Sometimes, it can be curious to put certain large corporations in perspective, analyzing what they give to the world versus what they earn. The large sums of money below constitute only miniscule percentages of companies’ total earnings – what if efforts were combined and doubled among these firms? Presented here is a brief account of last year’s (2012) top five most charitable companies in the U.S., and how much each respectively donated:

1. Wells Fargo & Company – Bank giant Wells Fargo tops the list, having donated a hefty total of $315,845,766 USD for various charitable purposes. This constitutes the estimated share of 2011 pre-tax profits donated to 1.3%.

2. Walmart – The American convenience store that has it all, Walmart donated $311,607,280 USD in cash in the past year, and gave away $755,868,381 USD worth of products from the store itself. The share of 2011 pre-tax profits donated is 4.5%.

3. Chevron Corporation – A chain of gas stations across the country, Chevron Corp, too, has had a hand in philanthropy. In the past year, the company has donated $262,430,000 USD (0.6% of 2011 pre-tax profits).

4. Goldman Sachs Group – The luxurious department store gave $241,278,912 USD in cash in 2012, making it a 3.9% of their profits in 2011.

5. Exxon Mobil Corporation – Another favorite gas go-to destination for Americans, Exxon has donated $213,374,183 USD in cash and $2,433,200 USD in products – 0.3% of their total earnings the year before.

– Natalia Isaeva 

Sources: Forbes, Huffington Post