The Philanthropy 50 2009 Gift Profile: Pierre and Pam Omidyar

Pierre and Pam Omidyar: $92-million

Biggest beneficiary: Hawaii Community Foundation

Other key beneficiaries: HopeLab and Humanity United

Donors’ background: Mr. Omidyar founded eBay, in San Jose, Calif. Ms. Omidyar is chairwoman of HopeLab, a nonprofit group in Redwood City, Calif., that develops technology to help chronically ill children.

Mr. Omidyar and his wife, Pam, both 42, pledged $50-million to the Hawaii Community Foundation, in Honolulu. The money will support various programs, including one designed to help people who are struggling because of the recession, and another to help pay for new buildings for kindergartners and first graders at the Punahou School, in Honolulu. The couple paid about $20-million toward the pledge last year.

Mr. and Ms. Omidyar are former residents of Hawaii, and returned to live in Honolulu more than a year ago.

In addition, the Omidyars gave a total of $41-million to HopeLab, and to Humanity United, a Redwood City organization that supports efforts to fight slavery and mass atrocities around the world. Ms. Omidyar founded both groups. She also pledged $1-million to the University of Hawaii Foundation, in Manoa, for the university’s Confocal Microscopy Laboratory at the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology. The money will pay for a new microscope to study the physiological activities of living cells in coral-reef ecosystems.

—Maria Di Mento

View more profiles of donors who gave the most in 2009.