What do a Taiwanese vegetable stall holder, a Chelsea footballer and an American comedian have in common? Chen Shu-chu, Didier Drogba and Ben Stiller all appear in last month's 2010 Time Magazine list of the world’s 100 most influential people for 2010 because of their philanthropy.

Shu-chu, 59, is on the list for for donating nearly $320,000 (£214,000) to various charitable causes over the years. And her appearance in the Time list has caused a surge in giving in Taiwan.

In one example, charity United Way of Taiwan, which raises money for Taiwanese social welfare, saw the amount of online donations treble after local media coverage of the Time story.

On the subject of Shu-chu’s achievement, Ang Lee, the Taiwanese-born director of Brokeback Mountain, wrote in Time Magazine, "rather than bask in her celebrity, Chen seems to dismiss the whole thing with a wave of her hand, perhaps even with a hint of irritation. ‘There isn't much to talk about, because I did not enter any competition,’ she says. ‘I haven't really made any huge donations.’

“She's planning to establish a fund to help the poor with education, food and health care. Amazing, but of all she has given away, her greatest gift is her example,” continued Lee.

Drogba, Africa’s leading footballer and Chelsea star striker, is included on the list for his £3m donation to build a hospital in his native Ivory Coast via his Didier Drogba Foundation. Stiller makes the list for StillerStrong.org, which raises money for temporary schools for Haitians displaced by the earthquake.

The 2010 Time Magazine list of the 100 people who most affect our world is available on its website.