Twelve everyday philanthropists who give to important causes at extraordinary levels of their income and assets were recognized as the Bolder Giving Leading Givers of 2011. The announcement was made by Bolder Giving, a nonprofit that inspires and supports people to give at their full lifetime potential.
Bolder Giving's Twelve Leading Givers of 2011 are:
- Abigail Disney
- Cheryl Pemberton
- Mark Lee & Nick Beckstead
- Alexander Gaugine
- David Akers
- Diane Feeney
- Elspeth Gilmore
- Jin Zidell
- Pilar Gonzales
- Charlie Rounds
- Nyla Rogers
- Douglas Tsoi
"In a world where the average U.S. giving is 2% of annual income to causes, these inspiring givers are sharing at a 20%, 50%, and even 90% level," said Jason Franklin, CEO of Bolder Giving. "These bold givers from across the economic spectrum inspire us to take a more strategic and adventurous approach to giving. Almost everyone has the potential to give more and the twelve individuals we spotlighted during 2011 are modeling a new 'normal' of bold giving for us all."
Abigail Disney - Walt Disney's grandniece knows that life can be far from a fairy tale; but the award winning filmmaker, international activist, and philanthropist brings us closer having already given 30% of her assets through her Daphne Foundation and other high impact social efforts.
Cheryl Pemberton - Cheryl is on a mission to inspire the African American community to be Bold Givers. Through the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority and the Five Pearls Foundation she founded with five sorority sisters, Cheryl embodies an accessible model of strategic, engaged, and bold giving.
Mark Lee & Nick Beckstead - Nick & Mark know the power of building a community of donors. They launched Giving What We Can at Rutgers University, mobilizing people to give at least 10% of their lifetime income to combat global poverty. In its first year, Giving What We Can has attracted over 100 members across 9 countries and they've personally pledged 50% of their own lifetime income.
Alexander Gaugine - Alexander Gaguine waived a $12 million inheritance and instead directed the money to the Appleton Foundation, where Alexander serves on the Board. The foundation promotes nonviolent social justice in the Americas and supports efforts to stop biotech initiatives to genetically modify humanity.
David Akers - David Akers is a rare combination: church pastor and successful businessman. He and his wife give 40% of their income annually, with a goal to give $1 million during their lifetime and $1 million in their will to help turn the tide against global poverty.
Diane Feeney - Diane Feeney, a bold giver for two decades, led her family's French American Charitable Trust in distributing $54 million to impact social change. A strategic funder, Diane focuses on how to do the most good with philanthropic dollars.
Elspeth Gilmore - Elspeth is a leader in a new generation of activist philanthropists who know that young people of wealth can be a strategic force for social change as a director of the nonprofit Resource Generation. Post-Katrina she helped raise over $3 million to rebuild the Gulf South and is giving away the majority of her substantial inheritance.
Jin Zidell - Jin has committed half of his wealth and 10 years of his time to water security. He founded Blue Planet Network and its Peer Water Exchange, which are focused on bringing safe drinking water to 200 million people in developing countries by 2021.
Pilar Gonzales – Pilar, a philanthropic advisor, progressive philanthropist, and social justice advocate, has committed to giving up to 25% of her income. She presently works with the Global Fund for Women and has long been committed to advocating for the rights of members of marginalized communities.
Charlie Rounds – Charlie committed a substantial percentage monies received from an entrepreneurial exit to create The Mark and Charlie Gay Lesbian Fund for Moral Values to support economic development in local communities of color, international human rights, and GLBT rights.
Nyla Rogers - Nyla transformed the grief from her mother's passing into the pursuit of hope. Using her small inheritance, she launched Mama Hope to partner with African communities to fund high impact, cost effective projects that improve access to food, water, education, and health care. To date, her nonprofit has helped over 76,000 people in Kenya, Tanzania, Ghana, and Uganda.
Douglas Tsoi – Douglas, an Oregon environmental advocate, gives half of his salary to create seed funds at the Oregon Community Foundation, offering matching funds as an incentive to encourage other Oregonians to give.