Town & Country Names Its 2026 Philanthropists of the Year
Beyoncé gave $2 million to the Studio Museum in Harlem to celebrate her 45th birthday, according to Town & Country. The gift is one of many in the magazine's Philanthropists of the Year 2026 issue, published October 28, 2026.
The issue covers people who paid for new programs and museum wings. It also covers people who stepped in to meet a neighbor's need. The magazine sums up the list this way: "From nine-figure donations to small acts of kindness, these are the gifts that mattered most." A nine-figure donation is one of $100 million or more.
The cover features Russell Wilson and Ciara, fashion designer Tory Burch, and actor Andrew Shue. It also features donors to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, including the Tang family, the Lauder family, and Jen Rubio and Stewart Butterfield.
One of the longest efforts in the issue belongs to actor Christian Bale. He spent 18 years and $22 million in fundraising to build Together California, according to the magazine. The project is an 11,000-square-foot foster care village in Palmdale, California, with 12 homes. Foster care is the system that places children who cannot live with their own families into approved homes. The village opened in September.
The issue also names David Rubenstein, the investor and philanthropist, who received the George H.W. Bush Points of Light Award. The award honors volunteer service and is named for the former president.
Town & Country will hand out its first Philanthropist of the Year Awards at its annual Philanthropy Summit, the magazine announced in a separate notice on October 26, 2026. The awards add a live event to a feature that, until now, has existed only on the page.
The mix is the point of the issue. A museum gift in the millions sits next to a single family's effort to open a home for children who need one. Both count as giving, and the magazine treats them that way.
