The Most Charitable Celebrities In Hollywood

Published

3 years ago

January 1, 2022

Money + Investing Staff

We often think about celebrities for their roles in movies and TV, the songs and various media they produce, or business ventures they spin up. But it’s no secret that many celebrities are working to give back money they’ve made in the industry, and why wouldn’t they? After all, what looks better than donating large sums to a cause relative to the times while they’re in the spotlight?

Whether it’s to prop up organizations they believe in, or just boosting their own profile, celebrities often want to appear favorable in the public eye. What makes it even better, though, is when the cause is near and dear to a person’s heart. These celebrities show they’re not only generous, but spread their resources and reach to a vast array of causes that benefit millions.

Jon Bon Jovi

Jon Bon Jovi has had an active history in philanthropy, especially when it comes to disasters, as he donated $1 million to both the Hurricane Katrina and Sandy reliefs in the respective states of Louisiana and New Jersey. His Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation also adamantly helps the homeless, including veterans, and he even owns 3 pay-if-you-can kitchens where homeless are able to eat. His wine company that he started with his son also donates $1 to World Central Kitchen.

Beyoncé & Jay-Z

It’s no surprise that Bey and Jay give back considering the immeasurable wealth the two have to their names. Through her foundation BeyGOOD, she’s donated millions to Katrina victims, mental health initiatives, historic black colleges, and even addiction centers. Jay-Z also has the Shawn Carter Foundation, and he’s involved in collegiate opportunities as well, in addition to aiding millions towards social justice causes dealing with african american oppression.

Blake Lively & Ryan Reynolds

Hollywood’s newest “it” couple are doing more than just wow-ing people on screen, and they are becoming more involved in charitable giving. The two donated $10,000 to Haiti earthquake relief efforts, and then matched a $1 million donation to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund in the wake of the movements in 2021. They also recently donated $500,000 to Water First Education and Training, which provides safe drinking water treatment plants to Indiginous Canadians.

Meryl Streep

Meryl Streep and her partner Donald Gummer are some of the most active philanthropists in Hollywood, donating a consistent millions dollars annually to various causes. Over the years, they’ve given money to causes such as hunger, homelessness, education, AIDS, environmental, and human rights. She has consistently donated through her Silver Mountain Foundation of the Arts.

Sandra Bullock

Sandra Bullock is another actress who’s not shy about putting her money towards a worthy cause when presented. She’s donated $1 million to the Red Cross after 9/11 and both Hurricanes Katrina and Harvey. She also gave $1 million to Doctors Without Borders to assist in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake, and in 2011 she gave another $1 million to Japan after the devastating tsunami. Recently, she’s donated to California’s fire relief efforts, as well as the humane society.

Keanu Reeves

Keanu Reeves has one of the more lesser known charitable stories, but his comes from a personal place dealing specifically with family. While the Matrix was a hit movie, Reeves reportedly donated 70% of his salary towards Leukimia, which his younger sister was suffering from at the time. He’s been known to give away generous gifts to cast and crew members, claiming to be “embarrassed” by making so much money, he’d rather give it away.

Barbra Streisand

Barbra Streisand has been a champion of women’s issues for some time now, and the actress ha continued to push forward not only in that category, but also civil rights, environmental causes, and lots of medical charity. Her Streisand Foundation donated $11 million in 2007 alone, and in 2011 she donated $10 million to Cedars Sinai hospital towards cardiovascular programs, which they now named the Barbra Streisand Women’s Heart Center.

Richard Branson

It’s no secret that Richard Branson’s immense wealth points to the inevitable fact that he would give back his money in some way, and of course he does it big. Under Virgin Unite, Branson has lifted up entrepreneurs, including building a school of entrepreneurship in Johannesburg. He also pledged to contribute $3 billion over the next 10 years to fight climate change, as well as investing in renewable energy, research and development. He’s also offering a $25 million prize to anyone who can find a commercially viable design to remove greenhouse gasses from Earth.

Bella & Gigi Hadid

The Hadid sisters are doing more with their modeling money than just living lavishly. Gigi made an incredible announcement that she will be donating the entire sum of her fall 2022 salary earned by walking in fashion shows to those suffering from war in both Ukraine and Palestine. Her sister Bella is also known for volunteeringand donating at the New York City food bank.

Leonardo DiCaprio

Leonardo DiCaprio is one of Hollywood’s most decorated actors, and with that come exuberant amounts of wealth. And his main focus is certainly the environment, and the Titanic actor has supported over 200 projects in over 50 countries and in 5 oceans, with a focus on conservation and protection, especially in vulnerable areas. He usually donates hefty lump sums at once, such as the $15 million he gave in 2016. He also gives through his organization Earth Alliance.

John Cena

John Cena isn’t the traditional celebrity by any means, and his diverse background has made him very popular in many circles. However, the charitable feat that he should be proud to boast about is that he’s broken the record for the most Make-a-Wish Foundation wishes granted, which he achieved in June of 2022, surpassing a whopping 650 wishes.

George & Amal Clooney

The Clooney’s are directly involved in social activism since Amal’s work as a human rights lawyer and activist certainly propelled their philanthropy. They are a couple you expect to act when a cause arises, but their Clooney Foundation for Justice has made significant donations to Southern Poverty Law Center ($1 million), March for Our Lives ($500k), and numerous other human rights, poverty, and disaster relief situations.

John Legend

John Legend is another popular musician who’s making a big difference in a particular section of the world, as his Show Me Campaign has raised awareness and relief efforts for rural areas in Africa in order to provide them with food, healthcare, and education, among other necessities. He also heads up the Gentlemen’s Fund, which allows him to speak and encourage young men on professional and positive ways they can better themselves and society.

Paul McCartney

Sir Paul McCartney is one of the most respected and revered artists of all time, and with all that Beatles money and fame, he knows how to put it towards good use. The singer donates to over 35 charities, but doesn’t disclose cash amounts. However, it is known that he performs fundraising gigs in which he will donate the entire sum to an organization, which have been reported to be multiple millions of dollars depending on the event.

Ellen DeGeneres

Ellen DeGenerous and her wife Portia De Rossi are quite involved in charitable giving, spanning a few different causes. Ellen is first and foremost a partner of the Susan G. Komen foundation, and works closely with them in research and awareness. She also is a huge animal lover, fighting for rights and against abuse, even establishing their own Wildlife Fund, which they began with a $10 million donation to. She also donates to the Humane Society and other animal groups.

Elton John

Elton John’s activism is no secret. Since the ‘80s, the famed British singer and songwriter has been donating to AIDS causes with vigorous activism, and despite his wealth, he’s one of the cause’s most generous donors. Over the course of his life, he’s donated hundreds of millions of dollars to charities around the world, including disaster relief, hunger, and various cancers.

Bono

Bono is one of those epic figures whose personality clearly explains why he’s so charitable. He’s become known as one of the most influential figures because of his activism, and he’s actually been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for it three separate times. He’s worked with Amnesty International since the ‘80s, and has fought tirelessly for human rights, AIDS research, poverty, fair economics, and a lot more. The U2 singer also organizes many charity concerts.

Angelina Jolie

Angelina Jolie is well-known for her participation in charitable causes, highlighted mainly by her appointment as the Ambassador for the UN’s High Commissioner for Refugees in 2001. Her foundation with ex-husband Brad Pitt still makes significant contributions each year, with the main causes being humanitarian in nature. They tackle causes across the globe, but obviously her work in Africa has also been documented as helping drive focus to under-supported people.

Oprah

Oprah is one of the richest and most charitable women in the world, and she’s chosen to make good use of her money by investing in other women and humanitarian causes. Oprah and charity go hand-in-hand, and she often donates nearly $50 million a year to causes like education, sexual abuse victims, disaster relief and disease research. She also funded the building of an entire girls’ school in Africa, and frequently gave away money and prizes on her show, including one instance where she gave 300+ people in the audience $1000 gift cards and asked them to donate it to their favorite charity.

Bill Gates

Bill Gates is another one who’s enormous wealth has almost made his philanthropic life as popular as his business one. The Bill and Melinda Gates foundation is the second largest in the world, and they’ve collectively donated about $36 billion of the foundation’s current $50 billion in assets. Their main causes aided are extreme poverty, in addition to providing technological opportunities around the world where they’re still behind. Gates is often thought of as the world’s second largest charitable donator, only behind Warren Buffet.

Sting

As you can tell, many artists who participated in Live Aid in 1985 went on to continue their charitable work. Sting notably works for environmental causes, creating the Rainforest Foundation to help the indigenous affected by the destruction of the amazon, ensuring their safety and fighting for their rights. He’s also known to perform benefit concerts in which all proceeds go toward humanitarian and various disaster relief causes, putting money to good use.

Bill Clinton

Bill Clinton’s reach when it comes to charity is a substantial one, as the Clinton foundation has worked with over 50 of the world’s most prominent organizations in helping them raise money. The work has come largely since the former president left office, and he’s focused on everything from health to security and economic causes. They’ve drawn more than $2 billion from corporations around the world, all of which are put into humanitarian programs.

Kris Jenner

In partnership with the Ronald McDonald House Charities, Kris Jenner raised over $3 million for Covid-19 relief, which helped childrens in need of healthcare when times were dire. She also worked alongside Postmates to give out Christmas presents for their “Better Than Santa” initiative, which saw her giving away things such as airline tickets and televisions.

Colin Kaepernick

Many people are familiar with Colin Kaepernick after his stance against social justice in the NFL, but he’s also very active in supporting a number of other causes as well. Kaepernick has donated multiple millions of dollars to a number of organizations, despite no longer playing in the NFL, and that’s included the Black Lives Matter causes, Do No Harm partnership, and also to reproductive rights. He also donated suits that ultimately helped lesser privileged people work proper office jobs for a charity called 100 Suits 100 Men.

Emma Watson

Emma Watson is a true champion of the people, and after serving as the UN Women’s ambassador, she’s gone on to speak out for and raise awareness and money to numerous other womens’ rights initiatives. In 2018, she donated $1.3 million to the UK Justice & Equality Fund, with a targeted donation for aiding sexual harassment. She also donates and works with UNICEF, Boys & Girls Clubs, among others.

LeBron James

LeBron James has been doing immense amounts of charitable work since rising to NBA legend status, and that’s spanned everything from sports equality campaigns to education. He opened the I Promise school in Akron, Ohio in 2018. In 2015, he pledged to donate $41 million to help send kids to college, which checks out because he also works with Boys & Girls Club and Children’s Defense Fund. He also donated $2.5 million to the Smithsonian Museum of African American History.

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson

The Rock is one of the most well-known and important figures in Hollywood, and the Dwayne Johnson Rock Foundation tries to give back as much as possible. It primarily aids children’s healthcare, education, and mentorship programs. He’s also incredibly active in the Make-a-Wish organization as well, as well as aiding kids from urban areas aspiring to be in the arts. He also made a $2 million donation to his alma mater University of Miami to fund their athletics program.

Mackenzie Scott

Now divorced ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Mackenzie Scott has been adamant about using a ton of the money won in her settlement toward helping those in need rather than keeping it for herself. She was already charitable, but in 2021 she announced she would be donating a whopping $2.7 billion across 268 different charities – all of which she called “high impact organizations in categories and communities that have been historically underfunded and overlooked.”

Pharrell

Pharrell has his own charitable organization called Black Ambition, and the nonprofit has awarded more than 30 black and latino business owners with a $15,000 donation, while giving one lucky winner $1 million. But that’s not unfamiliar to those whom he grew up around, as the producer and rapper also is known to give back consistently to his hometown of Virginia Beach.

Alec Baldwin

Alec Baldwin is another actor whose primary focus is donating to the arts, and that’s been evident over a number of his contributions, which include $2.7 million to his alma mater alone. Baldwin also donated $500,000 to the Roundabout Theater Company, $1 million to the New York Philharmonic, and $1.7 million to the East Hampton Library.

Miley Cyrus

Miley Cyrus has established herself as one who goes her own way in Hollywood, but that doesn’t stop her from getting involved. Her Happy Hippie foundation aims to help homeless LGBTQ+ youth and also features some talented celebrity advocates. She’s donated $500k to Hurricane Harvey victims, another $500k to AIDS research, and one more $500k to the Malibu Foundation to help after California’s wildfires.

Jackie Chan

Jackie Chan has easily been one of the most world famous Chinese actors of the past century, but his activism around the globe is great as well. He donates to help his own country in times of peril, such as during the tragic Sichuan earthquake where he pledged $1.3 million. He started the Jackie Chan Charitable Foundation in 1988, which provides scholarships to young people, and his Dragon’s Heart Foundation builds schools and homes for impoverished families in remote areas of China.

George Lucas

George Lucas is one of the most successful directors in the history of cinema, but his charitable contributions are nearly as substantial. The Lucas Film Foundation is dedicated to educating aspiring filmmakers, and he donated $4.25 million to that. But more significantly, in 2005 he donated $75 million to the USC film school for new and renovated buildings, plus an additional $100 million endowment. He gave another $10 million in 2017, and also contributes to charities such as Make-a-Wish and Stand Up to Cancer.

David & Victoria Beckham

David and Victoria Beckham are definitely another power couple with lots of dough, and their philanthropy isn’t lost on anyone. The Victoria and David Beckham Charitable Trust donates to a wide variety of charities, prioritizing children’s health care, veterans poverty and more. David donates his player salary, while Victoria often hosts events, auctions, and appearances to raise money. In 2013, David donated his entire salary of $4.5 million to children’s programs.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo is another one of the world’s most decorated athletes, let alone soccer players, and his ambassadorship off the field is also something to champion. He’s the figurehead to three charities – Save the Children, Unicef, and World Vision. He auctioned off his Ballon d’Or trophy for $777k and donated it to the Make-a-Wish Foundation, makes consistent contributions to children’s medical foundations, and after the 2015 Nepal earthquake, he donated $5 million.

Taylor Swift

Though still young and in her prime, Taylor Swift hasn’t let the opportunity to be generous pass her over. She’s become a constant donor in organizations she believes in, and has donated millions of dollars to disaster relief efforts like $1 million for flood victims in Louisiana, and $100,000 to victims of Tennessee wildfires. She also gave $4 million to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in order to expand funding for music education programs.

David Dobrik

David Dobrik is one of the most generous YouTubers of all time, and he’s made a name for himself by literally giving away money, and usually to people who are deserving and for a good cause. He gave out anonymous checks for $10,000 to people in need after the Covid-19 pandemic left many in the hole, and he’s given money to numerous social justice organizations from Black Lives Matter to Women’s rights.

Nora Roberts

Writer Nora Roberts is a renowned author, so it’s only fitting that she started the Nora Roberts Foundation in order to support literacy and education amongst all people groups. She donated $4.5 million to the cause in 2009 alone, and continues to fund a myriad of other educational topics around writing and the arts, She also makes avid donations to other causes such as cancer treatment and wildlife conservation.

Kim Kardashian

Kim Kardashian is one of the most recognizable faces in popular culture, but recently most of her newsworthy headlines have involved charity. Not only was she an activist for wrongfully convicted prisoners, but she’s also donated $1 million to the Armenia Fund, $500,000 to various disaster relief efforts for Hurricane Harvey and California wildfire victims, and as stated earlier, multiple millions towards prison reform charities.

Lin Manuel Miranda

Lin Manuel Miranda skyrocketed to fame after writing the acclaimed Hamilton Broadway adaptation, but his family have been active in philanthropy for some time. Started by his father, the Mirandas continue to raise thousands of dollars for diversity in the arts, as well as giving back over $45 million to disaster victims in their native home of Puerto Rico. They also have recently been providing $225k grants to help refugees in various family groups who are in need.

Jennifer Lawrence

Jennifer Lawrence is from Louisville, Kentucky, and a common theme you see with many of these celebs is giving back to the communities where they came from. She’s donated over $2 million to the Kosair Children’s Hospital there, as well as $188,000 in order to fund programs for the arts in Louisville, too. She’s also a staunch contributor to other children’s health charities, along with additional hunger and voting activist groups.

James Patterson

The critically acclaimed author James Patterson has been one of the most generous philanthropists of the past couple decades, mainly focusing on his love for literacy. He provided 3,500 teachers across the country with an astounding $1.75 million in total grants so they could buy new books for their classrooms or libraries, and Scholastic Book Clubs Inc. even matched him. He also has been donating millions every couple of years to his Patterson Partnership, which funds literacy programs in underprivileged communities across the country.

Jennifer Lopez

Jennifer Lopez is a multi-talented artist, but her role in the Lopez Family Foundation has seen her charitable side deserve recognition as well. The organization mainly focuses on healthcare for children, especially severe cases that need special treatment. She too has been active in donating millions to disaster relief efforts across the Caribbean, and recently in Tennessee, they donated a year’s worth of food to Jacksboro elementary school.

Lionel Messi

Since he’s a global superstar, it’s no surprise that Lionel Messi is extensively involved in worldwide charity. He’s a Unicef ambassador, and has participated in relief efforts everywhere from his home of Argentina, to the Caribbean, and all the way to Asia. High quantities of his donations involve helping kids across the globe, including Unicefprojects in his hometown of Rosario, and even in Kenya.

Morgan Freeman

Morgan Freeman is beloved by many, but despite his numbered years in the industry, he’s never ceased to give back any way that he could. He’s a part of a number of organizations, and has donated millions to causes like Caribbean relief efforts, performance arts in Mississippi, and a number of global environmental and clean energy and conservation efforts. By this point, Freeman has essentially worked for every charitable organization that matters.

Shawn Mendes

Shawn Mendes has recently become a sensation with his catchy pop hits, but he’s also been extremely active in DoSomething.org and the American Red Cross to help label himself as an activist, too. He hopes to inspire change and empowerment to his young fans through his Shawn Mendes Foundation, providing hundreds of thousands to scholarships towards education and those in less fortunate financial situations.

Halsey

Halsey is another newer pop artist who wasted no time in becoming involved in changing the world around her. She’s been active in fundraising and donating her own money to AIDs research, other medical organizations, as well as raising money for new parents and even youth poverty. She’s also been an active voice for the LGBTQ+ community, in addition to funding the arts for those not lucky enough to have the resources in their community.

Jerry Seinfeld

Jerry Seinfeld has been around for a while, and he’s no stranger to putting money into causes that help improve the lives of others. He’s donated more than $4 million to the Seinfeld Family Foundation which aids education, children’s health, arts, and Jewish organizations. He and his wife also work with GOOD+ to help end family poverty. He’s also donated $3 million to programs such as Autism Speaks, American Red Cross, and Scholarship America.

Jami Gertz & Antony Ressler

Jami Gertz and husband Antony Ressler own the Atlanta Hawks NBA franchise, and in 2020, they pledged $40 million to local Atlanta black businesses and entrepreneurs in the city. The Gertz-Ressler Foundation also donated around $10 million recently to a number of causes ranging from education and the arts to health care and Jewish initiatives.

Herb Alpert

Herb Alpert is one of the most prominent musicians of our lifetime, and it’s only fitting that he gives back to the arts community to prop up and fund equal opportunities and access to musical education for everyone. He donates millions every year through his Herb Alpert Foundation, with a hefty sum of $9 million alone in 2009. His message is generally compassion and well-being, ensuring everyone has access to the resources they need to succeed.

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