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The Philanthropy 50: Americans Who Gave the Most in 2008
Jeffrey S. Skoll
Rank: 13
Total amount committed in 2008: $144.1-million
Location: Los Angeles, California
Source of wealth: Technology
Donor's background: Mr. Skoll was the founding president of eBay. He is also the founder of Participant Media, in Los Angeles, which produces films that deal with socially topical issues, such as An Inconvenient Truth.
Mr. Skoll, 44, gave $144.1-million to his foundation, in Palo Alto, Calif. The Skoll Foundation's flagship program is the Skoll Awards for Social Entrepreneurship, which are grants of approximately $1-million paid out over three years to groups that "apply innovative solutions to social and environmental issues, empowering people and communities to envision and create positive change," according to the foundation's Web site. Kiva, in San Francisco; Partners in Health, in Boston; and Teach for America, in New York, were among the 13 nonprofit groups that received the grants in 2008.
The Skoll Foundation also provided grants of $883,000 over three years to the Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship at the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University, in Durham, N.C., and $1.1-million over three years to Santa Clara University's Global Social Benefit Incubator, in California, a program that explores ways to use technology to help people in developing countries.
Mr. Skoll started the foundation in 1999.
About These Data
The giving figures listed for each individual are based on donations announced to date by the donors or their beneficiaries. In cases of bequests, most of the figures are estimates because the wills have not been settled. For news of gift announcements in 2009, visit the America's Top Donors database.
If you know about a recent gift of $1-million or more that should be added to this directory, please send a message to gifts@philanthropy.com.