Mega Donors' Charity Picks

Last week, the Chronicle of Philanthropy released a report on the top 50 donors of 2008. Together, these donors pledge or gave $15.5 billion, which is more than twice what the most generous donors gave in 2007.

Although many of these donors gave substantial gifts to their own foundations, below is a sampling of gifts made to charities rated by Charity Navigator:

• Peter G. Peterson and Joan Ganz Cooney : The Paley Center for Media
• Donald B. and Dorothy L. Stabler : Lehigh University
• Frank C. Doble : Tufts University
• Robert L. and Catherine H. McDevitt : Georgetown University
• Richard W. Weiland : Stanford University, Nature Conservancy
• H.F. (Gerry) and Marguerite B. Lenfest : Philadelphia Museum of Art, Williamson Free School of Mechanical Trades, Washington and Lee University
• David Rockefeller : Harvard University, Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City
• Stephen A. Schwarzman : New York Public Library, Inner-City Scholarship Fund
• Gerhard R. Andlinger : Princeton University
• Philip H. and Penelope Knight : Oregon Health & Science University Foundation
• Frank Sr. and Jane Batten : Culver Academies
• Ronald O. Perelman : Ford's Theatre Society
• Felix E. Martin Jr.: Community Foundation of Louisville, McCallie School
• Stewart A. and Lynda R. Resnick : Los Angeles County Museum of Art
• Donald J. and Ruth Weber Goodman : The Cleveland Foundation
• Jerome and Anne Fisher: University of Pennsylvania
• Adrienne Arsht :United Way of Miami-Dade, University of Miami
• Andrew S. Grove :Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research
• John A. and Cynthia Fry Gunn :San Francisco Opera
• Dennis J. and Constance Templeton Keller :Princeton University, African Wildlife Foundation, Nature Conservancy
• Andrew H. and Ann Rubenstein Tisch : Cornell University