14 More Philanthropists Join the Giving Pledge

-  International philanthropy group reaches183 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: "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.