Global Philanthropy Group and Barron’s considered many philanthropists, rating them on such criteria as innovation, quality of alliances with other groups, the ripple effects of their giving and the extent to which their successful projects can be replicated.
Suzanne McGee of Barron’s said, “While rankings in other publications highlight those who give the most money, we chose to focus on those who are getting the results.”
The list encompasses many well known and celebrity givers, many of whom are American. It includes the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Pierre Omidyar and Jeffrey Skoll, who focus on supporting the work of other philanthropists and providing them with networking and leverage opportunities, American billionaires Eli Broad and Paul Tudor Jones, and celebrities Brad Pitt and ‘Magic’ Johnson.
Amongst the list is John Wood, a former Microsoft executive who distributes a book every three minutes to children in nine developing countries through his organization Room to Read.
Room to Read has previously been recognized for its work with The Fast Company/Monitor Group Social Capitalist Award, the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship, and the Sand Hill Group Foundation’s Social Entrepreneurship Award.
In addition to these organisational awards, Wood has been selected for several honors, including the Draper Richards Foundation Fellowship, the Young Global Leader award from the World Economic Forum, and Time Magazine’s Asia’s Heroes Award.