Nearly 40 hospitals and healthcare research organizations received gifts, pledges and bequests from individuals so far in 2021.
Here is a list of the 19 largest gifts given to healthcare organizations this year, based on data from The Chronicle of Philanthropy. The publication manages a database of recent gifts of $1 million or more made by individuals to charitable institutions.
Editor's note: Several gifts are of equal value, meaning more than 19 are recorded. The list contains gifts ordered under "Health" by The Chronicle of Philanthropy.
1. $300 million to Sanford Health (Sioux Falls, S.D.)
Donor: T. Denny Sanford. Mr. Sanford is a banker and the chair of United National Corporation.
Details: The donation will fund graduate medical education, including the creation of eight new graduate medical residencies. The gift also will back the development of a new virtual hospital program.
2. $250 million to Break Through Cancer (Cambridge, Mass.)
Donors: William Goodwin Jr., Alice Goodwin and William Goodwin III. Mr. Goodwin Jr. is the retired chair and president of the Riverston, the family's Richmond, Va.-based real-estate development company. The estate of Mr. and Mrs. Goodwin's late son, William Goodwin III, who died of cancer in 2020 at 51 years old, is also contributing to the gift.
Details: The donation will fund a new foundation for acute myelogenous leukemia, glioblastoma, and ovarian and pancreatic cancers.
3. $100 million to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (Memphis, Tenn.)
Donor: Jared Isaacman. Mr. Isaacman is the founder of payment processor Shift4 Payments and co-founder of Draken International, a company that trains pilots for the U.S. armed forces.
Details: The gift will fund the expansion of St. Jude Children's research efforts and help it raise money from other donors who want to join Mr. Isaacman on Inspiration4, an all-civilian mission to space.
3. $100 million to City of Hope (Duarte, Calif.)
Donor: Arthur Riggs, PhD. Dr. Riggs is a geneticist and has served as City of Hope's biology division chair since 1981.
Details: The donation will support the study and treatment of cancer and diabetes. Health system officials also renamed the diabetes research center the Arthur Riggs Diabetes & Metabolism Research Institute.
4. $60 million to Mayo Clinic (Rochester, Minn.)
Donor: Helen Houle. Ms. Houle is a philanthropist and was married to publishing executive John Nasseff, who died in 2018.
Details: The gift will fund a patient wing of Mayo Clinic's Saint Mary's hospital campus in Rochester. The wing will be named for Mr. Nasseff.
5. $50 million to Providence Tarzana Foundation (Los Angeles)
Donors: Donald and Andrea Friese. Mr. Friese is the former CEO of C.R. Laurence, an architectural hardware, equipment tools and supplies company.
Details: The donation will fund the expansion and renovation of Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center.
5. $50 million to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (Boston)
Donors: Judith Hale, Robert Hale Jr. and Karen Hale. Judith Hale is the widow of Robert Hale Sr., who alongside his son, Robert Hale Jr., founded the telecommunications companies Network Plus and Granite Telecommunications in Quincy, Mass.
Details: The donation will support the Hale Family Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research, which the Hales established in 2016 with a $15 million gift.
5. $50 million to Lucile Packard Children's Hospital (Stanford, Calif.)
Donor: Bruce Dunlevie and Elizabeth Dunlevie. Mr. Dunlevie is founder and general partner of Benchmark Capital, a Menlo Park, Calif.-based venture capital firm. Ms. Dunlevie is a board chair at the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health and a member of the board at Packard Children's Hospital.
Details: The gift will fund a new and larger labor and delivery unit at the hospital and create a special unit for mothers with underlying conditions such as heart disease and cancer.
5. $50 million to Mohawk Valley Health System (Utica, N.Y.)
Donor: Steve Wynn. Mr. Wynn is the founder and CEO of Wynn Resorts, a Las Vegas-based hotel and casino operator.
Details: The gift will support the health system's new regional medical center in downtown Utica and upgrades to Mohawk Valley's technology, research and services.
6. $30 million to Stanford (Calif.) University School of Medicine
Donors: Bruce Dunlevie and Elizabeth Dunlevie. Mr. Dunlevie is founder and general partner of Benchmark Capital, a Menlo Park, Calif.-based venture capital firm. Ms. Dunlevie is a board chair at the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health and a member of the board at Packard Children's Hospital.
Details: The donation will be used to develop a maternal-fetal medicine program and recruit faculty and researchers at Stanford.
7. $25 million to Unicef USA (New York City)
Donors: Stewart Butterfield and Jennifer Rubio. Mr. Butterfield founded group messaging app Slack and photo-sharing website Flickr. Ms. Rubio co-founded Away, a luggage manufacturer and retailer.
Details: The gift will support Unicef's global COVID-19 vaccination program, which aims to provide 2 billion doses of the vaccine to people in more than 180 countries this year.
7. $25 million to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Donor: Richard Wood Jr. Mr. Wood is chair emeritus of gas station and convenience store company Wawa.
Details: The gift will establish the Richard D. Wood Jr. Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment and support clinical, educational and research programs within the center.
7. $25 million to Children's Hospital Los Angeles
Donor: Anonymous.
Details: The donation will expand cognitive, emotional and behavioral healthcare for pediatric patients at the hospital.
7. $25 million to (Portland) Maine Medical Center
Donors: John Malone and Leslie Malone. Mr. Malone is chair of cable-television company Liberty Media Group.
Details: The gift will support the hospital's capital campaign to upgrade its facilities, expand education for medical staff and caregivers and improve patient care.
7. $25 million to Russell Medical (Alexandra, Ala.)
Donors: Ben Russell and Luanne Russell. Mr. Russell is chair of Russell Lands, his family's real estate development and management company.
Details: The donation will support the development of the Benjamin Russell Center for Advanced Care, which will provide geriatric and specialty healthcare services. The gift will also establish the Benjamin Russell Endowed Chair in Geriatrics.
8. $20 million to the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (King of Prussia, Pa.)
Donor: Donald Newhouse. Mr. Newhouse owns Advance Publications, a media company whose holdings include Conde Nast.
Details: The gift will establish the Donald and Susan Newhouse Fund, which will be used to expand the organization's research, education, awareness, advocacy efforts and support programs for patients suffering from frontotemporal degeneration, a form of dementia. Susan Newhouse, Mr. Newhouse's wife, died in 2015 after suffering from dementia.
8. $20 million to University of California at Irvine Health
Donor: Allen Chao. Mr. Chao is CEO of Tanvex BioPharma in Irvine.
Details: The gift will support research, cancer treatments, clinical trials, precision medicine and patient care at the hospital's Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center and Ambulatory Care.
8. $20 million to Gary Sinise Foundation (Los Angeles)
Donor: Bernard Marcus. Mr. Marcus was Home Depot's first CEO and stepped down as its chair in 2002.
Details: The donation will be used to establish 20 treatment sites across the U.S., offering cognitive health and mental wellness programs to thousands of military veterans, first responders and their families.
8. $20 million to Gary Sinise Foundation (Los Angeles)
Donor: Arthur Blank. Mr. Blank is the chair, owner and CEO of the Atlanta Falcons football team.
Details: The donation will be used to establish 20 treatment sites across the U.S., offering cognitive health and mental wellness programs to thousands of military veterans, first responders and their families.
9. $15.5 million to Cleveland Clinic
Donor: Charles Shor. Mr. Shor is the former CEO of paper bag company Duro Bag Manufacturing.
Details: The gift will be used to finish construction on the clinic's neurological institute building and support epilepsy research.
10. $15 million to Seattle Children's Hospital
Donors: Satya Nadella and Anupama Nadella. Mr. Nadella is the CEO of Microsoft, and Mrs. Nadella is a former architect.
Details: The donation will be used to build a clinical-trial program, expand children's mental healthcare and create the Zain Nadella Endowed Chair in Pediatric Neurosciences, named after the couple's son who was born with cerebral palsy.
11. $12 million to the University of California at San Diego Health
Donors: Mark Gleiberman and Hanna Gleiberman. Mr. Gleiberman founded MG Properties Group, a San Diego-based real estate investment firm. He is also a trustee of UC San Diego Foundation's board and a founding board member of UC San Diego Real Estate and Development Program.
Details: The gift will support clinical trials, a fellowship program and faculty retention efforts within UC San Diego Health's Head and Neck Cancer Center.
12. $10 million to Intermountain Healthcare (Salt Lake City)
Donor: Crystal Magglet. Ms. Magglet is chair and CEO of FJ Management, a company that operates convenience stores, oil and refining businesses, banking and insurance companies.
Details: The gift will support the creation of a health system for children that will bring together specialized pediatric caregivers from multiple Intermountain facilities.
12. $10 million to Bethesda Foundation (Cincinnati)
Donors: Harold Thomas and Eugenia Thomas. Mr. Thomas is the former vice president of sales and marketing for Thomas Foods and its successor, Sysco.
Details: The donation will support construction of the new TriHealth Heart Hospital on Bethesda's north campus, set to open in summer 2022.
12. $10 million to Mount Sinai Health System (New York City)
Donors: Eric Waldman and Kimberly Waldman. Mr. Waldman is managing partner at High Mountain Capital Partners, a private investment company he founded in 2014.
Details: The gift will be used to create the Kimberly and Eric J. Waldman Melanoma and Skin Cancer Center at the May Center for Mount Sinai Doctors.
12. $10 million to Lahey Clinic Medical Center (Burlington, Mass.)
Donor: Anonymous.
Details: The gift will be used to establish the Jean Cunningham Department of Nursing and Jean Cunningham Chair in Nursing, named in memory of Jean Cunningham, who worked as a nurse at the hospital for more than 40 years. She died in 2020 at 64 years old.
12. $10 million to University Hospitals (Cleveland)
Donors: Monte Ahuja and Usha Ahuja. Mr. Ahuja founded Transtar Industries, an auto parts manufacturing company.
Details: The gift will support Rainbow Babies & Children's Center for Women and Children, which will be named for Mr. and Mrs. Ahuja. Part of the donation will also be used to establish the Monte and Usha Ahuja Chair in Clinical Excellence.
12. $10 million to University of Wisconsin Hospital (Madison)
Donor: Pleasant Rowland. Ms. Rowland founded the Pleasant Company and the American Girl doll brand.
Details: The donation will be used to help pay for construction of an organ transplant clinic.
12. $10 million to Novant Health Foundation (Charlotte, N.C.)
Donor: Michael Jordan. Mr. Jordan is a former NBA player, who spent 15 seasons in the league playing for the Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards. He is the majority owner and chair of the Charlotte Hornets.
Details: The gift will be used to open two family health clinics on the southeastern coast of North Carolina.
12. $10 million to MedStar Georgetown University Hospital (Washington, D.C.)
Donors: Alan Holt and Shelly Holt. Mr. Holt is a senior partner and managing director at private equity firm the Carlyle Group.
Details: The gift will fund construction of a new medical and surgical building, which will include an intraoperative MRI surgical suite.
13. $8 million to Brain and Behavior Research Foundation (New York City)
Donor: Stephen Lieber. Mr. Lieber was chair of the foundation's board of trustees from 2008 until he died in 2020.
Details: The gift will support the foundation's mental illness research.
14. $5.9 million to the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (New York City)
Donor: Sanford Grossman. Mr. Grossman is an economist and former hedge fund manager.
Details: The gift will establish the Sanford Grossman Interdisciplinary Center in Neural Circuitry and Immune Function.
15. $5.7 million to Naples (Fla.) Community Hospital Healthcare System
Donor: Julia Van Domelen. Ms. Van Domelen is a former president of Christ Child Society of Naples, an early childhood education nonprofit.
Details: The donation will go toward hiring additional staff, supporting training programs, expanding the hospital's neonatal program to a Level III neonatal intensive care unit, and strengthening its fetal maternal medicine program and its pediatric surgery and anesthesiology departments.
16. $5 million to Children's Hospital of Orange (Calif.) County
Donor: Sandy Segerstrom Daniels. Ms. Daniels is a managing partner of C.J. Segerstrom & Sons, her family's real estate development company.
Details: The gift will help establish the CHOC Children's Mental Health Inpatient Center, which will provide care to children ages 3-18 who are struggling with mental health conditions.
17. $3.8 million to Mount Sinai Health System (New York City)
Donor: Robert Smith. Mr. Smith is the founder and CEO of private equity firm Vista Equity Partners.
Details: The gift will go toward creating the Robert F. Smith Mobile MRI Unit, which will let men in predominantly Black neighborhoods in New York City schedule prostate screening appointments and follow-up visits with the hospital's urologists.
18. $2 million to the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (King of Prussia, Pa.)
Donor: Kristin Holloway. Mrs. Holloway is a board member of the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration.
Details: The donation will create the Holloway Family Fund, which will back research into and treatment of frontotemporal degeneration, a form of dementia that is usually only seen in people under 60 years old.
18. $2 million to the University of California at San Diego Health
Donors: Matthew Strauss and Iris Strauss. Mr. Strauss founded the M.C. Strauss Company, a commercial real estate developer in San Diego.
Details: The gift will establish the Iris and Matthew Strauss Chancellor's Endowed Chair in Head and Neck Surgery at the university's Moores Cancer Center.
19. $1 million to the California Institute of Integral Studies (San Francisco)
Donors: Steven Cohen and Alexandra Cohen. Mr. Cohen founded hedge fund SAC Capital Advisors.
Details: The gift will be used to train therapists in the therapeutic use of drugs like ketamine and MDMA to treat post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and other mental health conditions.
19. $1 million to Awakening Recovery (Los Angeles)
Donor: Robert Daly Sr. Mr. Daly is the former chair of Warner Brothers and currently serves as president of investment consulting firm Rulemaker.
Details: The donation will go toward renaming Awakening Recovery's addiction recovery home for men, which now will be called the Daly House.