No. 3: Paul G. Allen

Paul G. Allen Paul G. Allen

February 6, 2012 | Read Time: 1 minute

Amount donated in 2011: $372.6-million

Biggest beneficiary: Paul G. Allen Family Foundation

Other key beneficiary: Allen Institute for Brain Science

Donor’s background: Mr. Allen founded Vulcan investment company in Seattle, and co-founded Microsoft.

Mr. Allen, 59, gave $295-million to endow his Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, which supports arts and culture, education, and social-service programs, primarily in the Pacific Northwest. The foundation gave nearly $4-million last year, including $500,000 to the Historical Society of Seattle and King County, for a new museum; $400,000 to the Lake Washington School District, in Redmond, Wash., for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics programs; $250,000 to the Urban Institute, in Washington, to conduct an evaluation of low-cost housing and human-services in Portland, Ore.; $240,000 to the Shorebank Enterprise Group Pacific, in Ilwaco, Wash., for computer support, and a loan program for Native American entrepreneurs; and $225,000 to FareStart, a Seattle food bank, to expand the group’s job-training program for homeless adults.

On top of the donation to his foundation, Mr. Allen gave $70-million last year to the Allen Institute for Brain Science to support the Seattle institute’s neuroscience and genomics-research programs. Mr. Allen established the brain institute in 2003.

In addition, the philanthropist donated $7.6-million to the Experience Music Project, a museum he established in 2000 that is dedicated to rock music, and to the Science Fiction Museum, which he started in 2003. Both are in Seattle.

—Maria Di Mento

**Previous Appearances on the list**
Year	Rank	Total donated or pledged
2010	31	$32.3-million
2009	11	$85.0-million
2008	30	$55.9-million
2007	43	$46.0-million
2006	42	$52.8-million
2005	24	$49.0-million
2004	18	$71.9-million
2003	6	$158.0-million
2002	14	$73.7-million