Bloomberg’s Annual Levels Of Charitable Giving

(Mayor Bloomberg above listening to public testimony about the term limits extension bill he signed immediately afterward.)

Here, as a quick reference, are figures on Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s annual levels of giving consolidated for our article The Good News IS the Bad News: Thanks A lot for Mayor Bloomberg’s “Charity” (Monday, February 2, 2009). For more on what those numbers mean in context click to read the article.

Bloomberg “Giving” 1997-2008

Below in chart form is information about Bloomberg’s level of giving and the years of associated Bloomberg political campaigns.

$26.6 million:- Bloomberg’s charitable gifts in 1997 (when he distributed to 433 groups). Handouts have increased every year since - Press mentions of Bloomberg philanthropy begin this year
$45 million:- Bloomberg’s charitable gifts in 1998 - Year Bloomberg started talking publicly about running for mayor
$47 million:- Bloomberg’s charitable gifts in 1999
$100.5 million:- Bloomberg’s charitable gifts in 2000 (579 organizations)- Year before first mayoral election campaign
$122.5 million:- Bloomberg’s charitable gifts in 2001 (540 groups) Was elected mayor in November
$130.9 million:- Bloomberg’s charitable gifts in 2002 (655 groups) Became mayor
$135.6 million:- Bloomberg’s charitable gifts in 2003 (653 groups)
$138/139.9 million*:- Bloomberg’s charitable gifts in 2004 (843 groups)
$143.9 million:- Bloomberg’s charitable gifts in 2005 (987 groups)- Second campaign for mayor in connection with the 2005 election
$165.3 million:- Bloomberg’s charitable gifts in 2006. (1,077 groups)
$205 million:- Bloomberg’s charitable gifts in 2007.- The year he started to run for President.- The year he left the Republican party
$235 million:- Bloomberg’s charitable gifts in 2008 (1,221 recipient groups)- The year that Bloomberg started running for his third term as mayor and overthrew the city’s term limits restrictions.

* (difference between Times and Chronicle of Philanthropy figures)

(Figures available from:

 the Chronicle of Philanthropy
 Mayor's $weet Charity, by David Seifman, January 27, 2009
 Bloomberg’s Gifts to Charity Exceeded $165 Million in 2006, by Diane Cardwell, September 17, 2007
 Nearly 1,000 Groups Gain From Bloomberg’s Largess, by Sewell Chan, October 18, 2006
 2003 tax year? For Bloomberg, 'Rich' Is Just Too Weak an Adjective, By Leslie Eaton, July 3, 2004.
 In 2002, Bloomberg Lost a Bit (for Him) and Gave a Lot, by David Johnston (Correction: David Cay Johnston), June 14, 2003

[Note, PS added January 25, 2013- Updating information is available in the post: Friday, January 25, 2013, Bloomberg’s Increasing Annual Wealth: 1996 to 2012 Plus Updates On His Annual “Charitable” Giving]