Doris Buffett facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Doris Buffett
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Buffett in 2015
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| Born |
Doris Eleanor Buffett
February 12, 1928 Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.
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| Died | August 4, 2020 (aged 92) Rockport, Maine, U.S.
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| Nationality | American |
| Years active | 1996–2020 |
| Known for | Philanthropy |
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Notable work
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Sunshine Lady Foundation, Learning By Giving Foundation, Letters Foundation |
| Parent(s) | Howard Buffett Leila Stahl Buffett |
| Family | Warren Buffett (brother) Peter Buffett (nephew) Susan Alice Buffett (niece) Howard Graham Buffett (nephew) |
Doris Eleanor Buffett (born February 12, 1928 – died August 4, 2020) was an American philanthropist. A philanthropist is someone who gives money and time to help others. She was known as the 'retail' philanthropist. This means she liked to give smaller amounts of money directly to many people.
Doris founded The Sunshine Lady Foundation and The Learning By Giving Foundation. She also co-founded The Letters Foundation with her younger brother, the famous investor Warren Buffett. Doris was the daughter of Leila Stahl and Howard Homan Buffett, who was a U.S. politician. Doris Buffett had a big goal: she wanted to give away all of her money to help others before she passed away.
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Doris Buffett's Life and Work
Doris Buffett grew up in Kansas. Her grandfather, Ernest Buffett, owned a grocery store in Omaha, Nebraska. Her father, Howard Homan Buffett, started an investment business in 1931. Doris was the older sister of Warren Buffett, who is one of the wealthiest people in the world.
Doris lived through tough times, like the Great Depression. This was a period when many people lost their jobs and money. She learned to be careful with money when she was young. Later, she received an inheritance, which is money or property given to you after someone dies. This inheritance allowed her to start her important charity work.
Helping Others Directly
Doris Buffett became famous for her book, "Giving It All Away: The Doris Buffett Story." It was published in 2010. Her brother Warren Buffett and the singer Bono from the band U2 encouraged her to write it. The book shares Doris's life story and her journey as a philanthropist.
Doris gave away about $100 million of her own money. She mostly gave it to individuals who needed help. She often called or wrote to people herself. She wanted to find the best way to support them.
The Sunshine Lady Foundation
Through her Sunshine Lady Foundation, Doris helped thousands of children. She helped them get an education or go to summer camp. She also supported young women in Afghanistan. Her foundation even helped with education programs in prisons. Doris wanted to give away all her money. She kept working towards this goal, even during the financial crisis of 2007–2008.
The Letters Foundation
Doris Buffett started The Letters Foundation with her brother Warren Buffett. This foundation gives special grants to people facing a crisis. These are people who need help because of something unexpected. The idea was to give a "hand-up," not just a "hand-out." This means helping people get back on their feet.
At first, Warren Buffett helped fund some of the foundation's projects. Later, Doris used money from the Berkshire Hathaway stocks she owned. Warren Buffett usually gives large amounts of money to big organizations. Doris, however, preferred to give smaller, direct grants to individuals. This is why she was called the 'retail' philanthropist.
Warren Buffett once told The Wall Street Journal: "She is far more philanthropic than I am. She identifies with the underdog. I do it in a wholesale way, but not on a one-on-one basis. She really wants to know their stories."
Learning By Giving Foundation
Doris Buffett also created the Learning By Giving Foundation. This foundation teaches students about philanthropy in colleges across the United States. Students get real money to give to local non-profit groups in their community.
Doris hoped this program would inspire students. She wanted them to "do things for others all of their lives." She believed it would help them "see the need to do something, to be an activist, to work toward social justice." She felt this program would continue to help people for many generations.
Later Life
Doris Buffett lived in Fredericksburg, Virginia for some time. In 2016, she moved to Boston. She wanted to be closer to her family. She also moved to get treatment for Alzheimer's disease.
In December 2018, Doris released another book. It was called Letters to Doris: One Woman's Quest to Help Those With Nowhere Else to Turn.
Death
Doris Buffett passed away on August 4, 2020. She was 92 years old. She died at her home in Rockport, Maine.
See also
- Warren Buffett
- Howard Buffett
- Peter Buffett
- Susan Alice Buffett
