Biggest Gifts to Charity Falter in Bad Economy

In yet another sign of how the nation’s economic slump is causing struggles for many charities, big donations from individuals and their foundations fell for the second consecutive year. The 10 biggest gifts donated by Americans in 2010 totaled slightly more than $1.3-billion, compared with $2.7-billion in 2009 and $8-billion in 2008.

In addition, only six individuals announced gifts of $100-million or more in 2010, a minor decline from 2009, when seven donors gave gifts of $100-million or more, but a significant drop from 2008, when 15 philanthropists announced gifts of that size.