10 Top Social Media Superstars from Forbes List and their Causes

Celebrity and philanthropy go hand in hand and I have explored this connection in posts like the 10 Most Charitable Celebrities from the 2012 Oscar Nominees, the 10 Top Forbes Power Celebrities and the Charities They Support , the 10 Highest Paid Celebrities from Forbes Under 30 List and their Philanthropic Efforts, 10 Top Celebrity Charitable Contributions Based on Publicity Value and the 10 Highest Paid Actors from Forbes List and their Charities.

Today I’m looking at another Forbes list of the top ten social media superstars and I’m using Look to the Stars to help explore their charitable work.

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  Selena Gomez image courtesy of Teen Vogue

  10) Selena Gomez – Twitter followers: 12.3 million Facebook fans: 33 million. The former Disney darling and pop star is a supporter of many nonprofit organizations like A Day Made Better, ENOUGH Project, Ryan Seacrest Foundation, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and UNICEF. She uses “the power of her social network to promote Postcard On The Run, a company she’s an investor in that has an app that lets you turn iPhone photos into snail-mail postcards.” Through Postcard On The Run she shares photos with her fans like ones with boyfriend, and fellow social media superstar, Justin Bieber.

• 9) Lil Wayne – Twitter followers: 7.9 million Facebook fans: 40 million. The 29-year-old rapper has recently been tweeting his congratulations to Olympic winners. He started his charity the One Family Foundation to help urban youth. Through the foundation he works to “rebuild the athletic fields at his old school, Eleanor McMain Secondary School, after they were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.”
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  Taylor Swift image courtesy of Vogue

  8) Taylor Swift – Twitter followers: 17 million Facebook fans: 33.6 million. The country super star uses social media to get closer to her fans, while her Facebook page is used more for promotional purposes. She has supported charities such as Children in Need, Clothes Off Our Back, DonateMyDress.org, Feeding America, GRAMMY Foundation, Habitat For Humanity, Hands On Nashville, Heroes in Heels, MusiCares, Music for Relief, Save The Music Foundation, Shoe Revolt, Soles4Souls, Tug McGraw Foundation, UNICEF, and Wish Upon A Hero Foundation.

• 7) Cristiano Ronaldo – Twitter followers: 12 million Facebook fans: 47.5 million. The Portuguese soccer star, who plays for Real Madrid, is the most popular athlete on social media. He has supported charities such as Aid Still Required and Save the Children.
• 6) Shakira – Twitter followers: 17.6 million Facebook fans: 52.5 million. Most celebrities who use their Facebook page simply as a promotional tool but it’s where Shakira chooses to connect with her fans. The UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador founded the organization Pies Descalzos (the Barefoot Foundation) and has supported ALAS, Children’s Defense Fund, CHOC Children’s, Global Campaign for Education, Habitat For Humanity, Live Earth, ONE Campaign and Treatment Action Campaign.
  

  Katy Perry image courtesy of Vogue Italia

• 5) Katy Perry – Twitter followers: 24.5 million Facebook fans: 45.7 million. Katy follows the lead of many of her contemporaries by using her Twitter account to connect with fans, and using her Facebook mainly to promote her projects. The star of the 3D concert movie Katy Perry: Part of Me has supported charities such as Generosity Water, GRAMMY Foundation, Habitat For Humanity, Keep-a-Breast, MusiCares, Music for Relief, Musicians on Call, Project Clean Water, Red Cross, Save The Music Foundation, Stand Up To Cancer, STOMP Out Bullying and United Service Organization.
• 4) Justin Bieber – Twitter followers: 26 million Facebook fans: 45.8 million. Bieber is truly a social media superstar because he broke into the music industry through the use of Youtube. He has been in the news of late by tweeting both the Canadian and American gymnasts along with other Olympic athletes. He is known for donating proceeds from the sales of his Christmas album, Under the Mistletoe, and perfumes Someday and Justin Bieber’s Girlfriend. His main charities are Pencils of Promise and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Other charities the Canadian heartthrob has contributed to include Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, City of Hope, Cure Duchenne, Food Bank For New York City, Give Back Hollywood Foundation, GRAMMY Foundation, It Gets Better Project, Jumpstart, Musicians on Call, Red Cross and his mentor Usher’s New Look Foundation.
•  3) Eminem – Twitter followers: 11.9 million Facebook fans: 60.3 million. The rapper holds the honour of having the most Facebook fans of any celebrity on the Forbes list. He supports the organizations Eight Mile Boulevard Association, Marshall Mathers Foundation, and ninemillion.org.
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  Lady Gaga image courtesy of Vogue

  2) Lady Gaga – Twitter followers: 28 million Facebook fans: 53 million. Mother Monster has the most followers of any celebrity on Twitter and uses it as her primary means of connecting with her fans along with her site littlemonsters.com. Recently she launched the Born This Way Foundation with the help of her mother, which helps to empower youth. Gaga has also supported Alzheimer’s Association, Born This Way Foundation, 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.

• 1) Rihanna – Twitter followers: 23.8 million Facebook fans: 59.6 million. Rianna tops the list because she has the most followers and fans combined of anyone mentioned in this list. Through social media the super star connects to fans by tweeting conversationally, and sharing photos of her vacations. She has supported and performed to raise funds for various causes including Bear Necessities, Pediatric Cancer Foundation, City of Hope, Designers Against AIDS, DKMS, DoSomething.org, Feeding America, Kids Wish Network, Live Earth, GRAMMY Foundation, Mission Australia, MusiCares, Raising Malawi, Red Cross, Shriners Hospitals for Children, Stand Up To Cancer and UNICEF.

These celebrities are using social media to connect and influence their fans and that extends to the charities they support which is invaluable to nonprofit organizations. Love them or hate them, celebrities like Bieber, Rihanna and Lady Gaga and the others on this list are making giving back cool and that’s just….well cool.

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