2016 Philanthropy 50 Related Stories ➞
6 Graphics to Tell You More About the 2016 Philanthropy 50
By Maria Di Mento and Nidhi Singh
February 9, 2016 | Read Time: 1 minute
What causes and institutions received the most money from America’s 50 most generous donors in 2015? Which states have the most big donors? Which states received the most contributions? Plus: Compare the giving of tech moguls, finance titans, and those who inherited their wealth.
Where the Donations of $1 Million or More Went
Notes: Not all donors provided names of organizations to which they gave. The other-groups category is made up of single gifts to several organizations: $15 million to an environmental group, $4.5 million to a zoo, $2 million to a health charity, and $1 million to public broadcasting.
Source of Wealth
The Philanthropy 50 included 13 finance donors, 10 tech donors, and 8 who inherited wealth. Together they gave $4.3 billion in 2015; that’s 61 percent of the total given by all donors on the list that year.
Philanthropy 50 Over the Past Decade
See the total giving for each year and the smallest, median, and largest amounts given by individual philanthropists.
| Year | Total | Most | Least | Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | $6,952,984,408 | $758,866,026 | $32,600,000 | $91,125,000 |
| 2014 | $10,208,489,408 | $1,920,000,000 | $43,321,908 | $92,500,000 |
| 2013 | $7,678,542,954 | $992,160,000 | $37,500,000 | $8,610,000 |
| 2012 | $7,438,511,292 | $3,084,315,989 | $27,000,000 | $49,600,000 |
| 2011 | $10,435,423,966 | $6,000,000,000 | $26,000,000 | $60,972,835 |
| 2010 | $3,258,472,656 | $332,000,000 | $20,000,000 | $39,575,700 |
| 2009 | $4,124,039,702 | $705,000,000 | $16,200,000 | $41,400,000 |
| 2008 | $15,538,489,255 | $5,200,000,000 | $30,450,000 | $69,300,000 |
| 2007 | $7,393,049,567 | $1,200,000,000 | $39,000,000 | $74,700,000 |
| 2006 | $50,736,471,425 | $43,549,295,000 | $37,600,000 | $73,200,000 |
| 2005 | $4,042,922,673 | $404,000,000 | $25,000,000 | $40,600,000 |
Note: The 2006 total includes Warren Buffett’s $36.1 billion pledge to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Ages of Living Donors
Jan Koum, 39, is the youngest and Jack Taylor, 93 is the oldest. The median age is 69.
Note: Some donors did not disclose their age.
Where the Philanthropy 50 Live
Thirty-four states and the District of Columbia have no donors on the list.
Where the Philanthropy 50 Give
