8 Renowned Philanthropists And Their Charitable Work
We all like to donate to charitable causes we care about, but for those with millions or even billions to spare, it is possible to make significant donations to charities and projects around the world aiming to target social and economic issues. Some even set up their own foundations to support causes they are passionate about. It is through philanthropic work like this that positive changes can come about, and in this post, we’ll cover some of the most generous celebrity philanthropists around the world. Read on to find out more.
Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton is one of the most generous philanthropists and celebrities out there, having donated millions towards a range of causes. Perhaps her most well-known work is that of donating towards the education of children, particularly through her Imagination Library and the millions of books that have been donated through it. The causes she’s passionate about range from education to medical aid, as well as environmental issues. Despite her fame and fortune, Dolly has remained grounded and conscious of her less glamorous beginnings coming from a low-income family in Tennessee. This humility has always carried through to Dolly’s attitude on life and the work she becomes involved in.
Michael Jordan
A former basketball player, Michael Jordan is now a highly successful businessman and has become involved in a range of charitable work. As well as supporting children with getting into sports, such as through his support of the Special Olympics, he also donates to charities such as Habitat For Humanity which supports people in need of shelter to find a home. During the hurricane Katrina disaster of 2005, Jordan donated hundreds of thousands to help support families affected by the damage and loss of housing. He’s also a keen supporter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, allowing children who are battling serious illnesses to achieve their lifelong wishes.
Beny Steinmetz
Beny Steinmetz, businessman and philanthropist, has accumulated a billionaire status through his work. He has used this to become a philanthropist and launched his own foundation to help Israeli children and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds access education and support. From providing grants to young adults to pursue college educations to investing in arts and culture, Steinmetz has supported a range of charitable causes.
Mark Zuckerberg
Mark Zuckerberg is the co-founder of Facebook, having achieved billionaire status in his 20s whilst still at Harvard University. Along with his wife, Priscilla Chan, he has used his wealth to set up the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative in 2015, to help combat a range of socio-economic issues. From funding research into illness and disease to helping support education systems, the initiative aims to help with a range of issues and causes. Zuckerberg also heavily invests in projects to help improve access to education for those from low-income backgrounds in India and Africa.
Beyonce
Beyonce is well known for being one of the most successful singers and songwriters, but she is also a generous donator to a range of charities too. Her most recent donations include $500,000 towards the housing crisis in America caused by the coronavirus pandemic. She also donated a further $6 million towards issues such as the mental health crisis caused by the pandemic. She particularly focused on the African-American communities that were economically affected due to a lack of job opportunities, financial support, and medical bills. Like Michael Jordan, she also helped those affected by Hurricane Katrina by setting up the Survivor Foundation with her fellow Destiny’s Child singer Kelly Rowland.
Kylie Minogue
Kylie Minogue has been actively involved in supporting a range of charities and fundraising efforts since the 80s and the start of her lucrative career. She has used the money made from her success as a singer and actress to fund research into important and pressing issues such as AIDS and Breast Cancer. She joined in with celebrity efforts to raise money for those in need such as for the 1989and Aid Christmas song, as well as the more recent 2010 song fundraiser for the Haiti earthquake.
Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift is one of the biggest and most popular A-listers in the modern celebrity world, but aside from her work as a talented songwriter, she is also a generous philanthropist too. she has made large donations to charities such as UNICEF, Habitat For Humanity, The American Red Cross, and Feeding America. She has also funded a campaign to protect children from internet dangers and promote online safety. She recently donated all the profits made from a single on her number 1 album to help support New York public school systems.
Rihanna
Another popular and highly famous singer, Rihanna has also done her fair share of supporting charitable causes and those in need. In 2012 she set up the Clara Lionel Foundation to support deprived communities with better access to education, healthcare, and access to enriching opportunities such as arts and culture. Part of her charitable work in Malawi is to help protect young women from being targeted for assault and underage arranged marriages. By helping more young women have better access to education and further support, they are able to pursue their own ambitions and embrace more opportunities for their work life and career.
