Warren Buffett-backed charities getting results

November 28, 1:55 PMWarren Buffett ExaminerWilliam Freehling

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Warren Buffett's charitable donations are getting results, Barron's says.

AP

Warren Buffett has become one of the world's richest people by demanding good value for the investments he makes for Berkshire Hathaway.

It appears that Buffett is getting good value for his philanthropic investments as well.

Barron's ran a feature today called "The 25 Best Givers." It ranked the world's 25 best philanthropists based on the results of their charity rather than the amount given.

Three of the five charitable foundations to which Buffett is donating his fortune made the Barron's list.

Below are those three, with their rank in parentheses and a snippet of what Barron's had to say about each:

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (7th): With $34 billion in assets and more on the way from Warren Buffett, this is by far the world's largest foundation. It's also hugely ambitious, aiming for such goals as an AIDS vaccine. That could take a decade or more to realize, but Bill Gates doesn't mind.

Howard G. Buffett Foundation (20th): Warren Buffett in 2006 gave each of his three children an extra $1 billion or so to fund their philanthropic endeavors. "Now we can really take risks," says Howard, 54, the eldest son. A farmer himself, Buffett has been a leader in helping displaced African farmers return to their homes and resume work in areas like Kenya, Somalia and Darfur.

NoVo Foundation -- Jennifer and Peter Buffett (23rd): Peter Buffett, the second son of Warren Buffett, and his wife, Jennifer, focus their philanthropy squarely on helping women and girls in developing nations. "If you support them, you end up having an impact in a lot of other community areas, because it's the women who are involved in everything from fetching water to delivering health care," says Peter.

The other two Warren Buffett-backed charities, the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation and the Sherwood Foundation, didn't make the Barron's list.