Largest single charitable donation

The largest single charitable donation is $1.5 billion (£842 million) left to the Salvation Army by Joan Kroc, the wife of Ray Kroc, founder of the McDonald's restaurant chain, in her will after she died in October 2003 in San Diego, California, USA. Mrs. Kroc ordered that half the donation be divided among the Salvation Army's four territories across the USA to build 25-30 community centres based on one she funded in San Diego. The rest of the donation is to be equally divided among the four territories and held in an endowment, the income from which will pay for staff, manitenance, utilities and other expenses at the centres.