A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; donating their time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes. The term may apply to any volunteer or to anyone who makes a donation, but the label is most often applied to those who donate large sums of money or who make a major impact through their volunteering, such as a trustee who manages a philanthropic organization or one who establishes and funds a foundation.
A philanthropist may not always find universal approval for their deeds. Common accusations include supporting an unworthy cause (such as funding art instead of fighting world hunger) or having selfish motivation at heart (such as avoiding taxes or attaining personal fame). A philanthropist is also someone who cares for someone else's needs instead of their own.
Notable philanthropists A Abdul Rahman Al-Sumait – founder of Direct Aid, a charity organization. Abdul Sattar Edhi – co-head of the Edhi Foundation in Pakistan. Achyuta Samanta – founder of the Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS). Adar Poonawalla – In 2016, he was listed by GQ Magazine and awarded Philanthropist of the year. Ailsa Mellon-Bruce – co-founder of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Alice and Sheryl Cooper – co-founded Alice Cooper's Solid Rock Foundation, a non-profit supporting teenagers. Alisher Usmanov – business-magnate, philanthropist, FIE President, founder of Art, science and sport foundation. Alagappa Chettiar – notable for work on Indian education. Anne-Françoise de Fougeret (1745-1813) – French philanthropist. Alfred Nobel – founder of the Nobel Prizes. Alice Barbee Castleman – American social leader, philanthropist, and suffragist from Kentucky. Alicia Keys – American singer/songwriter; spokeswoman for Keep A Child Alive. Amal Hijazi – Lebanese singer, known for her philanthropy. Amjad Saqib – Pakistani social entrepreneur, development practitioner, as well as, founder and Executive Director of Akhuwat Foundation Andrew Carnegie – founder of the Carnegie Corporation of New York, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Carnegie Institution for Science, Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland, Carnegie Hero Fund, Carnegie United Kingdom Trust, Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs, Carnegie Mellon University, and the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh. He also donated money to build over 2500 public libraries worldwide, the Carnegie Hall in New York, and the Peace Palace at The Hague Angelina Jolie – American actress; known for her humanitarian work worldwide; a Goodwill Ambassador for the UN Refugee Agency Annie Rensselaer Tinker – volunteer nurse in WWI and suffragist, formed the Annie R. Tinker Memorial Fund nonprofit organization Ansar Burney – Pakistani human and civil rights activist and chairman of Ansar Burney Trust International Anthony Ashley Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury – chairman of the Ragged Schools Union (during the Victorian era) Anthony J. Drexel – founder of Drexel University Arpad Busson – founder of Ark (Absolute Return for Kids) Academy Audrey Geisel – Dr. Seuss's widow. President of Dr. Seuss Fund which supports a variety of causes in San Diego, including University of California, San Diego Azim Premji – founder of Azim Premji Foundation, donated $21 billion towards education
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Belinda Stronach – co-founder of Spread the Net Ben Delo – took The Giving Pledge Bill Ackman – in 2011, the Ackmans were among The Chronicle of Philanthropys "Philanthropy 50" list of the most generous donors Bill Gates – co-founder of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Bilquis Edhi – co-head of the Edhi Foundation in Pakistan Bono – one of the world's best-known philanthropic performers; named the most politically effective celebrity of all time by the National Journal
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Adelaide Cabete – feminist, humanitarian, physician, founder of the Conselho Nacional das Mulheres Portuguesas Calouste Gulbenkian – founder of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation dedicated to the promotion of the arts, science, and education Cari Tuna – co-founder Good Ventures Carlos Slim Helu – telecom tycoon, founder of the Carlos Slim Foundation Catherine T. MacArthur – co-founder of the MacArthur Foundation Charles Garland – gave up most of his family inheritance in 1922 in order to establish the Garland Fund to promote radical charitable causes Charles Pratt – founder of Pratt Institute Charles Simonyi – founder of Charles and Lisa Simonyi Fund for Arts and Sciences, $100 million Chris Hohn – founder of The Children's Investment Fund Foundation Chris Martin – singer of rock band Coldplay; known for supporting the Make Trade Fair campaign; he and his band contribute 15% of their money to charity Christopher Reeve – founder of the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation Chuck Feeney – founder of Atlantic Philanthropies Cornelius Vanderbilt – founder of the Vanderbilt University Cristiano Ronaldo – professional football player Chris Meek - founder of SoldierStrong
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Dame Shirley Porter – Tesco heiress; co-founder of The Porter Foundation; has donated to Tel Aviv University, social welfare facilities and ecological funding, the National Portrait Gallery in London Danai Gurira - UN Women Goodwill Ambassador; co-founder of the non-profit Almasi Arts Alliance and founder of the non-profit Love Our Girls David Bohnett – founder of the David Bohnett Foundation supporting a wide range of social issues including LGBT rights David Gilmour – singer and guitarist of Pink Floyd; was made CBE for his years of philanthropy; amongst other things, Gilmour gave $21.5 million from the auctioning of his guitars to climate change charity ClientEarth and $7.5 million from sale of his London home to the homeless charity Crisis David Koch – founder of the David H. Koch Charitable Foundation; listed by The Chronicle of Philanthropy as one of the world's top 50 philanthropists in 2013 David Rubenstein - co-founder of The Carlyle Group; he has donated more than $700 million to educational, historical, and other causes Demi Lovato – provides the Lovato Treatment Scholarship; supporter of 13 different charity organization; an official Ambassador for the youth empowerment event We Day and the organization Free the Children Đorđe Vajfert – patron of humanitarian and cultural institutions and donor to the University of Belgrade Dolly Parton – country singer; advocate for children's education through her foundation, the Imagination Library, which gives books to children to develop their reading skills before starting school. Don Ball – co-founder of Ballhomes, founder of Hope Center Donald Rix – BC Innovation Council, BC Cancer Agency Foundation, BC Medical Services Foundation, and the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation Dr. Mo Ibrahim – founder of telecom company Celtel International; set up the Mo Ibrahim Foundation and initiated the Mo Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership Dustin Moskovitz – co-founder Good Ventures
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Edward Harkness – various private colleges and boarding schools; medical facilities; Commonwealth Fund Elinor Sauerwein – Salvation Army philanthropist Elisabeth Mills Reid – American philanthropist and volunteer for the American Red Cross Ellen Gates Starr – founder of the biomedical institute that bears his name Hull House Elton John – has raised more than US$125 million just for the Elton John AIDS Foundation. In 2004 he donated over US$43 million to organizations around the world, making him the most generous person in music for that year, "a title he retains year after year." In 1997 he raised US$40 million for charity through sales of the single "Candle in the Wind 1997". He currently supports at least 57 charities. Enriqueta Augustina Rylands – founder of the John Rylands Library Eric Schmidt and Wendy Schmidt – The Schmidt Family Foundation, Schmidt Ocean Institute and Schmidt Futures
F Faceless Angel of Jeonju – an unidentified philanthropist in Jeonju, South Korea Fanny Peabody Mason – heiress, philanthropist to music and arts in Boston Fazle Hasan Abed – founder of BRAC Frank F Islam – information technology entrepreneur, working to improve education system. $2 million invested in Aligarh Muslim University for a separate business school.
G Gary K. Michelson - founder of Michaelson Philanthropies Gary Sinise – co-founder of Operation Iraqi Children Gautam Adani – Adani is the owner of the Adani Foundation, funded through the Adani Group. It was founded in 1996. Other than Gujarat, the organisation operates in the states of Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha..Bhaskar, R. N. Gautam Adani: Reimagining Business in India and the World. Penguin Random House India Private Limited, 2022. ch. 13 online. George Clooney – known for humanitarian work in aiding the Darfur conflict, organizing Hope for Haiti Now, and involvement in Not On Our Watch George Peabody – founder of numerous charitable institutions in the United States and United Kingdom George Soros – estimated to have donated more than US$32 billion, often through the Open Society Institute and Soros Foundations Godwin Maduka – doctor and founder of Las Vegas Pain Institute and Medical Center Gerry Lenfest – donated $5 million in coherence with Chester County to preserve over of land in Newlin Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania; the land is now owned by Natural Lands
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Hansjörg Wyss – businessman, founder of a medical research and design company Synthes and the Wyss Foundation Harold Osher – American map collector and namesake of the Osher Map Library Harriet Converse Moody – American businesswoman and arts patron Helen Phillips Levin – American social worker and disability rights activist, supported grantmaking through her family's Jay and Rose Philips Family Foundation Henry Ford – co-founder of the Ford Foundation Henry W. Bloch – founder of H&R Block Tax company. Henry established the nationally acclaimed Marion Bloch Neuroscience Institute, formed the Marion and Henry Bloch Family Foundation. Hidiya Hanim Barakat – Egyptian philanthropist, helped establish twelve hospitals in Egypt by 1961. Hilmar Reksten – Norwegian shipping magnate, tax evader, patron of the arts Holden Karnofsky – co-founder and board member of the charity evaluator GiveWell and the executive director of the Open Philanthropy Project Howard Ahmanson Jr. – multi-millionaire philanthropist and financier of the causes of many conservative Christian cultural, religious and political organizations Howard Hughes – aviator, engineer, industrialist and film producer; donated US$1.56 billion to various charities including the Howard Hughes Medical Institute
I Iain Percy – co-founder of the Andrew Simpson Sailing Foundation which was set up after the death of his best friend Andrew Simpson to facilitate children's access to sailing Imran Khan – founder of the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust, which was behind the first cancer research institution in Pakistan Irwin M. Jacobs – contributed hundreds of millions of dollars to the field of education through donations and grants to schools and organizations Isaac Wolfson – managing director of Great Universal Stores Ivana Zorman – Slovenian founder and headmistress of an orphanages and a humanitarian worker J J. Paul Getty – funded the construction of the Getty Villa, the original Getty Museum, and donated his art collection to it; upon his death, left his fortune to the Getty Museum, which eventually expanded to the Getty Center in Los Angeles