The Giving Pledge has announced that 13 philanthropists have joined the Giving Pledge since May 2019, bringing the total number of signatories to 216 from 24 countries.
Now in its 10th year, the Giving Pledge is a global, multi-generational commitment by some of the world’s wealthiest individuals and couples to give a majority of their wealth to philanthropy or charitable causes, either during their lifetimes or in their wills. It aims to create a movement that will help change the norms around wealth and giving on a global scale.
The signatories announced today are:
- Marcel Arsenault and Cynda Collins Arsenault, United States
- Sarah and Rich Barton, United States
- Ron and Gayle Conway, United States
- William Gross, United States
- Gordon V. Hartman, United States
- Yan Huo and Xue Fang, United Kingdom
- Robert E. “Bob” and Dorothy “Dottie” King, United States
- José Ferreira Neves, Portugal
- Jim Pattison, Canada
- Chad Richison, United States
- Jeff and Marieke Rothschild, United States
- Stephen A. Schwarzman, United States
- David and Bonnie Weekley, United States
Warren Buffett, who started the Giving Pledge along with Bill and Melinda Gates, said: “The Giving Pledge is a simple proposal to the world’s wealthiest: join us in giving away the majority of your resources to address society’s most pressing problems. As we mark 10 years of the Pledge, I want to thank the more than 200 individuals and families from 24 countries who have joined in this commitment to leave the world better than we found it.”
The newest signatories to the Giving Pledge are already deeply engaged in philanthropy, providing support to a wide range of causes including COVID relief, climate change and sustainability, education, medical research, humanitarian disaster relief, gender equality and social justice.
As the world faces its biggest public health and economic crises in a century, and many countries grapple with systemic social and racial inequities, efforts like the Giving Pledge aim to inspire those who have more than they need to give bigger and sooner.