On the centenary of his death, Andrew Carnegie’s revolutionary vision of philanthropy is more relevant than ever — and the outstanding philanthropists honored at The New York Public Library on a rainy October afternoon with the 2019 Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy are inspiring examples of that vital truth. Yes, these incredibly generous men and women are helping to make the world smarter, cleaner, healthier, and safer today, each in their own way. But it is the very human stories that come out of their giving that move us so profoundly. And what stories they are! In the portfolio of striking photographs that follow, we meet some of the beneficiaries of the “class” of 2019’s philanthropy, and we can read a bit of their remarkable stories in their own words. Master of ceremonies Judy Woodruff put it this way: “This is always such an uplifting event — one that restores my confidence in the difference each one of us can make. Throughout this ceremony, we will hear stories of people whose lives have been made better due to the generosity of this year’s medalists. Each of these stories represents just one small example of the wide-ranging impact and lasting legacy their philanthropy will leave behind.”

These are the stories.