These are the last days of our annual Foolanthropy charity drive, and we're fervently hoping you'll take a few minutes to meet some fascinating organizations and perhaps join us in supporting them.
We're not the only ones, though, hoping to improve the world at least a little bit. Here in Fooldom we spend a lot of time studying companies and CEOs, focusing mostly on factors such as strategic vision, financial performance, and so on. But unbeknownst to many of us, a lot of wealthy corporate leaders are donating some big bucks to help make the world a better place. Thanks to a recent review by BusinessWeek magazine, here are some of the top donors of 2004 (based on sums given or pledged from 2000 to 2004):
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Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) co-founder Bill Gates and his wife gave more than $10 billion, including all $3 billion from the company's big special dividend payout. Their focus has been on health, education, and information access.
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Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) co-founder Gordon Moore and his wife have supported environmental conservation and science with more than $7 billion.
- Michael Dell and his wife, of computer-manufacturing giant Dell (NASDAQ:DELL), have supported children's health and education with nearly a billion dollars.
- Other big givers include investor George Soros, supporting open and free societies with $2.3 billion; Ruth Lilly, supporting poetry, libraries, and culture with $530 million; Veronica Atkins, widow of diet guru Dr. Atkins, fighting diabetes with $500 million; and Jeffrey Skoll, who made his money at eBay (NASDAQ:EBAY), supporting social entrepreneurs with nearly $400 million.
- Among corporations giving out money to charity, the biggest givers included Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT), Ford, AltriaGroup (NYSE:MO), and Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ).
This list may be inspiring and exciting, but don't let it lull you into leaving matters in the hands of the super wealthy. BusinessWeek also pointed out that "lower and middle-income Americans are the real unsung heroes of philanthropy: Families that have household incomes of $100,000 or less contribute 59% of all philanthropic dollars, according to a study by the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University." One example given was 62-year-old shoe-polisher Albert Lexie, who has given more than $90,000 to the Free Care Fund at the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh.
So please consider joining us in Foolanthropy.
Share any Foolanthropic thoughts on our Foolanthropy discussion board -- or just drop in to see what others are saying.
Longtime Fool contributor Selena Maranjian owns shares of Johnson & Johnson, Wal-Mart, eBay, and Microsoft and has supported Foolanthropies for nearly a decade.
