jeff Bezos
Amazon founder
$10.2 billion
Biggest gift: $10 billion to Bezos Earth Fund
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2. MacKenzie Scott
Author and ex-wife of Jeff Bezos
$5.7 billion
Biggest gift: Various
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3. Michael Bloomberg
Founder of Bloomberg financial news company
$1.6 billion
Biggest gift: Various
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4. Philip and Penelope Knight
Nike co-founder and wife
$1.4 billion
Biggest gift: $900.7 million to Knight Foundation
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5. Jack Dorsey
Co-founder and CEO of Twitter and Square
$1.1 billion
Biggest gift: Donor-advised funds
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6. John and Laura Arnold
Retired hedge-fund manager and wife
$567 million
Biggest gift: $482 million to Laura and John Arnold Foundation
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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
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8. Pierre and Pam Omidyar
Founder of eBay and wife
$441 million
Biggest gift: Various
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9. Frederick and June Kummer
Construction magnate (Frederick) and architect (June)
$300 million
Biggest gift: $300 million to Kummer Institute Foundation
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10. Denny Sanford
Banker
$224.2 million
Biggest gift: Various
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11. Stephen Ross
Real-estate developer
$179.5 million
Biggest gift: $100 million to U. of Michigan at Ann Arbor
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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
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14. Reed Hastings and Patty Quillin
Netflix co-founder and wife
$151 million
Biggest gift : $40 million each to Morehouse and Spelman colleges and United Negro College Fund
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15. Sheryl Sandberg
Facebook chief operating officer
$122.8 million
Biggest gift: $63 million to the Sandberg Goldberg Charitable Support Fund
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16. Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan
Facebook co-founder (Mark) and pediatrician (Priscilla)
$120 million
Biggest gift : $60 million each to Chan Zuckerberg Donor Advised Fund at Silicon Valley Community Foundation and Chan Zuckerberg Foundation
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17. (tie) Craig Newmark
Craigslist founder
$100 million
Biggest gift: $60 million to Craig Newmark Foundation
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17. (tie) David and Barbara Roux
Technology investor and wife
$100 million
Biggest gift: $100 million to Roux Institute at Northeastern University
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19. Phyllis Brissenden
Family wealth
$96.9 million
Biggest gift: $48.5 million to the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis
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20. Sergey Brin and Nicole Shanahan
Google co-founder and wife
$78.3 million
Biggest gift: $23.9 million to Bia-Echo Foundation
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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
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22. George and Renee Karfunkel
Businessman and wife
$66.4 million
Biggest gift: $66.4 million to Congregation Chemdas Yisroel
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23. Arthur Blank
Home Depot co-founder
$65.7 million
Biggest gift: $65.7 million to Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation
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24. Charles and Helen Schwab
Financial-services company founder and wife
$65 million
Biggest gift: $65 million to Tipping Point Community
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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
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26. Wilbur (Billy) and Ann Powers
Construction company founder and wife
$60 million
Biggest gift: $60 million to Clemson University
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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
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28. Robert Smith
Financier
$55 million
Biggest gift: $50 million to Student Freedom Initiative
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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
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30. Gail Miller
Businesswoman
$52.8 million
Biggest gift: $50 million to Intermountain Healthcare
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31. Michael Jordan
Retired basketball player
$52 million
Biggest gift: Various
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32. Richard and Mary Templeton
Retired CEO of Texas Instruments (Richard) and computer scientist (Mary)
$51 million
Biggest gift: $51 million to Union College
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33. (tie) Chris Malachowsky
Technology company co-founder
$50 million
Biggest gift: $50 million to University of Florida
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33. (tie) Gordon Rausser
Venture capitalist, former college dean
$50 million
Biggest gift: $50 million to University of California at Berkeley
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33. (tie) Sheldon and Anne Vogel
Former Atlantic Records executive and wife
$50 million
Biggest gift: $50 million to Monmouth Medical Center
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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
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37. Bob and JoAnn Glick
Founder of Dots and wife
$42.4 million
Biggest gift: $42 million to MetroHealth System
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38. Jim and Thomas Duff
Businessmen
$41.1 million
Biggest gift: $26 million to University of Mississippi
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39. Richard and Nancy Kinder
Businessman and wife
$40.03 million
Biggest gift: $40.03 million to Kinder Foundation
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40. (tie) Marc and Lynne Benioff
Salesforce founder and wife
$40 million
Biggest gift: $10 million to Jane Goodall Legacy Foundation
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40. (tie) William and Joanne Conway
Private-equity firm co-founder and wife
$40 million
Biggest gift : $20 million each to Catholic University of America and University of Virginia
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40. (tie) Haslam Family
Founders of Pilot Corporation
$40 million
Biggest gift: $40 million to University of Tennessee at Knoxville Haslam College of Business
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40. (tie) Will and Cary Singleton
Managers of Singleton Ranches
$40 million
Biggest gift: $40 million to Saint John’s Health Center Foundation
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44. Irvin Kanthak
Real-estate investor
$33.7 million
Biggest gift: $30 million to University of St. Thomas
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45. (tie) Bruce and Debra Grewcock
Kiewit Corporation executive chair and wife
$30 million
Biggest gift: $30 million to the Colorado School of Mines
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45. (tie) Daniel and Jennifer Hord
Real-estate developers
$30 million
Biggest gift: $30 million to Baylor University
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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
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48. Richard McVey
Financier
$25.9 million
Biggest gift: $20 million to Miami University
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49. Warner and Debbie Lusardi
Construction-company executive and wife
$25.1 million
Biggest gift: $25.1 million to Scripps Memorial Hospital
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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
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50. (tie) Christopher and Lisa Jeffries
Real-estate developer and wife
$25 million
Biggest gift: $25 million to Henry Ford Health System
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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
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50. (tie) Helena Theurer
Businesswoman
$25 million
Biggest gift: $25 million to Hackensack University Medical Center Foundation
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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.