The charity has become a favorable tendency among celebrities. Those who are giving away extra money not only set a wonderful example but also change people’s lives, and society gives credit for their big hearts. DoSomething.org is one of the organizations that track stars’ achievements and make so-called “Gone Good Lists” every year. You can find some of its leaders below.
1. Lin-Manuel Miranda
The popular Broadway playwriter and songwriter, Lin, 39, has a net worth about $40 million. Together with his wife Vanessa, the man actively raises awareness of the humanitarian issues and takes care of the Latino Community.
Following Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico in 2017 and the government’s reluctance to help, he united his effort with the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts and the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation and donated $300,000 to eliminate the consequences of the disaster, Inside Philanthropy reports. Besides, he presented the charity single “Almost Like Praying” along with Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony, Rita Moreno, Camila Cabello, and Gloria Esteban; it immediately topped Billboard's Digital Song Sales. Miranda drew much attention to the country’s artists and culture employees and organized Flamboyan Arts Fund for them.
Legal protection and representation also concern the Oscar nominee: he participated in fund-raising for We Get the Job Done Coalition that works with immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers and provides them with lawyers’ services.
2. Chance The Rapper
Chicago can sleep peacefully with such donators: the musician truly loves the city, and his activities are diverse and productive.
In 2018, Chance The Rapper participated in the Special Olympics 50th Anniversary concert as the headliner along with Usher, Smokey Robinson, Jason Mraz, and others. The six-hour charity event promoted the idea of inclusion; according to the artist, it was “an honor to be on this stage celebrating 50 years”.
Although most of the musician’s concerts are not that large, their contribution to the community development can hardly be overestimated. For example, Chance gave much credit to educational issues and organized The Twilight Awards for “teachers, parents, principals, and students that convey leadership”. Since February 2015, the rapper has been working the bi-monthly "Open Mike" nights; any high-school student can show their ID and visit the event for free. At the same period, Chance and his brother Sway contributed to the Get Schooled Program and helped collect more than $100 000 for the equipment for local elementary schools. Today, the rapper continues to participate in fund-raising events for children and youth; his net worth is estimated at $33 million today.
3. Lady Gaga
Stefani Germanotta is, perhaps, one of the most spotlight philanthropists in the media with the impressive $300 million net worth. Her Born This Way Foundation has been an active community servant since 2011 when it was engaged in youth-related initiatives. Many things have changed: today, the organization and the singer support various social groups from the LGBTQ community to orphaned children.
In 2018, the celebrity filed the papers to the new trademark Channel Kindness that would allow her foundation to work with needy people, teenage mothers and their kids, and destitute children; more than that, grants to persons and groups engaged in charity would be awarded. Chanel Kindness dates back to 2016 when Stefani introduced it as an Internet platform to promote acts of kindness in daily lives.
In November 2018, Lady Gaga and Bono confirmed at Jimmy Kimmel's show they were creating a collaboration charity song for (RED), the organization fighting against HIV/AIDS in Africa.
4. Serena Williams
The former World No. 1. has been known as a charity provider for a long time, since she opened the first school in Kenya in 2008. Raised in poverty and educational inequity, the athlete pays much attention to the issue: today, the Williams Sister Fund regularly provides unprivileged American students with grants and scholarships. Other countries, such as Uganda, Zimbabwe, and Jamaica, have also benefitted from Serena’s school-building. Notably, the school policy demands at least 40% of the students must be female: Williams emphasizes the importance of gender equality in this sphere, given the fact that girls are still deprived in some regions.
There is no minor contribution when it comes to charity. Serena is quite inventive and often introduces new initiatives. In March 2019, she put some clothes of her little daughter on the market and announced the raised money would go for charity through the Williams Sister Fund and Yetunde Price Resource Center.
5. Troye Sivan
23-year-old Troye Sivan is a promising social activist famous for his support of the LGBTQ youth. Following the success of his album Bloom, the young man gave fans the chance to see their favorite songs – literary, as he created three abstract paintings and auctioned them on eBay in fall 2018.
The money went to Rachel and Jack Antonoff’s nonprofit organization Ally Coalition that supported LGBTQ+ young people. The musician’s pictures appeared on the fund’s official Instagram: everybody could purchase “one of his exclusive and one of a kind” paintings.
Sivan revealed the truth about himself in 2013 in his video “Coming Out”. Since that time, the musician has supported many youths; it will be exciting to see his new charity projects.
6. Ariana Grande
The singer’s name regularly appears in the celebrity news columns. She has become a powerful opinion setter who inspired many people to go vegetarian or take note of gender equality. Facts speak for themselves: Ariana’s “God Is a Woman” and the 2018 album Sweetener were nominated for Grammy; 151 million people follow her on Instagram.
Grande is a vegetarian. As a PETA activist, she supports animals’ rights and even says in her interviews: “I love animals more than I love most people, not kidding”.
Of course, she is kidding. Could a person who collaborates with Cancer Research Institute, Stand Up To Cancer, Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, and other charity organizations hate people? At the age of ten, Ariana co-founded the youth singing group, Kids Who Care, in South Florida that participated in various fund-raising concerts and collected more than $500,000 back in 2007. Today, the artist whose net worth reached $50 million continues to do good; the future holds many charitable projects.
7. Reese Witherspoon
The 43-year-old actress can boast the “moral compass of Hollywood” title. As the recent years have been marked with women’s empowerment and openness, such as the Time’s Up and #MeToo movements, Witherspoon has turned into one of the most notable advocates of women’s rights including the movie industry, salaries, etc. According to the actress, spreading ideas in her works is her mission: “We don't have compassion unless we see stories through other people's eyes, and we need a broader range of storytellers. They have to be women, people of color, LGBTQ. The storytelling has got to be more balanced”.
The actress is not a mere talker. She supports many charity organizations, like Children's Defense Fund and Toy Mountain Campaign for which she donated many toys for deprived children. In 2019, Reese Witherspoon and Elizabeth Arden are working on the charitable red lipstick that will contribute to women’s empowerment all over the world; the announcement was made on the International Women’s Day.
8. Ciara and Russell Wilson
The happy couple is making a lot of difference for kids with diseases: the Super Bowl champion and the Grammy winner collaborate with several funds including Why Not You and Make-A-Wish Foundation; the latter makes terminally ill children’s wishes come true. Ciara and Wilson are parents themselves, and they show much courage and sympathy: not long before their daughter was born, they visited The Seattle Children’s Hospital and took touching pictures with little patients.
Such visits are regular. For example, in December 2018, Ciara and The Voice star Preston Pohl paid another visit to the hospital and delivered the Christmas spirit to everyone. The woman emphasized: “Visiting during the holidays and spending time with everyone here is truly one of my favorite times of the year”.
9. Beyoncé
The star is among the most remarkable philanthropists who draw attention to racial, gender, and educational issues. 2018 was significant for Beyoncé: she performed at the annual Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and spoke about black colleges and universities. The artist is known as the launcher of the Homecoming Scholars Award Program for the 2018-2019 academic year at Xavier, Wilberforce, Tuskegee, and Bethune-Cookman; these are historically black institutions.
The singer is like Fairy Godmother for some people. In 2018, Beyoncé and Jay-Z awarded a high-school student Keshawn Morgan a $100 000 college scholarship; the teenager was more than excited and shared his plans to become a lawyer.
The Survivor Foundation is, probably, Beyoncé’s most famous charity initiative. Brought in 2005, after Hurricane Katrina, the organization has expanded into the powerful fund; today, it helps the deprived and collaborates with other groups on more specific tasks, like providing kids with toys before Christmas along with the Music World Cares Christmas Carnival.
10. Mandy Moore
Last but not least in our top 10, Mandy Moore is another profound social activist taking care of children and their needs. The singer and songwriter has been a PSI Ambassador since 2008 and participated in the organization’s events and child survival programs, as well as providing kids and their families with food, shelter, clothes, education, and health support in more than 30 counties worldwide.
2018 opened a new chapter in Moore’s life: she collaborated with the UNICEF. As the spokesperson for Garnier, Mandy presented the original Christmas gift set campaign: $1 from every purchase would be donated to deprived children. “I’m really proud to be a part of Garnier’s specific commitment to supporting their work, including this initiative to create safe spaces where children can play and learn when they need it most”, the celebrity shared in one of her interviews.