‘Worth’: a Ranking of 100 Biggest Donors

George Soros tops Worth magazine’s latest ranking of the nation’s 100 most generous philanthropists (April).

The magazine bases its ranking on the amount that donors have given throughout their lifetimes. Mr. Soros, the international financier, has contributed more than $2-billion to charity, the magazine says. He was followed on the list by Walter Annenberg, who has donated more than $1.2-billion.

Rounding out the top five were: William and Flora Hewlett, who have donated $835-million, Charles F. Feeney ($700-million) and Laurance S. Rockefeller ($386-million).

Ranking No. 100 on the list were Robert and Nancy Dedman, a Dallas couple who contributed $36-million to charity.

The magazine says that in developing the ranking, it counts no gift “unless it is actually at work.” It adds: “Gifts to personal foundations aren’t included until the money is paid out. Pledges don’t cut it. Nor, of course, do those increasingly popular vows by wealthy individuals — Warren Buffett and Ross Perot, for example — to leave fortunes to charity after they die.”

Though such people were not given extra points for their pledges, the magazine praised the decision by people like Mr. Buffett and Bill Gates to defer the bulk of their philanthropy. Worth calls such people “philanthropic enablers” because through their businesses they are creating numerous wealthy people, many of whom give significant sums to charity.

Of the philanthropists on the list, 24 inherited their wealth, 71 earned it, and 5 both inherited and earned it. Seventeen are female. The charitable cause that was of most concern to the people on the list was education; 65 donors ranked it among their top causes. Art and culture was second, with 35 people listing that area as a key philanthropic priority.

Worth magazine is available on line at http://www.worth.com.