donated

In 1999, Pennsylvania teacher Ronald Sakolsky donated $5,000 to farmer Yin Yuzhen to fund her tree-planting efforts in Inner Mongolia; 27 years later, his contribution helped transform China’s Maowusu Desert into a forest of 50,000 trees

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In 1999, Pennsylvania teacher Ronald Sakolsky donated $5,000 to farmer Yin Yuzhen to fund her tree-planting efforts in Inner Mongolia; 27 years later, his contribution helped transform China’s Maowusu Desert into a forest of 50,000 trees

Pennsylvania teacher Ronald Sakolsky’s $5,000 donation helps transform China’s desert into a forest of 50,000 trees. (Photo: Getty Images) Ronald Sakolsky, a 69-year-old retired teacher from Pennsylvania, recently returned to China for the first time in 26 years and was stunned to see what had become of the once-barren landscape he had helped support. A … Read more

A Seattle shipbuilder sold his company for a reported $3.5 million in 1906 and built an Orcas Island estate; 15 years later he donated more than 2,700 acres to Washington to create Moran State Park

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A Seattle shipbuilder sold his company for a reported $3.5 million in 1906 and built an Orcas Island estate; 15 years later he donated more than 2,700 acres to Washington to create Moran State Park

When former Seattle mayor and shipbuilding businessman Robert Moran was told by doctors in 1905 that he had only a few months to live because of a failing heart, he decided to spend his remaining time building a peaceful home on Orcas Island in the Pacific Northwest. That diagnosis turned out to be wrong. Moran … Read more

An Illinois thrift store has collected more than 100,000 donated items and runs with 200 regular volunteers, using every resale purchase to support local families in crisis

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An Illinois thrift store has collected more than 100,000 donated items and runs with 200 regular volunteers, using every resale purchase to support local families in crisis

An Illinois thrift shop run by a team of 200 regular volunteers has processed more than 100,000 donated items, putting every dollar earned from second-hand sales toward helping local families going through financial hardship. House of Hope Resale, located in Barrington, Illinois, turns unwanted household goods, clothing, and furniture into direct emergency help. Run under … Read more

In 2014, Leonardo DiCaprio’s foundation donated $1 million, helping save African elephants who were being killed for their ivory tusks at a rate of 100 per day

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In 2014, Leonardo DiCaprio's foundation donated $1 million, helping save African elephants who were being killed for their ivory tusks at a rate of 100 per day

Illegal hunting and the ivory trade have reduced the populations of elephants in Africa drastically over the past century. Millions of these mammals once roamed the iconic jungles, but their long ivory tusks made them targets of big game hunters and poachers who have decimated their numbers by roughly 95% over the past 100 years. … Read more

A teenager who survived childhood cancer started collecting LEGO for the hospital that treated him; his drive has now donated 573 mini-figures and raised $2,575

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A teenager who survived childhood cancer started collecting LEGO for the hospital that treated him; his drive has now donated 573 mini-figures and raised $2,575

Sometimes a small act of kindness goes so far that it touches your heart for an entire lifetime. Alexander Ackled-Dold still remembers the little things when he was receiving treatment for leukaemia as a child at Southlake’s pediatric oncology clinic. The teen recounted how the staff were always kind as he was in and out … Read more

Since 2000, Marc Benioff and his wife bought more than 600 acres in Hawaii worth nearly $100 million; they later donated 440 acres for affordable housing, starting with 43 homes

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Since 2000, Marc Benioff and his wife bought more than 600 acres in Hawaii worth nearly $100 million; they later donated 440 acres for affordable housing, starting with 43 homes

Benioff had been buying property in Hawaii for years, but his focus changed after the pandemic began (Bloomberg photo) Since 2000, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff and his wife, Lynne Benioff, have bought more than 600 acres of land in Hawaii worth nearly $100 million. Much of the land is in and around Waimea, a rural … Read more

EBay’s first full-time employee left the company after its IPO and built a $5.9 billion fortune; he has now donated about $1.2 billion into social-change projects

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EBay's first full-time employee left the company after its IPO and built a $5.9 billion fortune; he has now donated about $1.2 billion into social-change projects

Jeffrey Scholl. Image Credit: Scoll World Forum Jeff Skoll, eBay‘s first full-time employee and president, played a crucial role in building the company before leaving after its 1998 public offering. He helped turn an online auction business into one of the defining technology companies of the internet boom, then chose a different path from the … Read more

In 1964, a couple bought 535 acres in North Carolina and built a summer home there; decades later, they donated the entire property to Great Smoky Mountains National Park in its largest land gift since the park was created

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In 1964, a couple bought 535 acres in North Carolina and built a summer home there; decades later, they donated the entire property to Great Smoky Mountains National Park in its largest land gift since the park was created

The Appalachian Highlands Science Learning Center A high-altitude property first bought as a private family retreat in the mid-1960s now serves as an important centre for environmental research in North America. The 535-acre property in Haywood County, North Carolina, historically known as “The Purchase”, was officially transferred to the National Park Service around the turn … Read more

Meet Jonathan Thai, the 17-year-old from Alpharetta, Georgia whose nonprofit raised $30,000, donated 400 bikes and taught 350 children to ride

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Meet Jonathan Thai, the 17-year-old from Alpharetta, Georgia whose nonprofit raised $30,000, donated 400 bikes and taught 350 children to ride

A 17-year-old high school student from Alpharetta, Georgia, has built a non-profit organization that has raised over $30,000, distributed 400 bicycles and taught hundreds of children how to ride safely. Jonathan Thai, a competitive triathlete and rising high school senior, founded Pedal Forward in early 2025 after a major outdoor retailer shuttered its local community … Read more

Hollywood actor Joel McCrea bought a California ranch in 1933; his family later donated 74 acres as a wildlife preserve and effectively gave another 220 acres for parkland

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Hollywood actor Joel McCrea bought a California ranch in 1933; his family later donated 74 acres as a wildlife preserve and effectively gave another 220 acres for parkland

Joel McCrea bought a California ranch in 1933 When Hollywood western actor Joel McCrea bought a large piece of farmland in Santa Rosa Valley in 1933, he wanted a quiet working retreat away from movie sets. Decades later, the property has moved into public ownership, helping protect hundreds of acres of open land and natural … Read more