07:00, 10 April 2026
Words by Abi Scaife, Staff Writer, London
Philanthropic organisations are a huge part of charity work; grants and donations from donor organisations can make a huge difference to smaller, community-led organisations.
To that end, we have compiled a ranked list of the top Philanthropic Organisations that exist globally, because everyone needs a little help, sometimes - even charities.
Based in Denmark, the Novo Nordisk Foundation is one of the world’s top philanthropic organisations. They have been active for almost forty years, and focus primarily on medical treatment and research. As of 2023, they were the biggest global philanthropic organisation, with a net worth of approximately US$148bn.
Not only do they aim to improve people’s health, but also the health of the planet, and the sustainability of science as a whole.
We’ve written about Jamsetji Tata before, still one fo the most generous philanthropists our world has ever seen, 122 years after his death. Well, he clearly taught his family members about philanthropy because it was his son that set up Tata Trusts upon his death, way back in 1919.
The foundation is still going strong, giving out a number of different kinds of grants to various causes and organisations. They have an emergency grant fund that was used to help India through the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as endowment grants that are given out with the aim of making a positive change in society.
One of the more well known foundations on this list, the Gates Foundation was set up by Bill Gates and his wife Melinda French Gates, of Microsoft fame. Their main aims are to enhance healthcare and reduce extreme poverty worldwide, as well as assisting with education and access to information technology in the United States.
One of the leaders in venture philanthropy, its founders are regularly making headlines for their huge donation numbers. Their philosophy is to give away as much of their wealth as possible to worthy causes, and the Gates Foundation is part of that. Bill Gates has donated billions to the Gates Foundation, and has stated he will donate 99% of his wealth before his death.
The Wellcome Trust was created by Henry Wellcome, a pharmaceutical magnate, to help improve human and animal health, and has co-funded a huge number of biomedical research works since.
Set up in 1936, the charity received a financial endowment of £37.6 billion in 2025, making it one of the wealthiest charities out there. Set up and run from London, England, the charity invests heavily in biomedical research, and, alongside the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Mastercard, contributed towards accelerating research and treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Dutch foundation was set up in the 80s by IKEA founder Ingvar Kamprad. Initially created to support innovation within architecture and interior design, it has since expanded to support the health of children in developing countries.
Other than this, the Foundation donates money to the IKEA Foundation, which then utilises funds to a number of different focus points, including the development of sustainable living and climate action.
The wealthiest NGO in Canada, Mastercard’s foundation has made huge waves in the philanthropic sector. Their main focuses are on improving gender and economic equality, and they operate in nearly 50 countries worldwide, working towards these goals.
In recent years, they have developed the Young Africa programme, and through it, shifted a focus to operating within the African continent. Despite this, much of its work still focuses in other areas, including supporting Indigenous Youth in Canada.
Originally a savings bank, La Caixa now operates as a Spanish not-for-profit banking foundation, which reorganised itself in the 2000s and 2010s to focus on giving back.
Their primary work exists in social systems – what the foundation calls their Obra Social - social, cultural, scientific, and civic projects to create positive change within society.
The bank and by extension the foundation have been through a number of mergers, restructurings, collaborations and other shake-ups over the years, but their primary mission is clear; creating more sustainable, egalitarian societies.
During his lifetime, Howard Hughes was one of the most financially successful people in the world; and now that success continues for good. Based in Maryland, today they fund and further scientific research, enabling scientists to explore some of our world’s biggest mysteries to “lead to better health, improved quality of life, and a more sustainable future for us all”.
They aim to make scientific discoveries available to all, with all their papers being free and open to access, so that we can all learn from each other and build on our collective discoveries.
RAG-Stiftung is a foundation that exists primarily to ease the financial burden on public sectors. Their commitment is to improving our planet, and therefore public health, by cleaning up after old and defunct German coal mines. The coal mining industry has left behind sullied and polluted water, and a heavy burden on local ecology, all of which RAF-Stiftung is assisting in.
They centre the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, and work hard to clean up our world to work towards a more sustainable future.
Another philanthropist we have covered at Smiley Movement, Azim Premji set up the Azim Premji Foundation in 2001 - 25 years ago.
The Foundation’s primary focus has been on education; specifically, on improving the school system in disadvantaged regions in India. In 2010, he endowed an additional US$21 billion to the Foundation, making him the top philanthropist in India.
The Azim Premji Foundation has been able to continue its valuable work thanks to these donations, and has been able to expand its work from just education, to improving health and livelihoods within India, too.
Set up by the George Soros, whom we ranked sixth in our article, Top Ten Philanthropists of the 20th Century, Open Society Foundations focuses financially supporting progressive organisations.
Its founder, George Soros, survived the Nazi occupation of Hungary, and as such much of the foundation’s work focuses on building societies where governments are accepting, diverse, and accountable to their people.
According to its website, the Open Society Foundations, which has offices in a dozen countries, is the largest private founder of organisations working for rights, equity, and justice.
Founded in 1937, Lilly Endowment was set up by Josiah K Lilly Sr., and his children Eli Jr. And Josiah Jr. Its focus has remained largely the same since it was created; community development, education, and Christianity.
The foundation has a huge focus on strengthening communities, especially in its native Indiana, and on supporting Higher Education. In particular, they are looking into how they can help Higher Education Institutes tackle the implications of AI on education.
Created by Edsel Ford and his father, Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company, the Ford Foundation has had strong principals since its inception. `Today, they focus on creating a world that is diverse and equitable, in particular focusing on the safety and success of Immigrants, disabled people, LGBTQ+ people, and those in the Global Majority.
They work in well over a dozen countries worldwide, investing in ways that are helping to transform lives around the world.
Created through the merging of two different organisations in the Silicon Valley area, the Silicon Valley Community Foundation is dedicated to working with local non-profits. Donations made by the foundation make up funds that help some of the most urgent assistance in the Silicon Valley area, committing to equity without restriction.
They have a number of community partnerships, and initiatives within early childhood development, as they fight to create a Silicon Valley that supports all.
Founded in 1930 by Will Keith Kellogg, the name behind some of our favourite breakfast cereals, and one of the first to place nutrition labels on packaging, the W. K. Kellogg Foundation focuses on a huge number of causes.
Naturally, one of their main focuses is on children – on their overall health, yes, but also specifically dental health. The Foundation is also hugely committed to equality of all kinds, including racial equality. They have programmes focused at Native American children, including language programmes, to ensure that their native languages never die out.
David Packard was one of the co-founders of HP, an information technology company based in the United States. Alongside his wife, Lucile, he set up the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, which became one of the beneficiaries of his estate upon his death.
The Foundation works towards their vision of “a just and equitable world where people and nature flourish” through investments in their various pillars, including reproductive health, childhood, conservation and science.
The MacArthur Foundation makes impact investments to support non-profit organisations in creating a just, equitable, and sustainable world. While their work extends into 117 different countries, their headquarters are in Chicago, USA, and much of their work is focused in India and Nigeria.
Their manifesto is to create a “just, verdant, and peaceful world”, which they cite as being interconnected. They aim to break down barriers, and invest in creative solutions to some of the world’s most critical problems to create a better world.
Also known as the Mellon Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation is the product of a merging of two other non-profit organisations, each set up by one of Andrew Mellon’s children.
The Foundation has a number of areas of interest, including conservation, performing arts,museum and art, and higher education in a number of different forms. Today, the Mellon Foundation makes grants to support communities through the medium of various different arts.
The Moore Foundation was formed in 2000 by Gordon Moore, co-founder of Intel, and his wife, Betty. Today, the Foundation’s main aim is to “create positive outcomes for future generations” . The Foundation does this through a focus on science, conservation, and the community of the San Francisco Bay area.
They have a number of different programmes, such as a Wildfire Resilience initiative, and all of the Foundation’s efforts are engaged with measurable impact.
The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation was set up by hotel entrepreneur Conrad Hilton, and was the principal beneficiaries of both himself and his son’s estates when they passed away.
A quote by Conrad Hilton remains their guiding light: “Love one another, for that is the whole law”. The Foundation started off with seven specific areas of focus, though as it has grown in subsequent years it has branched out to include additional initiatives, including disaster relief. And
