Mayor Climbs Philanthropy Top 10 List

In 2007, Mayor Bloomberg gave away $205 million to charity and boosted his position on the Chronicle of Philanthropy's annual ranking of American donors.

The co-chairman of the Hilton Hotels Corp., William Hilton, was first on the list, giving away $1.2 billion last year.

Other New Yorkers among the top-10 donors were the chairman of Soros Fund Management, George Soros, who gave away $474.6 million, and the founder of Metromedia, John Kluge, who pledged $400 million to Columbia University. A former chairman of Citigroup, Sanford Weill, and his wife, Joan, donated $328.5 million.

In 2006, Mr. Bloomberg donated $165 million and finished 10th in the ranking, while in 2005 the billionaire donated $144 million and was eighth on the list. In 2004, he gave away $138 million and was in 10th place. He donated to 1,100 nonprofit organizations in the arts, education, health care, and social services last year, but refused name the beneficiaries, the Chronicle reported.

A spokesman for Mr. Bloomberg, Stuart Loeser, wrote in an e-mail message that the mayor's increased donations last year "speak to just how seriously he takes the challenge of trying to make the world a better place."

He has ratcheted up his charitable giving each year since coming into office in 2002, with the largest jump in his contributions last year, amid mounting speculation he will run for president.

If he doesn't launch a White House bid, he is expected to become a full-time philanthropist after being term-limited out of office in 2010. He has purchased two adjacent $40 million buildings on the Upper East Side for the Bloomberg Family Foundation. Mr. Bloomberg appears to be preparing to ramp up his philanthropic work. The city's Conflicts of Interest Board, responding to an inquiry by the mayor, ruled in December that he could diversify his investments if the identities of the money managers and their investment picks are not shared with him.

In September, the mayor disclosed about 1,000 organizations he and his company, Bloomberg LP, gave to in 2006, including the Apollo Theater Foundation, the Center for Jewish History, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and the Frick Collection.