Contents
- Introduction
- The Top 10 Philanthropy Organizations in the US
- The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
- The Ford Foundation
- The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
- The W.K. Kellogg Foundation
- The Annie E. Casey Foundation
- The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation
- The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
- The David and Lucile Packard Foundation
- The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
- The Pew Charitable Trusts
These are the top 10 philanthropy organizations in the United States according to their total contributions.
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Introduction
In America, philanthropy has always been an important part of our culture. We have always been a nation of people who have generously given our time, energy, and resources to help make the world a better place.
There are many different ways to measure philanthropy, but one of the most common is by looking at the amount of money that is donated to charity each year. According to Giving USA, an organization that tracks charitable giving in the United States, Americans donated more than $410 billion to charity in 2016.
While this is an impressive number, it is important to remember that not all charitable giving is created equal. Some organizations are more effective than others at using donations to make a positive impact on the world.
With that in mind, here are 10 of the top philanthropy organizations in the United States, based on their effectiveness at promoting charitable giving and making a difference in the world:
1. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
2. The Ford Foundation
3. The W.K. Kellogg Foundation
4. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
5. The Levi Strauss Foundation
6. The David and Lucile Packard Foundation
7. The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
8. The Annie E. Casey Foundation
9. The Wallace Global Fund
The Top 10 Philanthropy Organizations in the US
Giving back to the community is an important part of many people’s lives. There are a number of philanthropy organizations in the United States that help people in need. These organizations provide a variety of services, from financial assistance to healthcare. In this article, we will take a look at 10 of the top philanthropy organizations in the United States.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is the largest private foundation in the world, with a mission to enhance healthcare and reduce extreme poverty around the world. The Foundation is headquartered in Seattle, Washington, and was founded in 2000 by Bill and Melinda Gates.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation work with a variety of partners to achieve their objectives, including non-profit organizations, government institutions, and businesses. The Foundation has four main programs: Global Development, Global Health, United States Program, and Grantmaking.
Global Development works to reduce extreme poverty and improve education and access to technology around the world. The Global Health program focuses on improving health in developing countries by providing access to immunizations, improving nutrition, and fighting infectious diseases. The United States Program supports grants that address urgent needs within the United States, such as education reform and reducing childhood obesity. Grantmaking provides funding for a variety of other nonprofit organizations that work on a variety of issues across the globe.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has awarded over $50 billion in grants since its inception in 2000.
The Ford Foundation
In 1936, Edsel Ford and Henry Ford created the Ford Foundation, which has since become one of the largest philanthropy organizations in the United States. The foundation’s mission is “to strengthen democracy, reduce poverty and injustice, promote international cooperation, and advance human achievement.”
The Ford Foundation funds a wide variety of programs and initiatives, including education, the arts, economic development, health care, human rights, and social justice. In 2018 alone, the foundation awarded over $600 million in grants. Some of the organization’s recent initiatives include supporting democracy in countries around the world, increasing access to quality education in Africa, and promoting equal justice for all.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) is the largest private foundation in the United States devoted exclusively to health and health care. RWJF invests in initiatives at every level of the health system that will have the biggest impact on improving the health and health care of all Americans.
The W.K. Kellogg Foundation
The W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF), founded in 1930 as an independent, private foundation by breakfast cereal pioneer Will Keith Kellogg, is among the largest philanthropic foundations in the United States. Headquartered in Battle Creek, Michigan, the foundation’s mission is “to support children, families and communities as they strengthen and create conditions that propel vulnerable children to achieve success as individuals and as contributors to a better society.”
In 2015, the WKKF had approximately $9 billion in assets and awarded nearly $330 million in grants. The foundation works in four main areas: health, food security, education and learning, and economic security. Within these areas, the WKKF has several priority populations that it focuses on, including low-income families, minority groups, Indigenous peoples, and rural communities.
The Annie E. Casey Foundation
The Annie E. Casey Foundation is a private, national foundation that supports and creates programs to improve the lives of children and families in the United States. The Foundation was established in 1948 by Jim Casey, one of the founders of UPS, and his sister, Anne E. Casey.
The Foundation’s main focus is on low-income children and families, with an emphasis on those living in urban areas. The Foundation also funds research and evaluation projects related to its programs, as well as general operating support for nonprofits working in its areas of focus. In recent years, the Annie E. Casey Foundation has granted more than $100 million per year to organizations working on behalf of children and families in the United States.
The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation
The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation was created in 1944 by Hilton Hotels founder Conrad N. Hilton. The foundation is one of the largest private foundations in the United States, with assets of over $2.5 billion and annual grants exceeding $100 million.
The foundation’s mission is to “improve the lives of the disadvantaged and vulnerable people throughout the world.” The foundation has three main program areas: water, sanitation and hygiene; HIV/AIDS; and youth.
In addition to its grantmaking, the foundation also operates a number of programs, including the Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize, which is given annually to an individual or organization “whose work has demonstrated extraordinary humanity and effectiveness in alleviating human suffering.”
The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation is a private foundation headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, United States. The Foundation makes grants and investments throughout the U.S. in areas including education, housing, health care, economic development, the environment, human rights, and peace and security.
The MacArthur Foundation was founded in 1970 by John D. MacArthur (1897–1978), a successful insurance executive and real estate investor from Chicago with a firm belief in philanthropy and public service. His widow Catherine T. MacArthur (1909–1981) helped to shape the Foundation’s strategy after his death and became its first president, serving until her retirement in 1977. Their son Roderick MacArthur (1935–1984) served as the Foundation’s second president until his untimely death in 1984; he was succeeded by Adele Simmons (1937– ), who served until her retirement in 1999. The current president of the MacArthur Foundation is Julia Stasch (1944– ).
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation is a private foundation founded in 1964 by David Packard, co-founder of Hewlett-Packard, and his wife Lucile. The foundation is one of the largest in the United States, with assets of over $7 billion and annual grantmaking of over $300 million.
The foundation’s mission is to improve the lives of children, families, and communities through grantmaking in three program areas: Education, Conservation & Science, and Population. In each of these areas, the foundation funds both direct service programs and policy-related research and advocacy.
Some of the foundation’s notable grantees include the American Red Cross, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Sierra Club Foundation, Wilderness Society, World Wildlife Fund, Yale University, and many more.
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation is a not-for-profit organization with a mission to strengthen, promote and, where necessary, defend the contributions of the humanities and the arts to human flourishing and to the well-being of diverse and democratic societies.
With headquarters in New York City, the Foundation makes grants in five core program areas: higher education and scholarship in the humanities; arts and cultural heritage; diversity; international higher education and financial aid; and research in information technology. The Foundation’s grantmaking is conducted through various initiatives that address specific issues or field-wide problems.
The Pew Charitable Trusts
Pew is a nonpartisan, non-profit organization that serves the public interest by providing information and analysis on critical issues facing the US.
We conduct public opinion polling, demographic research, media analysis, and other data-driven social science research. We also advance policies based on our research findings.
In addition to our work in the US, we also have offices in the UK and Australia.
