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The Giving Pledge
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The Giving Pledge
The Giving Pledge is a charitable campaign, founded by Bill Gates, Melinda French Gates, and Warren Buffett, to encourage wealthy people to contribute a majority (i.e. more than 50%) of their wealth to philanthropic causes. As of October 2025[ref], the pledge has more than 250 signatories from 30 countries. Most of the signatories of the pledge are billionaires, at a total of US$600 billion.
The campaign is intended to establish a social norm of charitable giving by the wealthy. In its early years, it was highly successful at attracting signatories, whereas the rate of new signatories has declined in recent years.
The organization's stated goal is to inspire the wealthy people of the world to give at least half of their net worth to philanthropy, either during their lifetime or upon their death. The pledge is a public gesture of an intention to give, not a legal contract. On the Giving Pledge's website, each individual or couple writes a letter explaining why they chose to give. The pledge is open to non-billionaires who "plan to give away at least $500 million and are in a position to do so".
In June 2010, the Giving Pledge campaign was formally announced and Bill Gates, Melinda French Gates, and Warren Buffett began recruiting members. As of August 2010, the aggregate wealth of the first 40 pledgers was $125 billion. 113 people signed the pledge in the first 5 years, 72 in the next 5 years, and 43 in the next 5 years. As of 2026, more than 250 families have signed the pledge.
FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried was removed from the list in December 2022 following his arrest.
Banker T. Denny Sanford had his name removed from the list in May 2023 following the unsealing of court documents about his possible involvement with child pornography.
The Giving Pledge was cited as inspiration for the Jewish Future Pledge, a charitable campaign launched in 2020 to encourage American Jews to give at least half of their charitable giving to Jewish- or Israel-related causes.
Many pledge participants channel their philanthropy through private family foundations or donor-advised funds (DAFs) that they control, enabling immediate tax benefits while allowing disbursements over time. According to a 2025 report by the Institute for Policy Studies, roughly 80 percent of pledger contributions have gone to such intermediary organisations rather than directly to operating charities. Supporters argue this builds enduring endowments and professionalizes grantmaking, while critics contend it delays impact and preserves donor control, blurring the line between philanthropy and the maintenance of influence.
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The Giving Pledge
The Giving Pledge is a charitable campaign, founded by Bill Gates, Melinda French Gates, and Warren Buffett, to encourage wealthy people to contribute a majority (i.e. more than 50%) of their wealth to philanthropic causes. As of October 2025[ref], the pledge has more than 250 signatories from 30 countries. Most of the signatories of the pledge are billionaires, at a total of US$600 billion.
The campaign is intended to establish a social norm of charitable giving by the wealthy. In its early years, it was highly successful at attracting signatories, whereas the rate of new signatories has declined in recent years.
The organization's stated goal is to inspire the wealthy people of the world to give at least half of their net worth to philanthropy, either during their lifetime or upon their death. The pledge is a public gesture of an intention to give, not a legal contract. On the Giving Pledge's website, each individual or couple writes a letter explaining why they chose to give. The pledge is open to non-billionaires who "plan to give away at least $500 million and are in a position to do so".
In June 2010, the Giving Pledge campaign was formally announced and Bill Gates, Melinda French Gates, and Warren Buffett began recruiting members. As of August 2010, the aggregate wealth of the first 40 pledgers was $125 billion. 113 people signed the pledge in the first 5 years, 72 in the next 5 years, and 43 in the next 5 years. As of 2026, more than 250 families have signed the pledge.
FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried was removed from the list in December 2022 following his arrest.
Banker T. Denny Sanford had his name removed from the list in May 2023 following the unsealing of court documents about his possible involvement with child pornography.
The Giving Pledge was cited as inspiration for the Jewish Future Pledge, a charitable campaign launched in 2020 to encourage American Jews to give at least half of their charitable giving to Jewish- or Israel-related causes.
Many pledge participants channel their philanthropy through private family foundations or donor-advised funds (DAFs) that they control, enabling immediate tax benefits while allowing disbursements over time. According to a 2025 report by the Institute for Policy Studies, roughly 80 percent of pledger contributions have gone to such intermediary organisations rather than directly to operating charities. Supporters argue this builds enduring endowments and professionalizes grantmaking, while critics contend it delays impact and preserves donor control, blurring the line between philanthropy and the maintenance of influence.
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