George Soros, Paul Allen, Michael Bloomberg Top List Of Philanthropists In 2011 (SLIDESHOW)

The top 50 donors in the U.S. gave $10.4-billion last year, up from $3.3 billion the previous year, according to the Chronicle of Philanthropy.

One large gift -- $6 billion from heiress Margaret A. Cargill -- boosted the numbers. Excluding her donation, major gifts totaled $4.4 billion.

A recently released study from PNC Wealth Management reveals that 59 percent of millionaires feel they have an obligation to give back to their community.

"It is encouraging to see that millionaires, considering today's economic headwinds, recognize a personal responsibility to give back to perpetuate the legacy of a 'cared for society,'" R. Bruce Bickel, senior vice president of PNC Wealth Management, said in the release.

Eli Broad, billionaire real-estate titan who founded the Broad Foundation to improve urban education, attributes the increase in giving to economic trends, according to the Chronicle report.

“Consumer confidence is up, business confidence is up modestly,” says Eli Broad who last year gave $27-million to his foundations. “If that continues, people will open their purses wider.”

Warren E. Buffett, Bill and Melinda Gates and Ted Turner are not on the list as they are paying off pledges made in previous years and not making new commitments, the Chronicle reports.

Mark Zuckerberg is absent from the Top 50 list this year. He came in No. 10 last year after giving $100 million to New Jersey schools.

Charitable giving in general rose 7.5 percent in 2011, compared to 2010, the Atlas of Giving reported.

Check out the full list of the Philanthropy 50 at the Chronicle of Philanthropy.

SLIDESHOW: Top 10 Philanthropists Of 2011

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Comments

[MelanieKrueger5]

01:56 PM on 02/10/2012

Thank you Mr. Soros for all you do. Like, try to change history by installing yoru own people in foreign governments. Case in point - Azerbaijan - Samir Sharifov who by the way used to work with the American CIA.

[Billionairechronicles]

10:34 AM on 02/08/2012

Some would argue Soros's gifts are really political contributions.
Except for "poor brother" William, Koch Bros. don't make the list. Walmart Walton Family is also "AWOL"
http://www.billionairechronicles.net/gates-buffett-turner-generous-top-50

[jsmit]

12:47 PM on 02/07/2012

The measure shouldn't be absolute dollars given, but what percent of their wealth did they give. A person worth $10B giving $1B to charity actually gave less than someone making $100K giving $10K because that $10K will be felt much more.

[gpop824]

12:42 AM on 02/08/2012

One Billion is less than 1 Hundred Thousand. A person gives what he wants If the individual making $100,000 gives 10%, that is his preocative.The principal here is that people give to charity and good causes they belive in. How much they give is not important, it's an individual choice. How often have you seen people drop a dollar or change into a Salvation Army kettle,
We have no idea how much they make? Do you think they should give more? The Salvation Army doesn't complain, they accept it and are grateful. How sad that we becoming a society of jealousy.

[jsmit]

09:06 AM on 02/08/2012

Of course giving is an individual choice and people can give what they want. That is not the point I am making.

The point is that all these wealthy people run around and get kudos for giving "so much" to charity and it actually amounts to very little. They have not sacrificed at all and they are being feted as some sort great individual for giving when in fact average Americans give much more and more out of their need, not excess.

We do know how much the rich make, just look at the Forbes 400 list of the world's richest individuals and look them up.

I am not complaining about the giving (read my post a little closer), but about putting them on a pedestal for giving "so much" when in fact it is very little relative to their wealth.

[olitenup]

11:14 PM on 02/06/2012

Only 59%? How sad.

[Lellie]

12:17 PM on 02/07/2012

But only 41% DON'T... the glass is half-full, not half-empty, that's what "Good News" is all about.
Choose your focus. I choose half-full!
Blessings to all of them!

[dsmithsfamily]

10:40 PM on 02/06/2012

political contribution are up also thats thanks to judge roberts. most of the charities receiving this money are paying there executives 1/4 million dollar salaries very sad

[LMPE]

09:00 PM on 02/06/2012

So, how many people are going to click on this article to spout fact-free rants about George Soros?

[jsmit]

12:51 PM on 02/07/2012

According to Forbes, George Soros is worth $22B and this article said he is #4 on the list giving away $355MM. That's less than 2%!! He gets all this fanfare for giving less than 2% of his wealth? That is pretty pathetic.

[LMPE]

04:25 PM on 02/07/2012

I meant people who claim that Soros runs the world economy.

[season555]

07:48 PM on 02/06/2012

Where are the Koch brothers? With all that money to spend do they not do anything good

[gpop824]

12:28 AM on 02/08/2012

Recipients of the Koch Brothers:

New York-Presbyterian Hospital Weill Cornell: $15 million
M.D. Anderson Cancer Center: $25 million
The Hospital for Special Surgery: $26 million
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center: $30 million
Prostate Cancer Foundation: $41 million
Deerfield Academy: $68 million
Lincoln Center's NY State Theater: $100 million
Massachusetts Institute of Technology: $139 million

Source: Politics Daily, HuffPo

[gpop824]

12:46 AM on 02/08/2012

Source - Politics Daley, HuffPo:

Kochs have given more than $600 million in pledged or donated money to arts, education, and medical research, including (but not limited to):

New York-Presbyterian Hospital Weill Cornell: $15 million
M.D. Anderson Cancer Center: $25 million
The Hospital for Special Surgery: $26 million
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center: $30 million
Prostate Cancer Foundation: $41 million
Deerfield Academy: $68 million
Lincoln Center's NY State Theater: $100 million
Massachusetts Institute of Technology: $139 million

[Charleston Voice]

07:39 PM on 02/06/2012

Here's the "philanthropist" Warren Buffett who is the largest PRIVATE promoter of abortions in the world. Such a generous old soul, indeed!:

http://chasvoice.blogspot.com/2011/09/warren-buffetts-non-profit-tax-shelter.html

[iconico62]

10:50 PM on 02/07/2012

And you have a problem with that????

[Charleston Voice]

07:35 PM on 02/06/2012

Don't get all teary-eyed over the presumed "generosity" of these elitists. Their funds are through tax-exempt foundations which give grants that best serve the personal interests of the donor which are often subversive of America's culture! Here's Soros, for example:

Guide to the George Soros Network
http://chasvoice.blogspot.com/2011/11/guide-to-george-soros-network.html

[iconico62]

10:52 PM on 02/07/2012

You still trying to make sense of the Teadiot manual you are reading? Go get back to your DingDong and soda.

[namora]

03:54 PM on 02/06/2012

So far the comments below sound like sour grapes and this trend is likely to continue. The contributions and foundations iniated by these people who have or had so much should be appriciated. No one should expect or ask the wealthy to suffer because of their gifts to society.
I do wish that the nature of the organizations gifted had been stated as there are many think tanks and, to me. unplesant foundations that I would prefer not to have anyone fund.

[bluejaykira]

03:25 PM on 02/06/2012

The wealthy really do NOT want to pay their fair share!!!

[XM202]

03:22 PM on 02/06/2012

Its amazing how non of their donations actually seem to do anything.

[iconico62]

10:53 PM on 02/07/2012

You don't see it because you are not in need. You don't benefit directly.