In 2025, the Chronicle of Philanthropy tallied $5 billion in charitable gifts, with Phil and Penny Knight’s $2 billion contribution to Oregon Health & Science University leading the list.
The 2025 Gift Landscape
The Chronicle’s annual list of the biggest charitable donations from individuals or their foundations totaled $5 billion in 2025. Topping the list was $2 billion from Nike co-founder Phil Knight and his wife, Penny. The next largest gifts were a $746.7 million donation from Warren Buffett and a $500 million pledge from the mother and stepfather of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.
Knights’ Landmark Gift to OHSU
Phil Knight, whose net worth Forbes pegs at more than $31 billion, and Penny Knight gave $2 billion in August to expand clinical trials and basic cancer research at the Knight Cancer Institute and to bolster support services for cancer patients and families. Their relationship with OHSU professor Brian Druker began nearly two decades ago, leading to earlier gifts of $100 million in 2008 and a total of at least $2.7 billion over the years.
Buffett’s Berkshire Share Gift
Warren Buffett, whose net worth is estimated at more than $146 billion, donated 1.5 million shares of Berkshire Hathaway stock, worth $746.7 million, to the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation in November. The foundation focuses on women’s reproductive health and Nebraska college scholarships.
UNICEF Pledge from the Bezos Family
The late Jackie Bezos and her husband Mike, the mother and stepfather of Jeff Bezos, pledged $500 million to UNICEF USA for its Child Nutrition Fund. The pledge, announced months before Jackie’s death in August at age 78, also aimed to match gifts from other donors.
Dells’ Unlisted $6.25 Billion Pledge
Michael and Susan Dell announced a $6.25 billion pledge in December to place $250 into investment accounts for 25 million American children in low-income ZIP codes. Dan Stasiewksi, a Dell Foundation spokesman, told the Chronicle that the details are still being hashed out but that the money “will go to the U.S. Department of the Treasury to be distributed to individual accounts securely and accurately.” The Dells plan to give the money through various giving vehicles but declined to specify which ones.
Key Takeaways
- Phil and Penny Knight’s $2 billion gift tops the 2025 philanthropic list.
- Warren Buffett’s stock donation and the Bezos family’s UNICEF pledge round out the top three gifts.
- The Dells’ $6.25 billion pledge remains off the list due to uncertain distribution mechanisms.
The Chronicle will release its Philanthropy 50 ranking in March, highlighting donors’ total contributions in 2025 rather than individual gifts.
