14 More Philanthropists Join the Giving Pledge

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SEATTLE, May 30, 2018 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ --

International philanthropy group reaches 183 total signatories from 22

countries  

Today the Giving Pledge announced that 14 philanthropists joined the group

throughout the previous year, bringing the total to 183 from 22 countries since

the pledge began in 2010 with 40 American philanthropists.

Now in its eighth year, the philanthropy effort continues to expand

internationally with the addition of philanthropists from Canada, India, the

United Arab Emirates, as well as the United States. The multi-generational

initiative, created by Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett, invites the

world's wealthiest philanthropists to commit more than half of their wealth to

charitable causes during their lifetimes or in their wills.

The 14 new signatories announced today are:

1. Aneel and Allison Bhusri - United States

2. David G. Booth - United States

3. Charles Butt - United States

4. Garrett Camp - Canada

5. Candy and Charlie Ergen - United States

6. Mario and Regina Gabelli - United States

7. Orion and Jackie Hindawi - United States

8. Reid Hoffman and Michelle Yee - United States

9. Badr Jafar and Razan Al Mubarak - United Arab Emirates

10. Richard and Melanie Lundquist - United States

11. Rohini and Nandan Nilekani - India

12. Ernest and Evelyn Rady - United States

13. Dr. B.R. Shetty and Dr. C.R. Shetty - United Arab Emirates

14. Shamsheer and Shabeena Vayalil - United Arab Emirates and India

"Over the past eight years, we've been inspired by the dedicated

philanthropists who have chosen to join the Giving Pledge, and this year's

group is no exception. They are passionate about using their wealth to help

reduce inequities and improve the lives of everyone in the world," said Warren

Buffett. "We welcome their energy, enthusiasm, and creativity, and look forward

to learning from them as we all work to ensure our giving makes a positive

difference."

Many of the new additions to the Giving Pledge are already actively engaged in

philanthropy, providing support to a range of causes including education,

poverty alleviation, medical and healthcare research, economic development,

entrepreneurship, and advocacy and governance. They bring to philanthropy their

expertise from fields such as finance, food retail, healthcare,

pharmaceuticals, property development, technology and venture capital.

This week, the Giving Pledge group convened for its annual two-day learning

conference to discuss their own experiences in giving and learn from outside

experts about how to be most effective with their philanthropy. People who have

joined the Giving Pledge are united by a shared commitment to learning and

giving, and they participate in learning events throughout the year in addition

to the annual conference. Topics discussed at this year's annual gathering

include how to help build effective grantee partnerships, data-driven giving,

pros and cons of different philanthropic structures, and giving with family, as

well as how philanthropy can make a difference on issues like education, clean

water and sanitation, the opioid crisis, and supporting women leaders to

improve health and economic outcomes globally.

About the Giving Pledge  

The Giving Pledge is a global effort to help address society's most pressing

problems by encouraging the wealthiest individuals and families to give the

majority of their wealth to philanthropic causes.

The 183 pledgers range in age from 32 to 94. Globally, signatories represent 22

countries: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China (mainland and Taiwan), Cyprus,

Germany, India, Indonesia, Israel, Malaysia, Monaco, Norway, Russia, Saudi

Arabia, Slovenia, South Africa, Tanzania, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab

Emirates, United Kingdom and the United States. In the United States, they are

from 28 states and the District of Columbia, with the largest contingents from

California and New York. Over the long-term, the Giving Pledge hopes to help

shift the social norms of philanthropy toward giving more, giving sooner and

giving smarter.

Pledge signatories come together throughout the year to discuss challenges,

successes and failures, as well as how to be smarter about giving. The Giving

Pledge does not involve direct appeals, pooling money, or requirements to

support a particular cause or organization.

For the full list of pledgers and personal letters by many of these pledgers

outlining their commitment to give, visit http://www.givingpledge.org.

SOURCE: The Giving Pledge