Maria Di Mento
Senior Reporter
The Chronicle of Philanthropy
202-466-1733
Maria Di Mento directs the Chronicle of Philanthropy’s annual Philanthropy 50, a comprehensive report on America’s most generous donors. She writes about wealthy philanthropists, family and legacy foundations, next generation philanthropy, arts organizations, key trends and insights related to high-net-worth donors, and other topics.
Stories by This Author
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Major GiftsBillionaire Tom Golisano Pledges $253 Million and Creates a National Alliance of Children’s Hospitals
The founder of the payroll giant Paychex has given away more than $1 billion, with a significant share going to help children. -
Innovation
A Los Angeles Couple’s No-Nonsense Charity Helps the Working Poor
Greg and Jodi Perlman started The Change Reaction to help people in their city stay afloat during times of crisis. They’ve given $60 million to 43,000 families over the past six years. -
Big Gifts
What Fundraisers Should Know About Big Donors’ Thinking Right Now
Big gifts are on the upswing, but those who advise America’s ultra-wealthy say top donors continue to feel overwhelmed and in doubt about where and how to give effectively. -
Gifts Roundup
Mega-Donor MacKenzie Scott Gives Again: $120 Million to Two Orgs
Plus, five additional donors gave gifts of $100 million or more to support a range of university programs including architecture, conservation science, and engineering. -
Research and Data
Fewer Rich Donors Gave Last Year, While Young Donors Gained Ground
The 2025 Bank of America Study of Philanthropy finds that giving remains on a downward trajectory, even among the very affluent, but volunteering is up. -
Major Philanthropy
How 2 Wealthy Latino Donors Are Pushing Their Peers to Give More and Speak Out
Miguel Fernandez and Sergio Rodriguez are bringing together some of the country’s wealthiest Latinos to support college students and fight Trump’s anti-immigration policies. -
Philanthropists
Shonda Rhimes Gift to Dartmouth Will Result in a Namesake Dorm
The television mogul is giving $15 million for a new residence hall. It will be the first building at the university named for a woman or Black alumna. -
Gifts Roundup
$50 Million Gift Continues Billionaire’s Run of Medical Center Contributions
Plus, a South Dakota public school system and university are sharing a $33 million donation that will provide students and teachers scholarships. -
Major Gifts
Why Big Gifts Dropped in 2025 and Will Soon Rise
Tax-code changes and other political and economic forces are causing some ultra-wealthy donors to wait until the end of the year or to give quietly. -
Philanthropists
And $2 Billion More — Phil and Penny Knight Strike Again With Mega-Gift
Their latest gift to Oregon Health & Science University for its Knight Cancer Institute is the biggest donation the Nike co-founder and his wife have ever given.
