--- title: Charles Koch Has Given $1 Billion to Charity description: A new report reveals that conservative donor Charles Koch has also given more than $1 billion to civic and philanthropic groups. canonical: https://time.com/5413786/charles-koch-charitable-giving/ author: Philip Elliott article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-10-03T19:05:31.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-23T21:37:22.209Z article:section: Politics og:title: Charles Koch Is Known for Conservative Advocacy. A New Report Highlights His Charitable Giving og:description: A new report reveals that conservative donor Charles Koch has also given more than $1 billion to civic and philanthropic groups. og:url: https://time.com/5413786/charles-koch-charitable-giving/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3dff3a7000582de5/6989368e656a3f9200bd5176/gettyimages-110872572.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3000 og:image:height: 1688 og:image:alt: Charles Koch og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Charles Koch Is Known for Conservative Advocacy. A New Report Highlights His Charitable Giving twitter:description: A new report reveals that conservative donor Charles Koch has also given more than $1 billion to civic and philanthropic groups. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3dff3a7000582de5/6989368e656a3f9200bd5176/gettyimages-110872572.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Charles Koch Is Known for Conservative Advocacy. A New Report Highlights His Charitable Giving > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, three times a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters.  by [Philip Elliott](https://time.com/author/philip-elliott/)  ## Philip Elliott Senior Correspondent Oct 3, 2018 7:05 PM UTC  In this February 26, 2007 file photograph, Charles Koch, head of Koch Industries, talks passionately about his new book on Market Based Management. In this February 26, 2007 file photograph, Charles Koch, head of Koch Industries, talks passionately about his new book on Market Based Management. Wichita Eagle—MCT via Getty Images  by [Philip Elliott](https://time.com/author/philip-elliott/)  ## Philip Elliott Senior Correspondent Oct 3, 2018 7:05 PM UTC Charles Koch is known for his activism on conservative and libertarian causes, but a new report reveals that he’s also given more than $1 billion to civic and philanthropic groups. Forbes magazine got that number after tallying lifetime donations for the first time as part of its annual list of the [world’s richest individuals](https://www.forbes.com/profile/charles-koch/?list=forbes-400#6a7660557d70), published Wednesday. With a $53.5 billion fortune, Koch was at No. 7 on that list, tied with his brother, David. “I do not believe ‘sum total’ is the most effective measure for evaluating my philanthropy,” Charles Koch told TIME in a statement. “Those results — which are real and measurable — are the true indicator of my philanthropy.” Koch advisers say the overwhelming bulk of the donations has gone to civic and philanthropic groups, not the political ones he’s better known for. Last year, 95% of his personal giving went to educational programs and community groups that deal with persistent poverty. In the statement, Koch specifically highlighted an addiction recovery program that blends counseling with Crossfit-styled exercise programs and a separate program in New York’s Sing Sing Prison that works with inmates to reduce recidivism. Long criticized from the left for their work building and funding organizations like Americans for Prosperity that promote small-government ideas, Charles and David Koch [have started inching away](http://time.com/5352417/koch-brothers-network-change/) from politics. Charles Koch announced David Koch’s retirement earlier this year in [a letter](http://time.com/5301152/david-koch-retires-brother-politics-business/) to employees of Koch Industries, the Kansas-based conglomerate that produces everything from Stainmaster carpet to Dixie cups, Lycra cloth to industrial goods. And, in a move that angered some donors, his aides said they would no longer automatically have the backs of politicians simply because they have an “R” after their name. Those around Charles Koch say his greater interest has long been changing the culture of the country. “We’ve become deeply concerned with the degree to which society has become polarized,” said Sarah Ruger, the director of free expression at the Charles Koch Institute. That’s one reason why they say Charles Koch is also funding almost 1,000 scholars at more than 300 colleges and universities. For instance, Charles Koch is intensely interested in the research of Carrie Pettus-Davis, a professor at Florida State University who last year received a $1 million grant to identify the best ways to reduce recidivism, looking at experiences in Florida, Louisiana, Pennsylvania and Texas. Much of Pettus-Davis’ research has been used within the Koch political network to convince skeptics that there can be meaningful changes to the criminal justice system. Elsewhere, the Koch-controlled philanthropies are funding free speech programs at the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, a reboot of debate societies at Historical Black Colleges and Universities that were the basis of the film “The Great Debaters,” and a new project from StoryCorps to collect oral histories between neighbors who have different political views. Officials insist they do not fund projects based on politics but do look for proposals that can help their communities. “There’s not a screen for ideology. There’s a screen for vision,” Ruger said, adding they’ll sign the contract in short order if “that’s a vision that we support and that person has a realistic path to achieving that impact.” Off-campuses, Koch checks are being used right now to fund a year-long study and series of conferences about [combating extremism](https://www.adl.org/overcoming-extremism), using last year’s deadly protests and counter-protests in Charlottesville, Va., as a starting point for discussion. Also funding the work? The liberal Center for American Progress. “It’s an illustration of the power of diverse ideas coming together around shared vision,” Ruger said. **Disclosure:** _Time Inc., TIME’s parent company, was acquired by Meredith Corp. in a deal partially financed by Koch Equity Development, a subsidiary of Koch Industries Inc._ ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5413786/charles-koch-charitable-giving/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5413786/charles-koch-charitable-giving/"},"headline":"Charles Koch Is Known for Conservative Advocacy. 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