Martin S. Kimmel, co-founder of the New Hyde Park, New York real estate development firm Kimco Realty Corporation, left his wife Helen L. Kimmel a strong legacy of philanthropy. Now, with her generous $156.5 million in total commitments for 2008 alone, she has risen to rank as the 12th in The Philanthropy...

Entering into a family with a long line of well-known generous advocates, Christy Walton held her own as a distinguished member of the Walton legacy. Profiled by Condé Nast Portfolio magazine in The Giving Index, she ranked as the highest female philanthropist according to the amount she gives as a...

On August 12, 1930, a man who would actively redefine society’s and culture’s borders was born in Budapest, Hungary by the name of George Soros. He and his family migrated in England in 1947. He had to survive by manually working as a restaurant waiter as well as a railroad porter in England. In the...

Anne Cox Chambers is at the forefront of several philanthropic initiatives that further the preservation and appreciation of culture. Serving on the board of several non-profit organizations, she continues to be a champion for her personal advocacies. Anne Cox Chambers is a director of the American Advisory...

Oprah Winfrey is most well known for her talk show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, but she also has many other media holdings, including a book club, magazines, and multimedia website. She is the first African American woman to make the Forbes list of billionaires. Through her Angel Network, Oprah Winfrey has...

Courtney Sale Ross is the widow of Steven Ross, former chair and CEO of Time Warner Inc. Courtney Ross is best known for her work with The Ross School, the innovative facility for interdisciplinary learning that Courtney Ross established in 1991 at East Hampton, New York. In her commitment to improving...

Alfred E. Mann was born in Portland, Oregon in 1925, and moved to California in 1946 where he has resided until present. As an American entrepreneur and philanthropist, Alfred Mann ranked No.390 in Forbes Magazine’s list of The World’s Richest People in 2007 and No.12 on the list of most generous donors...

Ruth Lilly is the sole heiress to the fortune of Eli Lilly, the century-old pharmaceutical company named after her great-great-grandfather. Ruth Lilly contributes substantially to the arts. She is also an avid supporter of health advocacies, historical preservation causes, youth nonprofits and countless...

When Brooke Astor died on August 13, 2007, thousands of New Yorkers gathered to mourn and remember the grand dame of philanthropy. Brooke Astor was born Roberta Brooke Russell on March 30, 1902 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. She was the daughter of a Marine Corps commandant and a socialite-intellectual...

Veronica Atkins survives her husband, the late Dr. Robert Atkins, who conceived the highly popular Atkins Diet, which emphasizes a diet low in carbohydrates. Veronica Atkins was born in Russia and is unknown to many. She is an adept cook and has authored two cookbooks. She also sang opera professionally for...