With celebrity status comes a lot of power and a lot of extra cash. While some celebs use it to increase their car collection or go on endless vacations, there are also those that put it to good use and are heavily involved in worthwhile charities.
We are focussing on the good-hearted celebs who have spent time, money and energy helping causes that are close to their hearts.
Hilary Swank
Million Dollar Baby Hilary Swank has used her many millions of dollars for good. Not only has she donated to charities from AIDS LIFE to Stand Up to Cancer, but she also works on the ground volunteering.
Time in India
Swank spend time volunteering in India with United Planted where she worked with children in an orphanage in a village called Palampur in Northern India.
Seth Green
Seth Green may be the funny guy who we know from Rat Race or Without a Paddle, but he is far more than just a laugh. Green spends his spare time traveling to remote places to help those in need. He has volunteered with both Habitats for Humanity as well as Doctors beyond Borders in countries across the globe.
Putting His Money Where His Mouth Is
It’s clear Green means business when it comes to encouraging others to volunteer too. He stated “In my opinion, you’ve got to help others and being busy is no excuse — you just have to make the time to help. That’s why I volunteer and support these organizations, I hope you will too!”
Natalie Vodianova
When she isn’t strutting her stuff on the runway, model Natalie Vodianova who found fame on America’s Next Top Model is spending time making a difference for kids in Russia. She founded the Naked Heart Foundation, which aims to help families of children with special needs and spends money building inclusive play facilities across the country.
George Clooney
Clooney is the full package. Never mind his looks, his talent, and his sex appeal, this silver fox also has a heart of gold. Clooney is a community man who founded the non-profit called Not on Our Watch which aims to aid relief efforts in Sudan.
Bono
A lot of people have a problem with Bono, but you cannot deny his incredible dedication to charity. Bono founded ONE organization which aims to aid Africa through Debt relief. He has remained dedicated to his charity throughout the years making a large impact at achieving equality for Africa.
Ben Affleck
Affleck has had a hard-personal year with his struggles of alcohol abuse, but he still manages to make time to invest in his charity Easter Congo Initiative. This organization which he founded works with local communities and supports victims of sexual violence, vulnerable children as well has improved access to basic healthcare.
Angelina Jolie
It seems just as important as her acting career is, so is her charity work. The gorgeous Jolie has been immensely dedicated to causes around the world. She has volunteered in more than 20 countries including Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Cambodia, and Ecuador!
Ian Somerhalder
Ian Somerhalder spends his time and energy on those that don’t have a voice- animals! The actor launched the Ian Somerhalder Foundation in 2010 and is working to open the ISF Animal Sanctuary who aims to succeed on their mission of “creating a safe haven for all the outcast animals that have been neglected, mistreated and ultimately misunderstood.”
Taylor Swift
When Tay Tay isn’t strutting her stuff on stage or creating awkward dancing music videos, she is spending time visiting her fans in hospital. The Grammy winner also performs for sick children at hospitals across the country and donates funds to charities such as ‘Children in Need’ and ‘Feeding America’.
John Cena
2015 was a big year for the wrestling star who granted his 500th wish as part of the Make-A-Wish foundation becoming the first celebrity to reach this milestone!
About his involvement with this foundation, he stated, “I’ll drop everything,” he said at the time of his 500th wish. “If I can offer a fantastic experience, I’ll be first in line to do my part.”
Jennifer Hudson
When her late nephew was killed, Hudson decided to create her own charity in his honor, ‘The Julian D. King Gift Foundation’. The aim of this organization is to provide for children in need and allow them to grow into happy and confident adults. She has also done work for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
Justin Bieber
Bieber is slowly catching up to John Cena, in September 2015 he had already fulfilled more than 250 wishes through the Make-A-Wish foundation! He also donates to more than 25 charities! The charities he donates to include ‘Give Back Hollywood Foundation’ as well as ‘Autism Movement Therapy’.
Oprah Winfrey
It is no secret that talk show queen Oprah Winfrey is a leading celeb philanthropist. In 214 Oprah took her efforts to the people when Starbucks introduced Oprah Chai, the tea raises funds for The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Foundation which supports the education of young women and growth in their communities. That is only one of her many many contributions to charities.
Demi Lovato
Demi Lovato may be battling with demons of her own, but she always sets time and energy aside to help those in need. A longtime philanthropist she traveled to Kenya in 2013 to work with women in the area in a push for economic empowerment.
Since then she has also devoted time to be a role model and speaking out against bullying among other issues.
Russel Wilson
Now, this is a celeb who makes charity part of his weekly schedule! NFL star Russell Wilson pays weekly visits to Seattle Children’s Hospital.
“Sunday is game day for me, but my best day is Tuesday when I visit Seattle Children’s,” he said in a release. “All the amazing opportunities I’ve had on the field can’t compare to helping kids whose lives are on the line.”
Zendaya Coleman
Zendaya has gone from a Disney star to mainstream success, and with the growth in her career has come the growth in her charity work! She prioritizes helping children less fortunate visiting elementary schools and making donations of school supplies. She also teamed up with UNICEF to raise money for school children.
Gabriella Union
The Bring It On star does work both nationally and in her local community for those less fortunate, often with her husband Dwayne Wade by her side.
Organizations she has invested time and money in include the Susan G. Komen foundation and the Planned Parenthood Action Fund’s Women Are Watching campaign. She also regularly serves food at the Miami Rescue Mission for the annual Heat Thanksgiving Celebration.
Sandra Bullock
Bullock has given millions to aid in disaster relief efforts. In 2013 alone, she donated $1 mullion to the American Red Cross following the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan.
She also gave a large donation to New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina in 2015.
Pharrell Williams
Pharrell Williams takes giving back very seriously. The talented singer and producer primarily focus his charity work on children and education. He founded From One Hand to Another and teamed up with UNIQLO for a fundraising event in 2014. He also makes regular drop-ins at schools to advocate for learning and positivity.
Chris Pratt (and Captain America)
We all love the gorgeous and goofy Chris Pratt whose acting career has blown up n the last couple of years, he is another celeb who makes time to visit sick children on a regular basis. He works with the Make-a-Wish Foundation and March of Dimes, among other organizations and charities.
John Legend
Legend established the Show Me Campaign which aims to raise funds to serve needy African Villages. This came after the Grammy Winner reads The End of Poverty by Earth Institute director Dr. Jeffrey Sachs which inspired him so much that he traveled straight to Ghana to learn more about the problems faced by African countries.
Jackie Chan
Martial arts master Jackie Chan has a heart of gold. The actor has served as a UNICEF Good Wil Ambassador for years and donated a large portion of his earnings throughout his successful career to various charities.
Michelle and Barack Obama
Gosh how we miss the former president and first lady. During their time in the Whitehouse this power couple donated over $1 million to charities, 54% percent of that money went towards causes for children. The Obamas also announced that they were donating $2 million to summer jobs programs in Chicago in May 2017!
Elton John
This incredibly talented man is also incredibly good-heart. According to the Sunday Times Giving List, the musician gas donated most of his money t fighting HIV/Aids. His very own Elton John Against Aids foundation has been active in the fight against HIV for over 24 years!
J.K. Rowling
J.K Rowling Is one of the most talented and giving people on earth. She was the first ever author to make the Forbes billionaire list and dropped off the list due to donating an estimated $160 million in charitable donations!
Explaining her decision to be so giving she stated, "You have a moral responsibility when you've been given far more than you need, to do wise things with it and give intelligently.”
George Michael
What is so amazing about the singer’s acts of tremendous charity is that they only came to light after his death since he gave most of his donations in secret- wanting none of the glory for his kindness.
"Over the years he gave us millions..." Childline founder Esther Rantzen said, adding that Michael was adamant that nobody knows "how much he gave to the nation's most vulnerable children. Talk about incredible.
Chance the Rapper
The visionary rapper has been coined one of the most influential people in the world. Not only did Chance the Rapper launch the New Chance Arts & Literature Fund, but he's raised over $3.2 million for Chicago Public Schools in 2017.
Beyoncé
Beyoncé is one of the stars who has uses her platform to push her charitable goals. She co-founded the Survivor Foundation with Kelly Rowland that aims to provide housing for those who suffered from national disasters, to the many donations she has made through her Beygood Foundation. Her heart is truly flawless.
Colin Kaepernick
The athlete started a whole wave when he took the knee during the National Anthem to protect police brutality and racial injustice, but his activism goes further than his antics on the field.
He pledged in September 2016 "I will donate 1 million dollars plus all the proceeds of my jersey sales from the 2016 season to organizations working in oppressed communities, $100,000 a month for 10 months," and made good on his word on January 2018.
Nicki Minaj
Minaj’s charity goes from spontaneous to very carefully planned. In 2017 the rapper pledged to pay off a group of her Twitter followers student loans. She also has been sending money to a village in India for years.
Emma Watson
The gorgeous Watson has gone from bushy-haired Hermione Granger to a well-spoken woman. She is both a U.N Goodwill Ambassador and a main member in the HeForShe initiative.
In 2018 alone, she donated around $1.4 million to the anti-sexual harassment campaign, UK Justice and Equality Fund, and that is only the top of the iceberg of her many donations!
Rihanna
Riri may be one of the richest and most famous singers around but she has not forgotten her roots. The Barbados beauty established the e Clara Lionel Foundation Global Scholarship Program, which supports students from Caribbean countries seeking higher education in the United States. She also supports the Global Partnership for Education which aims to provide students around the world with access to education.
Meryl Streep
Along with Streep’s major success in her field (she has been nominated for a record 21 Academy Awards) comes her major success in giving back. Streep and her husband Donald Gummer donate about $1 million a year to a number of organizations such as Oxfam America, New York's Meals on Wheels, the Coalition for the Homeless, the National Women's Museum, Vassar College, and more!
Laverne Cox
Laverne Cox knows from her own experience the importance of shifting the narrative around the LGBTQ community and has used her platform to do so. The actress is involved with the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP), which strives to "prevent, respond to, and end all forms of violence against and within LGBTQ communities." She is also a prominent charity giver for HIV/Aids fundraising organizations.
Mark Ruffalo
Gorgeous and brooding Marc Ruffalo takes his activism seriously. He supports many green campaigns such as “The Solutions Project: which aims towards using 100% clean energy for everyone. His efforts have been recognized and he was granted the Humanitarian Award in 2014 for his work with Water Defense.
Barbra Streisand
Streisand does nothing in small doses. The powerhouse woman, whose net worth is estimated to be around $390 million, has raised more than $20 million for the cardiovascular program at Cedars Sinai, donating a crazy $10 million herself!
Rosario Dawson
Dawson is another celeb who has used her platform to give back to her roots. The actress co-founded Voto Latino, an organization that strives to encourage Latinxs to get involved in politics. She also co-founded a fashion start-up to enable poor Ghanaian communities to take advantage of the global fashion market.
Ariana Grande
When twenty-two people were killed in a suicide bombing at her concert, the petite Grande leaped to action. In May 2017 she hosted a benefit concert called “One Love: to raise money for those affected by the attack where #3 million was raised in just three hours!
Miley Cyrus
Miley’s main charity project is her foundation Happy Hippie Foundation which missions to "to rally young people to fight injustice facing homeless youth, LGBTQ youth, and other vulnerable populations."
On top of this, she supports approximately 43 different charities!!
Dolly Parton
Country music icon Dolly Parton has stepped up big time when it comes to pursuing education. She started her Imagination Library program which mails free books to children ages zero to five. In 2018, Parton donated her 100 millionth book to the library!
Sean Combs
P Diddy announced in 2016 that he was opening Capital Preparatory Charter School in Harlem, something which he had been quietly working on for years. The school offers free college prep classes to low-income students.
Giselle Bundchen
One of the wealthiest models to exist, Giselle Bundchen is also serious about her donations. In 2010 she donated $1.5 million for Haiti earthquake relief. She also donated $150,000 to Brazil’s Zero Hunger program, and she is active with the I Am African HIV/AIDS awareness campaign.
Mel Gibson
Granted, not everyone is a fan of the outspoken actor who has landed himself in hot water multiple time, but there is no denying his charitable side. Gibson has s donated $10 million to reimburse hospitals that cared for seriously ill children. He also donated $7 to the Church of the Holy Family in Malibu.
Scarlett Johansson
Johansson may look like a goddess, but she is not afraid to get her hands dirty. In 2008 she volunteered in AIDS clinics in Rwanda. She has also supported USA Harvest by handing out food to victims of Hurricane Katrina.
Charlize Theron
The South African born actress has never forgotten the place of her birth, she founded the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project. On top of that, the blonde beauty is also active with Oxfam as well as Red Cross.
Avicii
We all miss the incredibly talented DJ Avicii who passed away in 2018. Shortly after his death, his donations of millions came to light. He gave charity to organizations including Feeding America and Radiohjälpen. According to a 2013 interview, Aviccii though charity was the most basic decision:
I discovered when I started making money that I didn’t really need it. When you have such an excess of money you don’t need, the most sensible, most human and completely obvious thing is to give to people in need.
Lance Bass
From boy band member to major charity contributor. Lance Bass has his hands full he started the online celebrity yard sale that encourages stars to donate their old stuff for fans to purchase for which proceedings go to those in need. He also founded the Lance Bass Foundation in 2001 to help meet the health needs of low-income kids.
Alicia Keys
Keys knows how to belt out a song, and she also knows how to take a stand when it comes to her activism. The stay is the ambassador for Keep A Child Alive. She also works on the ground and travels to Africa to help children who have lost their parents to AIDS
Matthew McConaughey
McConaughey has had a booming career but he has tried to keep his activism on par with his career success. He founded the Just Keep Living Foundation to help educate children on subjects such as life, fitness, and spirituality. He is also active with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Children's Defence Fund, and the Mississippi Animal Rescue League.
50 Cent
50 Cent has invested far more than his title to those in need. In fact, he founded the G-Unity Foundation which provides grants to non-profit organizations in low-income communities.
LeBron James
The man with the mad skills and the huge heart- LeBron James donated a whopping $2 million to Boys and Girls Club of America, a charity which he is closely associated with. He also founded his own LeBron James Family Foundation.
Alec Baldwin
Alec Baldwin is animals’ best friend. He works closely with PETA and even narrated their film “Meet Your Meat” He also works with the Carol M. Baldwin Cancer Research Fund to which he contributes generously.
J.J. Watt
This Houston Texans player surprised even himself when it came to raising money. He originally planned to raise $200,000 after Hurricane Harvey devastated the Houston area. Instead, his efforts raised an astounding $37 million!
Kesha
Singer Kesha has been through her own personal turmoil, but it doesn’t stop her efforts to help those less fortunate. She partnered with The National Eating Disorders Association to reduce the stigma of treating eating disorders.
"I had an eating disorder that threatened my life, and was very afraid to confront it," she shared in a PSA. "I got sicker and the whole world kept telling me how much better I looked. That's why I realized I wanted to be part of the solution."
Yara Shahidi
Black-ish actress Yara Shahidi doesn’t waste her free time and instead dedicates it to causes close to her heart.
"Whenever I have a free moment, I'm talking to the U.N. or working on how to get Yara's Club launched," she told The New York Times in November. "Giving back is not just something you do as an adult."
Bethenny Frankel
The cast member of RHONY Bethenny Frankel uses her star power to raise funds and attention to help people impacted from national disasters. Through her B Strong campaign, she focussed on Puerto Rico, Texas, Florida and Mexico.
She tweeted in October 2017 “We’ve raised well over a million in planes, cash & donations. Now we do this again but w celeb experiences. 1 week. 1 million. #WEGOTTHIS."
Lin-Manuel Miranda
