10 Celebrities Doing Interesting Things to Change the World

The philanthropic efforts of celebrities are noteworthy due to the media attention these stars garner. I regularly highlight the charitable work of the rich and famous because it can be overlooked in favour of the scandalous or salacious behaviour that generally garners more attention, higher ratings and sells more magazines. I recently wrote about the nonprofit fundraising and awareness efforts of the 2013 Oscar nominees and the top 20 Celebrity Gone Good Part 1 (and Part 2) in my ongoing effort to celebrate the good behaviour and today I am continuing that by featuring Huffington Post’s 10 Stars Doing Interesting Things to Change the World written by Amy Lynch, the editor of Milkshake. Milkshake “is a website and weekly email featuring people, products, brands and organizations dedicated to doing good things in the world.” I’ve expanded on some of their philanthropic contributions with the help of Look to the Stars.

Image courtesy of canada.com

• 1. George Clooney: The Oscar winning actor/director/ producer works with many worthy causes. Chief amongst his philanthropic endeavors is his work on behalf of the Sudan and it was at an anti-genocide demonstration at the Sudanese embassy in Washington in 2012 where he was arrested. He also founded “Not On Our Watch with his Ocean’s 11 co-stars Don Cheadle, Matt Damon, Brad Pitt and producer Jerry Weintraub. The organization’s main goal is to stop the genocide occurring in Sudan.” George has also supported: 21st Century Leaders, American Foundation for AIDS Research, American Foundation for Equal Rights, Ante Up For Africa, Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes, CARE, Casey Lee Ball Foundation, Cinema For Peace, Clothes Off Our Back, ENOUGH Project, Entertainment Industry Foundation, Feeding America, International Rescue Committee, Make It Right, Make Poverty History, Motion Picture and Television Fund Foundation, ONE Campaign, Onyx and Breezy Foundation, Oxfam, Partners in Health, Realizing the Dream, Red Cross, Rock For Darfur, Satellite Sentinel Project, Save the Children, Stand Up To Cancer, UNICEF, United Way, Whatever It Takes and World Food Programme.
• 2. Angelina Jolie: The Oscar-winning actress is known as much for charity work as she is for her films. The UN says of Jolie that she “uses her status as a superstar to generate media coverage about the plight of refugees and the conditions under which they live. She has traveled widely to remote refugee camps and receiving centers in countries including Tanzania, Namibia, Cambodia, Pakistan, Thailand and Ecuador. To further raise awareness, she has released her personal journals for select field visits that can be accessed at USA for UNHCR. For her efforts, Angelina has been honored with the Church World Service Immigration and Refugee Program Humanitarian Award.”” Angelina also works with: Afghanistan Relief Organization, Direct Change, Motion Picture and Television Fund Foundation, Alliance For The Lost Boys Of Sudan, Cancer Schmancer Movement, Care to Learn, Cinema For Peace, Clinton Global Initiative, Daniel Pearl Foundation, Doctors Without Borders, Global Action for Children, HALO Trust, Human Rights Watch, Jolie-Pitt Foundation, Kids in Need of Defense, Millennium Promise, Millennium Villages, Muhammad Ali Center, Not On Our Watch, ONE Campaign, Peace One Day, Project A.L.S., Reporters Without Borders, Sophie’s Gift, SOS Children’s Villages, UNHCR, UNICEF, UN Millennium Project, World Food Programme and Yéle Haiti Foundation.
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  Image courtesy of gizmocrave.com

  3. Lady Gaga: The Grammy winning pop star has made it her mission to work for a “Kinder, braver world.” Last year she founded her Born This Way Foundation and it’s first major project the Born Brave Bus launched this year. She is offering support and a friendly environment for her fans and others to gather and work toward a kinder, braver world. Gaga has also supported: American Foundation for AIDS Research, GLSEN, GRAMMY Foundation, MusiCares, Robin Hood Foundation, The Trevor Project, Alzheimer’s Association, CLIC Sargent, It Gets Better Project, Lupus Foundation of America, Oxfam, Stand Up To Cancer, M•A•C AIDS Fund’s VIVA Glam and Artists for Peace and Justice.
  4. Sandra Bullock: The Academy Award winner is making a difference in the lives of high school students. Bullock has garnered some attention for her work helping New Orleans rebuild from Hurricane Katrina. In fact, she was the recipient of the People’s Choice first-ever Favourite Humanitarian award for her work rebuilding Warren Easton Charter High School after the damage it sustained in Katrina. She has also supported charities like: American Foundation for AIDS Research, Motion Picture and Television Fund Foundation, Partners in Health, Red Cross and Tuesday’s Children.

• 5. J.K. Rowling: The Harry Potter author has given an estimated $160 million away to charity. Not to mention she has published three books with the proceeds going to various charities. Rowling has also worked with Lumos.
• 6. Omar Todd: May not be a name many are familiar with though he has produced such films as Confessions of an Eco-Terrorist. He is also the CIO of Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.
• 7 & 8. Beyonce and Jay-Z. The Grammy winning couple has done their share of charity work. Beyonce is heading a $5 million housing project in her hometown of Houston and was also the face of  United Nations World Humanitarian Day. Jay-Z founded the Shawn Carter Scholarship Foundation to help low-income students overlooked by other scholarships. The couple has alsocontributed to: 46664,  American Foundation for AIDS Research, Clothes Off Our Back, Entertainment Industry Foundation, Miami Children’s Hospital Foundation, Phoenix House, Artists for Peace and Justice, Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Candie’s Foundation, Clinton Bush Haiti Fund, Feeding America, Food Bank For New York City, GRAMMY Foundation, Kids Wish Network, Love Our Children USA, Miami Children’s Hospital Foundation, MusiCares, Music for Relief, Music Rising, Oxfam, PlayPumps, Red Cross, Save The Music Foundation, Stand Up To Cancer, Survivor Foundation, Shawn Carter Foundation, The Lunchbox Fund, The Samburu Project and Women’s Fund for Scotland.
• 9. Jessica Alba: The actress put her values to work by founding The Honest Company, which is an eco-friendly baby product company. She has also supported charities like: Baby2Baby, Children’s Defense Fund,  Clothes Off Our Back, Declare Yourself, Entertainment Industry Foundation, Feeding America, Habitat For Humanity, International Fund For Animal Welfare, Kids Wish Network, Love Our Children USA, March Of Dimes, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Padres Contra el Cancer, Project HOME, RADD, Revlon Run/Walk For Women, Soles4Souls, SOS Children’s Villages, Stand Up To Cancer, Step Up, The Art of Elysium, The Nature Conservancy, The Rescue Train, The Samburu Project, Until There’s a Cure, US Doctors for Africa and V-Day.
• 10. Adrian Grenier: He is known as much for being an environmentalist as he is for being an actor. Along with indie film producer Peter Glatzer he founded the website SHFT, which caters to the eco and style conscious. In addition he works with charities like: Best Friends Animal Society, charity:water, Clothes Off Our Back, Comic Relief, Declare Yourself, Feeding America, Get Schooled Foundation, Global Green, Heifer International, Kiva, New York Restoration Project, Oceana, PlayPumps, The Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation and UNICEF.

These celebrities are making a positive mark on the world and bringing their philanthropic values to another level for causes that are important to them. They are an example to both fans and contemporaries.

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