2009: A Slow Year For Big Philanthropy

The Chronicle of Philanthropy reports that billionaires gave less to charity in 2009.

In purely financial terms, last year was a dismal one for megagifts. The donors on the Philanthropy 50, The Chronicle’s annual list of the most-generous people in America, gave a total of $4.1-billion to charity in 2009, less than in all but one year since the newspaper began tracking the biggest philanthropists in 2000. The median gift was $41.4-million, meaning that half of those on the list gave more and half gave less. That figure compared with $69.3-million in 2008 and $74.7-million in 2007. But while the recession is dissuading some of the country’s wealthiest people from donating, it is spurring others to get more creative in their giving. Gifts for new buildings were few last year, while donations to solve environmental and social problems, ameliorate the recession’s toll, and encourage charities to work together and in new ways, were more common.

Last year NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg donated $254M of his estimated $18B fortune, giving to over 1300 charities and placing him fourth on the list of the nation's largest philanthropists for 2009. Like the Gates, Bloomberg has said that he plans for great majority of his estate to go to charity upon his demise. Here's the top ten givers for last year.

1. Stanley and Fiona Druckenmiller, $705 million to the Druckenmiller Foundation
2. John M. Templeton (Bequest), $573 million to Templeton Foundation
3. Bill and Melinda Gates, $350 million to the Gates Foundation
4. Michael R. Bloomberg, $254 million to 1,358 groups
5. Louise Nippert, $185 million to Greenacres Foundation
6. George Soros, $150 million: $100 million to establish Fund for Policy Reform; $50 million to Central European University.)
7. Eli and Edythe L. Broad, $105.2-million to the Broad Foundations
8. J. Ronald and Frances Terwilliger, $102 million: $100 million to Habitat for Humanity Intl.; $2 million to other groups
9. William P. Clements Jr., $100 million to Southwestern Medical Foundation
10. Pierre and Pam Omidyar, $92 million: $50 million to Hawaii Community Foundation; $41 million to HopeLab and Humanity United; $1 million to U. of Hawaii