Here are the celebrities who understand the responsibility of the status they hold and show their human side by donating millions for various causes. They inspire people for charity work and encourage them to think about the welfare of the society.
From Ellen DeGeneres’, Nicki Minaj, and Simon Cowell, here are the most generous celebrities whose charity has changed people’s lives.
1. Ellen DeGeneres – “Ellen DeGeneres Show” television host Ellen DeGeneres supports numerous organizations and has won many awards for her charitable efforts. Often surprises her live studio audiences with exorbitant giveaways. DeGeneres Ellen for the Cure campaign, run during Octobers Breast Cancer Awareness Month on her television show, supports Susan G. Komen for the Cure. She often gives out prizes and donations on her show.
Recently, DeGeneres learned about an organization called “The Gentle Barn”, home and hospital for animals that have been abused. On her website, DeGeneres urges her viewers to donate.
With Ben Affleck, DeGeneres launched the “Small Change Campaign” to benefit Feeding America. Ellen supports the Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund through the American Red Cross. In 2016, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Barack Obama.
2. Oprah Winfrey – Oprah Gail Winfrey is an American Former talk show host and current billionaire media mogul Oprah Winfrey has used her fame and the luxuriousness that accompanies it, to channel a huge number of dollars into different associations and a good work.
She donated $10 million to Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, she lobbied for the National Child Protection Act, which established a national database of convicted child abusers and went on to be known as the “Oprah Bill”, and she spent $50.2 million on education, health care, and advocacy for women and children worldwide in 2007 alone.
Winfrey Founded “The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy” for Girls, It’s a boarding school for girls. She stated that she founded the Leadership Academy to help girls who grew up like her, “economically disadvantaged, but not poor in mind or spirit”.
Oprah is awarded the ‘Humanitarian Award’, ‘Honorary Oscar’ for her charity.
3. John Legend – He initiated a multi-year culture campaign that aims to transform America’s criminal justice system.
After reading “The End of Poverty” by Earth Institute director Dr. Jeffrey Sachs, musician and activist John Legend reportedly traveled to Ghana to further his education on the problems faced by African countries.
He supported the International Rescue Committee which provides life-changing educational opportunities to refugee children.
Legend established the Show Me Campaign, which “seeks to give every child access to quality education”, partnered with Millennium Promise Alliance to serve African villages in need, and established FREEAMERICA, a multi-year culture campaign that aims to transform America’s criminal justice system. He even hosted Online Auction for this show which leads to fighting economic and spiritual poverty through fostering sustainable development at the individual, family, and small community levels.
4. Nicki Minaj – She has been donating money to an unnamed village in India for years.
Not only did Nicki Minaj spontaneously pledge to pay off a selection of her Twitter followers’ student loans (and other school-related expenses) in 2017, but for years she’s been sending money to villages in India via her pastor, Lydia Woodson-Sloley.
“This is the kind of thing that makes me feel the proudest,” Minaj wrote on her Instagram. Her efforts have helped establish a computer center, a reading program, two water wells, and more infrastructure for different villages in India.
5. Portia de Rossi – She is just as philanthropic and started a wildlife fund with $10 million for wife DeGeneres’ 60th birthday.
De Rossi came on the “The Ellen DeGeneres” in 2018 and surprised her wife with the Ellen DeGeneres Wildlife Fund, a foundation that focuses on wildlife conservation.
In 2019 the actress was in Rwanda for the Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund that supports endangered gorillas.
The Ellen Fund is so honored to support the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund in their dream of finding a permanent home in Rwanda. The new campus will help the gorillas and the surrounding community said, de Rossi. Dian Fossey was Ellen’s hero growing up, and I love the idea of these two powerful women working towards the same goal the protection of one of our closest relatives, the mountain gorillas.”
6. Beyoncé – Beyoncé consistently used her platform to advance both feminist and charitable work
All eyes are on Beyoncé’s every public move and she uses her platform not only to introduce an intersectional (and unapologetic) idea of feminism to a global audience but also to promote charitable work.
The greatest contribution she has made is the Survivor Foundation, an organization she founded with fellow Destinys Child Kelly Rowland to help victims of Hurricane Katrina and relief efforts around the world and toy giveaways for children in need over the holidays.
Beyoncé was also an Ambassador for the 2005 World Children’s Day and released Stand Up For Love, the anthem for the event which takes place annually around the world on November 20 to raise awareness and funds for children’s causes.
Beyoncé is a co-founder of CHIME FOR CHANGE, a platform designed to empower women and girls through education, health, and justice. Beyoncé’s sense of altruism is truly flawless.
7. Author J.K. Rowling – J.K. Rowling is the author of the bestselling Harry Potter series of seven books, which have sold over 450 million copies worldwide, are distributed in more than 200 territories, are translated into 78 languages, and have been turned into eight blockbuster films.
J.K. Rowling became the first author to ever make the Forbes billionaire list, largely in thanks to her massively successful Harry Potter Empire.
Rowling dropped off the list after donating an estimated $160 million in charitable donations, combined with Britain’s high tax rates.
She is also the founder and president of the international childrens non-profit organization Lumos, which works to end the institutionalization of children globally and ensure all children grow up in a safe and caring environment. And she Has received many awards and honors, including Frances Legion dHonneur and the Hans Christian Andersen Award.
“You have a moral responsibility when you’ve been given far more than you need, to do wise things with it and give intelligently,” Rowling said.
8. Elton John – He topped the Sunday Times Giving List in 2016 for donating an estimated $38 million to various charities. According to the Sunday Times Giving List, the musician donated most of his money to fight with HIV/Aids.
Elton John has seen many of his close friends die from HIV/AIDS over the years, and established the Elton John AIDS Foundation in 1992 to try to stem the destruction the disease causes around the world. Elton John AIDS Foundation boasts 24 years of expertise in the fight against HIV.
Talented musician, Elton John, also joined the list of famous Britons who have decided to not leave their fortune to their children, or at least to not leave it all to them, but instead donate a large part of it to charity. John said, Of course, I want to leave my children in a very solid financial state, but it is terrible to give your children a silver spoon. It ruins their life.
He added that his children have incredible lives, but that you have to have a certain appearance of normalcy, and some respect for money and work.
9. Barack and Michelle Obama – During their years in the White House, the Obamas donated over $1 million to various charities and 54% of the money donated went toward causes for children.
The largest sum, of $392,000 over six years, went to the Fisher House Foundation, which supports families of veterans. Also $2 million to summer jobs programs in Chicago in May 2017.
10. Simon Cowell – The famous talent show judge has declared that he won’t give his son an inheritance. I’m going to leave my money to someone. A charity, probably for children and dogs… I don’t believe in passing it on from one generation to another.
Cowell also said he would rather be remembered for helping others succeed, than helping his children stay rich. Your legacy has to be that hopefully, you gave enough people an opportunity so that they can do well, and you gave them your time, taught them what you know, stated the British millionaire.
11. Jackie Chan – The Hong Kong-born martial artist, actor, and producer has said that, after his death, he will donate half his fortune to charity, meaning that he does not plan to leave the millions of dollars he earned during his career to either of his 2 children.
By 2020, Jackie Chan has built up an estimated net worth of about $370 million, putting him at number 12 on the list of the world’s richest actors.
The first thing that comes in your mind when you hear about Jackie Chan is martial art movies, but most of us don’t know about the immense Charity work he has done so far. He is an active member of various cancer relief Foundation and NGOs.
In 1998 he founded the Jackie Chan Charitable Foundation that offers scholarships, free medical treatments, and shelter for disaster driven people and disabled children.
- He has raised 29 million dollars for drought relief in China
- He donated 5 million dollars for earthquake victims
- His foundation raised 5.2 million dollars for Singapore Thong Chai Medical institution
The main reason for Jackie Chan topping this list is his announcement of donating all his wealth to charity. His son Jaycee Chan won’t be getting a single penny of his wealth instead the money is going to the charity.
“If he is capable, he can make his own money. If he is not, then he will just be wasting my money, Chan said of his first-born son Jaycee.
12. Emma Watson – Emma Watson is both a U.N. Women Goodwill Ambassador and a key member of the HeForShe initiative.
Emma Watson donated approximately $1.4 million to the anti-sexual harassment campaign, UK Justice and Equality Fund but her history of giving and activism hardly begins there.
Watson, a U.N. Women Goodwill Ambassador and member of the HeForShe campaign, launched an ethical fashion line with PeopleTree in 2009; encouraged her fans to skip her birthday and donate to UNICEF’s charity fund, and supports charities such as the Small Steps Project.
“With Great Power Comes Great Responsibilities” and these stars are the perfect example of this famous saying.