Marc and Lynne Benioff Recognized as Top Philanthropists for 11th Year

The Chronicle of Philanthropy ranked Salesforce Chair and CEO Marc Benioff and his wife, Lynne Benioff, among America's biggest donors on its annual Philanthropy 50 list. Since 2010, the Benioffs have appeared on the list 11 times, representing more than $1 billion in personal giving. This year they were ranked as the nation's 21st largest donor.

Driving the news: The Benioffs focused many of their 2025 philanthropic initiatives on pediatric healthcare. In October 2025, they announced a $100 million gift for UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals; a significant portion of these funds are dedicated to building a new state-of-the-art hospital facility and modernizing existing infrastructure in Oakland, California. The couple also donated money to the University of California, San Francisco to support research on prostate cancer, nephrology, and pediatric strokes.

Beyond San Francisco the Benioffs gave more than $37 million in 2025 to charities including the American Cancer Society; DonorsChoose, which helps teachers raise money for their classrooms; and the Jane Goodall Legacy Foundation, which supports research and education programs that focus on apes and the environment.

What Marc is saying: "As a fourth-generation San Franciscan, I've always believed in our responsibility to invest deeply in our local community. The San Francisco Bay Area is the AI capital of the world. With that leadership comes a responsibility not only to innovate, but to secure the future of our community - ensuring that every child has access to world-class healthcare, safe and welcoming public parks and spaces, and a great education to flourish in the AI era."

The Salesforce philanthropic perspective: Marc pioneered Salesforce's 1-1-1 model, which commits 1% of the company's equity, technology, and employees' time to build a more equitable and sustainable world. This model subsequently has grown into the Pledge 1% movement, inspiring more than 19,000 companies to join in and igniting over $3 billion in new philanthropy worldwide.