"Higher education, hospitals, medical research, foundations and donor-advised funds - which serve as savings accounts reserved for charitable giving - drew the biggest gifts in 2025. The education and medical fields are a perennial favorite of high-dollar donors. To a degree, these preferences for supporting education and health were first expressed by Andrew Carnegie in his 1889 essay, 'The Gospel of Wealth,' in which he famously claimed that 'the man who dies rich dies disgraced.'"
"This list changes little from year to year. Of this year's top 20 donors, 16 have appeared at least one other time over the past five years. Six others have also made this list at least two other times since 2021. For the third year in a row, former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg is at the top of the list. He gave away over $4 billion in 2025, over $500 million more than the next highest donor."
"The 50 American individuals and couples who gave or pledged the most to charity in 2025 committed US$22.4 billion to foundations, universities, hospitals and more. That total was 35% above an inflation-adjusted $16.6 billion in 2024, according to the Chronicle of Philanthropy's latest annual tally of these donations."
The Chronicle of Philanthropy's 2025 ranking reveals that America's top 50 donors and couples contributed $22.4 billion to charitable causes, representing a significant 35% increase over inflation-adjusted 2024 giving of $16.6 billion. Mike Bloomberg topped the list with over $4 billion in donations, followed by Bill Gates and Paul Allen's estate. Major recipients included higher education institutions, hospitals, medical research, foundations, and donor-advised funds. The donor composition remains relatively stable, with 16 of the top 20 donors appearing on previous lists within five years. These philanthropic patterns reflect long-standing preferences for education and health sectors, traditions dating back to Andrew Carnegie's 1889 philosophy. Notably, half of the repeat top-50 givers have signed The Giving Pledge, committing to donate the majority of their wealth to charitable causes.
#philanthropic-giving-trends #charitable-donations-2025 #high-net-worth-donors #education-and-healthcare-funding #the-giving-pledge
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