Meryl Streep arrives at the nominees luncheon for the 82nd annual Academy Awards in Beverly Hills
Meryl Streep, nominee for best actress for her role in "Julie & Julia", arrives at the nominees luncheon for the 82nd annual Academy Awards in Beverly Hills, California February 15, 2010. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni

The top three celebrity philanthropist list for this year may surprise a lot of people.

We have Oprah Winfrey making the top of the list which is not much of a shock but it is the latter two who come as a pleasant surprise.

Following Oprah at number two is romance novelist Nora Roberts, and Meryl Streep is at number three.

The talk show queen has donated $40 million in charity through her Oprah Winfrey Foundation for education and women and children related programs.

Nora Roberts has her own foundation called Nora Roberts Foundation in support of literacy where she donated $4.45 million.

Meryl Streep gave $4 million to the Silver Mountain Foundation for the Arts.

Oprah has been on the list three out of four years. All her impetuous acts of largess on Christmas time and giving away free cars and houses are well documented. Her Foundation is very active in education and women related programs in Africa and Afghanistan.

The other two believe in doing rather than saying unlike a host of celebrities. I am sure they have no need to employ professional agents to look after their charity works and see that they get maximum mileage out of it.

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