Chronicle of Philanthropy | America's 50 Top Givers

via Flickr’s Abby LaneThe Chronicle of Philanthropy has released its list of the top 50 American givers. Achieving a top spot wasn’t as difficult as in previous years, reflecting the fact that the list of people making big gifts has shrunk.

A donor needed to part with just $16.2-million in 2009 to qualify for The Chronicle’s list. In 2008 that number was $30.5-million; and in 2007 it was $39-million. 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.

New buildings, presumably with donor’s names attached, weren’t in abundance. A key focus of more than one donor was business ethics.

George Soros (No 6), an investor who actually made money last year despite the financial chaos, committed a total of $150-million to philanthropy initiatives. A third of which went to establish the Institute for New Economic Thinking at Central European University, in Budapest. The institute’s first conference at Kings College April 8-11 will examine why economic theories failed to predict the global recession.

Front and center on the Soros-funded website is the message: The entire edifice of global financial markets has been erected on the false premise that markets can be left to their own devices, we must find a new paradigm to rebuild from the ground up.

Another deceased investor Raymond A. Rich (No 12) left a mansion and cash totaling $75-million to create a leadership institute at Marist College in New York State.

Mr. Rich, who died last year, had long been frustrated with what he perceived as the flexible morals of some corporate executives. “He saw leadership at corporations really disintegrating over the years,” says Claire Carlson, Mr. Rich’s longtime companion. The economic crisis, she says, “was a confirmation of that.” via The Philanthropy Chronicle

via Flickr’s Lacking FocusMichael R. Bloomberg occupied the No 4 spot with $254,000,000 in gifts spread over a wide range of projects. New York Mayor Bloomberg followed Bill and Melinda Gates (No 3), who donated $350,000. The Philanthropy 50 was led by financier Stanley F and Fiona B Druckenmiller, who donated $705,000,000 to their own foundation.

Oprah Winfrey donated over $41 million, to occupy the No 25 spot. Anne