Kenny Kemp/West Virginia Gazette
James C. Justice II, center, and Cathy Justice pledged $25-million to the Boy Scouts of America to create the Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve, a 10,600-acre park in West Virginia.
As the stock market resurged last year, so did the charitable giving of the super wealthy. America’s top 50 donors gave a total of $10.4-billion in 2011, up from $3.3-billion the previous year, according to a Chronicle study. One big bequest boosted the total significantly; excluding that gift, the philanthropists on The Chronicle’s list of the most generous Americans contributed $4.4-billion.
Twenty-nine people on the list donated $50-million or more, compared with 22 in 2010. Rich people and the fundraisers who woo them expect greater levels of giving this year and next, assuming the economy keeps creeping toward recovery.
| More Coverage | ||
|---|---|---|
 As Tensions Over Wealth Gap Rise, Rich Are Giving More |
 Buffett, Gates, and Turner Continue to Pay Off Mega Pledges |
 Ore. University’s Honest Discussion of Strengths Wins Big Gift |
| Other Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Discussion: Tactics for Seeking Big Gifts in Trying Times | Download: Print a poster showing facts from the list | |
Who Made The List?
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1. Margaret A. Cargill$6-billionFull profile |
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2. William S. Dietrich II$500-millionFull profile |
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3. Paul G. Allen$372.6-millionFull profile |
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4. George Soros$335-millionFull profile |
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5. Michael R. Bloomberg$311.3-millionFull profile |
Charts and Data
See where the biggest gifts went and other data from the survey.
