Professional athletes haul in big salaries with lucrative contracts and hefty endorsement deals that make them some of the wealthiest Americans.

However, some of those athletes are also giving some of that money back, through charities and foundations.

According to The Giving Back Fund, athletes such as Lance Armstrong and Michael Jordan were among the most generous celebrities last year. In a list released this fall, The Giving Back Fund used public records, media reports, tax forms, publicists, attorneys, agents and managers to find last year's largest donations to charities.

Take a look at the athletes that made the list.

Lance Armstrong: The seven-time Tour de France winner donated $5 million in 2007 to the Lance Armstrong Foundation. The foundation is set up to help people suffering from cancer.

Michael Jordan: The NBA legend gave $5 million last year to Hales Franciscan High School, a historically black all-boys school in Chicago.

Eric Lindros: The former hockey player donated $5 million to the London Health Sciences Center, where he was treated throughout his career.

Richard Jefferson: The NBA player gave $3.5 million to the University of Arizona to put toward a basketball and volleyball facility. The 6-foot-7 Milwaukee Bucks forward played for the Wildcats in college.

Tiger Woods: The golfer gave $1.35 million last year to the Tiger Woods Learning Center in Orange County, Calif., to get kids thinking about their education through after-school classes that explore future careers. The TWLC is part of the Tiger Woods Foundation, which also gives grants and sponsors junior golfers.

Andre Agassi: Former tennis champion Andre Agassi gave $1.3 million last year to the Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation, which is dedicated to providing education for underserved youth. The foundation also created the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy located in an at-risk neighborhood in Las Vegas, and several other child-focused programs.

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson: The professional wrestler-turned-actor donated $1 million to the renovation of the University of Miami's football facilities.

Tracy McGrady: The Houston Rockets star gave $1 million to Stand Up For Darfur to help Sudanese refugees.

Mike Miller: The Minnesota Timberwolf donated $1 million to the Mike and Jennifer Miller Endowment Fund to support Sanford Children's Hospital in South Dakota.

David Robinson: The former NBA star gave $779,499 to the David Robinson Foundation in support of the Carver Academy, mentoring programs and hunger programs.

Richard Seymour: The New England Patriot gave $724,825 to the Richard Seymour Blessing God's Children Foundation, which holds youth camps and health fairs for children.