Even during the economic pinch, a very select group of Americans have continued to donate many of their hard-earned dollars to philanthropic causes, such as global health and education initiatives.  BusinessWeek did a great story on these “Top 50 American Philanthropists.”  You can view the article here:

http://www.businessweek.com/print/magazine/content/08_49/b4111054030529.htm

Warren Buffett tops this year’s list, giving over $40 billion to charity in the last four years.  Bill and Melinda Gates were runner’s up, a mere $38 billion shy of what Buffett gave to his various philanthropies.

Also, here is the link to the slide show of the men and women who made the list.  You can also check out the top 25 below.

http://images.businessweek.com/ss/08/11/1124_biggest_givers/index.htm?technology+slideshows