Google’s Sergey Brin made the list as did Miriam and Sheldon Adelson

from The Chronicle of Philanthropy:

Most-Generous Donors Gave More in 2011 but Still Lag Their Pre-Recession Pace

As the stock market resurged last year, so did the charitable giving of the super wealthy. America’s top 50 donors gave a total of $10.4-billion in 2011, up from $3.3-billion the previous year, according to a Chronicle study. One big bequest boosted the total significantly; excluding that gift, the philanthropists on The Chronicle’s list of the most generous Americans contributed $4.4-billion.

Twenty-nine people on the list donated $50-million or more, compared with 22 in 2010. Rich people and the fundraisers who woo them expect greater levels of giving this year and next, assuming the economy keeps creeping toward recovery.

[eJP note: a second Chronicle of Philanthropy article, ‘As Tensions Over Wealth Gap Rise, Rich Are Giving More’, looks at where most of this giving is directed.]