What Is the Giving Pledge?
The Giving Pledge is essentially a promise made by some of the wealthiest individuals and families in the world to give a large portion of their wealth to charitable causes. This pledge helps fund many amazing initiatives across the world that are designed to help humanity as a whole in a wide array of different ways. Each person can pledge their money to causes that are near and dear to them, yet also help people throughout the world positively and uniquely.
Why Is the Giving Pledge So Important?
The Giving Pledge is so important because the money that wealthy individuals are providing helps fund unique opportunities and initiatives that may otherwise not get the funding or attention that they deserve. Giving to charities, especially those that help support growth, can be a way to discover medical cures, find life outside the planet, or make life easier for those living in impoverished countries or communities. Money can go a long way in bettering the world as a whole.
Who Has Pledged to the Giving Pledge?
Some of the richest individuals in the world have pledged to the giving pledge. Read on to learn more about some of these individuals and families and why their pledge is so important.
Yuri Milner and Julia Milner
Julia and Yuri Milner are two of the individuals who have pledged to the Giving Pledge. Julia and Yuri Milner have already started giving back through the various Breakthrough programs – the Breakthrough Prize, Breakthrough Junior Challenge and Breakthrough Initiatives. The Breakthrough Prizes are $3m annual prizes for mathematics, physics and life sciences, while the Breakthrough Junior Challenge is a contest that awards teenagers with scholarship money to get them to think about science, math, and technology. The Breakthrough Initiatives are astronomical searches and space exploration programs looking for life in the universe. Yuri Milner is a tech investor with a strong science background, and he hopes to encourage young individuals to keep learning and discovering in the science and technology fields.
Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan
Mark Zuckerberg is best known as the creator of Facebook. He and his wife Priscilla Chan pledged to the Giving Pledge. They hope to make an impact in several ways, including helping in the health, medical, education, and political worlds. The couple has already given to many charities that align with their goals of improving education, health, and helping advance science and technology throughout the world.
Michael Bloomberg
Michael Bloomberg, the owner and founder of Bloomberg L.P., knows how important education is for the young. He committed to The Giving Pledge and has since lived up to this pledge by helping fund education. He donated over $50 million to his alma mater to help pay the tuition for incoming students. He also worked in politics, helping create bridges between private and public schools. He believes that every child, regardless of their financial background, deserves a quality education, and he hopes to help that happen with the work he completes and the money he donates.
Many of the richest individuals and families have pledged to the Giving Pledge, including Julia and Yuri Milner, Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan, and Michael Bloomberg. The money they donate will help make this world a better world even after they are gone.
