These A-listers are known for giving their fortune away to good causes.

In Hollywood, <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/pop-culture/7-celebrities-with-twins">celebrity</a> success always comes with hefty paychecks. Every movie feature, brand sponsorship, and television appearance can easily top an average person's yearly salary. However, not all celebrities want to keep their money all to themselves. Whilst some choose to flaunt their <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/travel-living/7132-hotel-luxury-swiss-alpine-retreat-experience-spa-restaurant">luxurious lifestyles</a>, other celebrities choose to devote their time and resources to help advance the welfare of others, to help make a positive impact on their community.
Whether it's by setting up their own <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/cara-delevingne-intimate-nft-charity-video">charity foundation</a> or donating through various philanthropies, here are 13 celebrities who have made a difference in lives all over the world. &nbsp;

<a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/pop-culture/reasons-to-love-dolly-parton-music-philanthropy-fashion" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dolly Parton</a> has been charitable since the late '80s when she started the Dollywood Foundation to help decrease high school dropout rates. Later, the foundation began sending one book per month to every enrolled child in Sevier County from birth until school began, for the Imagination Library program. Over the years, her charitable deeds have only increased, starting the Dolly Parton Scholarship, raising $500,00 from a benefit concert to fund a hospital, donating $1 million for coronavirus research during the pandemic, and covering 100% tuition for any employee under Dollywood that is furthering their higher education. Additionally, Parton raised $700,000 for residents of Tennessee impacted by flooding. In 2022 she recieved the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy.

The famous singer and composer has been known for his philanthropic efforts since 1986. After&nbsp;losing two friends to <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/jean-paul-gaultier-safe-sex-forever-campaign-socks">AIDS</a>&nbsp;in the span of a year, <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/men/elton-john-greatest-hits-fashion">John</a> founded the Elton John AIDS Foundation, an organization that has raised over $600 million to support HIV-related programs in 55 countries. His annual White Tie &amp; Tiara Ball auctions off pianos he has played along with other memorabilia have contributed to this total, as have John&rsquo;s own donations and funding.

Nicole Kidman is not only a highly decorated (and earning) actor, but she also gives a ton of time and money to charities. She has made donations to UN Women, but worked to raise funding for the United Nations Development Fund for Women, collecting signatures in support of the philanthropy organization. Kidman also helped to break ground on the Family Violence Prevention Fund.&nbsp;
In 2014, she designed a paddington bear statue that was auctioned to raise money for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. Clearly, the Mission Impossible star is doing her part to make global society's most important missions possible.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/music/adele-one-night-only-special-30-oprah">Oprah</a> is a beloved <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/pop-culture/oprah-winfrey-viral-moments-gif-meme">TV star</a>, to say the least. She uses her fame, and the affluence that comes with it, to support various organizations and charities. The Oprah Winfrey Foundation, to which she founded and has donated more than $40 million, strives to help women and children find education and healthcare around the world. Notably, 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." In 2007 alone, she raised $50 million for education, health care, and advocacy for women and children worldwide. By 2012, she had given away about $400 million to educational causes.&nbsp;

Singer and songwriter <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/film-tv/taylor-swift-songs-movie-television">Taylor Swift</a> is known to have donated to various charitable causes and given support to fans throughout her career. This includes 1 million to Louisiana flood victims in 2016, $100,000 to Cancer Research, $60,000 to the music departments of six U.S. <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/film-tv/everything-we-know-about-sex-lives-of-college-girls-season-2-hbomax-fall">colleges</a>, and much more. Not long prior, Swift opted to commit all of the proceeds from her "Wildest Dreams" Music video to the African Parks Foundation of America. The video is now sitting at 938 Million views, so you can imagine it was quite a sum.&nbsp;
During the COVID pandemic, Swift donated to the World Health Organization and Feeding Africa, offering one of her signed guitars as part of an auction to raise money for the National Health Service. Like Dolly Parton, she donated $1 million in late 2023 to natural disaster relief in Tennessee, the state where she grew up.&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Health_Service" title="National Health Service"></a>

With a net worth of approximately $390 million, <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/pop-culture/iconic-throwback-photos-of-young-barbra-streisand">Barbra Streisand</a> has donated nearly $16 million of her net worth to charitable causes. Streisand is among the greatest actresses, musicians, and philanthropists in all of <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/pop-culture/famous-celebrity-children-young-hollywood">Hollywood</a>. She&nbsp;famously created the Streisand Foundation in 1986&nbsp;which supports numerous causes including women's issues, environmental preservation, voter education, human rights, and many more. Reportedly, over $27 million has been channeled to charities through her foundation.

<a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/10-stylish-looks-amal-clooney-copy-this-season">Amal Clooney's</a> career as a renowned human rights lawyer focuses on advocacy for refugees and marginalized groups. After meeting her husband George Clooney, the two co-founded the Clooney Foundation for Justice to fight for marginalized and vulnerable communities. In 2017, just days after white nationalists incited violence in Charlottesville, <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/pop-culture/celebrity-couples-with-twins-beyonce-jennifer-lopez-kids">the couple</a> donated $1 million to the Southern Poverty Law Center to fight hate crimes.

<a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/angelina-jolie-sports-bag-of-the-season">Angelina Jolie</a> has been working on refugee missions since 2001 and has since been appointed Special Convoy to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. She has carried out nearly 60 field missions through this role and even created the Jolie-Pitt Foundation with <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/pop-culture/brad-pitt-dating-history-jennifer-aniston-angelina-jolie">her ex-husband</a> in an effort to aid humanitarian causes across the world. Jolie particularly champions the significance of women's rights, serving as a visiting speaker at the London School of Economics on this topic as well as founding schools for girls in Kenya and eastern Afghanistan.

<a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/miley-cyrus-calls-marriage-to-liam-hemsworth-disaster">Miley Cyrus</a> has been in the limelight since her&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/pop-culture/miley-cyrus-hannah-montana-tribute-anniversary">Hannah Montana</a> days and while much of her persona has changed since then, she consistently is recognized as one of the most philanthropic young celebrities in Hollywood. Cyrus founded the Happy Hippy Foundation in 2014 to help homeless youth, LGBTQ youth, and other vulnerable groups. During the 2015 amfAR gala, Cyrus raised $69,000 by auctioning off three of her own paintings based on Caitlyn Jenner&rsquo;s Vanity Fair cover. She also licked a piano onstage during an auction at the 2015 <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/travel-living/adele-buys-58-million-dollar-mansion-beverly-hills-los-angeles">Los Angeles</a> <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/iconic-fashion-tributes-to-lgbtq-culture">LGBTQ+</a> Center&rsquo;s Vanguard Awards gala, which helped it to sell for $50,000.

The Hollywood <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/pop-culture/lgbtq-power-couples-dating-marriage">power couple</a> is admirable not only because of their career success but more because of how this success contributed to good causes. Musician <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/pop-culture/chrissy-teigen-thirsty-instagram-post-miles">John Legend</a> established the Show Me campaign in 2007 which aims to break the cycle of poverty and help "give every child access to quality education."&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/pop-culture/chrissy-teigen-thirsty-instagram-post-miles">Chrissy Teigen</a>, who is equally as charitable, made a fan&rsquo;s dream come true when she donated almost $6,000 to help her afford beauty school tuition. The couple regularly raise funds together and in 2015 they created a parody video of John&rsquo;s chart-topping song &ldquo;All of Me,&rdquo; asking fans to donate in support of Legend's Show Me campaign.

Other than defining music and pop culture for the last two decades, <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/music/everything-we-know-about-beyonce-new-album-renaissance">Beyonc&eacute;</a> also sets a stellar example as a dedicated philanthropist. After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Beyonc&eacute; founded the Survivor Foundation to provide transitional housing and means for new building construction to displaced families. It later expanded to provide relief for other hurricanes in the following years.
In addition to aiding victims of natural disasters, Beyonc&eacute; is also known for her unwavering support to the <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/black-lives-matter-fashion-beauty-brand-donations-movement">Black Lives Matter</a> movement.&nbsp;In August 2016, <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/pop-culture/beyonce-jay-z-net-worth">Beyonc&eacute; and Jay-Z</a> donated $1.5 million to civil rights groups including Black Lives Matter, Hands Up United, and Dream Defenders. Then in July 2020, Beyonc&eacute; established the Black-Owned Small Business Impact Fund in partnership with the NAACP, which offers $10,000 grants to Black-owned small businesses in need. All proceeds from Beyonc&eacute;'s single "<a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/music/everything-you-missed-2021-grammys-beyonce-megan-thee-stallion">Black Parade</a>" were donated to the fund. As of December 31, 2020, the fund has raised over $7.15 million for Black-owned small businesses.&nbsp;

Meryl Streep at Cannes Film Festival in 2024. Getty Images.

Often described as one of the best actresses of her generation, <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/film-tv/meryl-streep-young-rare-photos-movies">Meryl Streep</a> is known for her numerous accolades throughout her career including a record 21 <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/film-tv/academy-award-2022-oscar-snubs-nominations-lady-gaga-house-of-gucci">Academy Award</a> nominations. But other than <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/film-tv/meryl-streep-the-devil-wears-prada-method-acting">Streep's undeniable contribution to the film industry</a>, she also contributes heavily to charitable organizations and is a fervent supporter of the arts.&nbsp;
Whilst maintaining a low profile about her charity giving, it is known that she has given $4 million through the Silver Mountain Foundation for the Arts.&nbsp;

Emma Watson has become a leading champion of international women's rights, serving as a very vocal activist in the scene for as long as she has had a platform since rising to fame with the&nbsp;Harry Potter franchise. The actress has served as a face of the UN Women's HeForShe campaign, including a donation of $1 million on top of that. She has provided scholarships for young minds interested in social progress and women's rights. She worked with a charity called Rights of Women to launch a sexual harrassment legal advice hotline.&nbsp;
In 2018, Watson donated over $1 million to create the Justice and Equality fund which supported victims of sexual harassment in the UK, adding even more to her already stacked philanthropic resum&eacute;.

13 Biggest Celebrity Philanthropists

Tags

Related Articles

Save The Date

For Jeffrey Kalinsky, Philanthropy Is Always in Style

Fashion

Louis Vuitton, Nike, and Sotheby's Announce Charity Auction

Fashion

Best Looks from the 2022 amfAR Gala

Recommended posts for you

Film & TV

Everything to Know About Taron Egerton's New Movie 'Everybody Wants to Fuck Me'

Film & TV

5 Things to Know About Taron Egerton

Film & TV

See All of Taron Egerton's Best Roles

Fashion

Your Guide to the Biggest Spring/Summer 2027 Runway Trends

Music

How Charlotte Cardin Found Harmony

L'Officiel Art

The Art Exhibitions You Need To Know For Fall 2026

Film & TV

Taron Egerton Is Going Off Script

Fashion

What Makes Final Girl Style So Utterly Undying?