Entertainment
Taylor Swift Tops the List of Most Charitable Celebs, But Many These Do-Gooder Stars Will Surprise You
Taylor Swift has topped the list of DoSomething.org 's most charitable celebrities this year. Unless you've been living under a rock, this is no shock. Swifty pretty much owned 2014 in every way possible, so why not in charity too?
However, the rest of the list was a little surprising to me. Why? I don't see any mention of Brangelina, George Clooney, Oprah Winfrey, or other "obvious" names. So who made the list? Click through to see how the top 20 celebs contributed to great causes this year.
Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift released the single “Welcome to New York” and donated all of the proceeds to New York City Public Schools. She also paid $6,000 for Hugh Jackman’s shirt in a charity auction benefiting the Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS charity.
Laverne Cox
Laverne Cox was recognized for becoming a prominent voice on behalf of the LGBT community. Cox had a documentary on MTV called ”The T Word” about transgender youth which aired in October 2014.
Beyoncé
Beyoncé donated more than $7 million to a Houston charity that helps the homeless seek out shelter, counseling, food, and healthcare.
Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus made headlines when she had a homeless man accept her award for Video of the Year at the VMA’s. He accepted the award on behalf of the 1.6 million homeless youth in America and to give attention to the homeless shelter My Friend’s Place.
Emma Watson
Emma Watson gave a speech for the United Nations and introduced her #HeForShe campaign in support of gender equality.
One Direction
One Direction took part in recording an Ebola charity Christmas song. They also helped raise money for the Autism Speaks organization through a charity soccer game organized by band member Niall Horan.
John Cena
John Cena has donated both time and money to charitable causes. The WWE star has granted more than 400 Make-A-Wish requests. How amazing.
Shonda Rhimes
It was announced that Shonda Rhimes will be honored by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) with the “Ally for Equality” award for her work as an advocate for LGBT equality.
Tyler Oakley
YouTube star Tyler Oakley spent his birthday doing charity work for The Trevor Project, an organization for the prevention of suicide in LGBTQ youth. He raised nearly $35,000 in four hours. Wow.
Chris Pratt
In July 2014, Chris Pratt surprised an audience of kids at a charity screening for Guardians of the Galaxy. He even took selfies with every child in the auditorium.
John Legend
John Legend established the Show Me Campaign, which “encourages social, economic, personal and educational growth of individuals, families and communities.” Its primary mission is to ”break the cycle of poverty.”
Olivia Wilde
Olivia Wilde founded a company called Conscious Commerce. The website asks people to donate to charity by purchasing items they would buy anyway. It has products from many brands and categories that can be purchased with proceeds going to many causes.
Kerry Washington
Kerry Washington is an advocate for the Purple Purse Project. Washington designed a purple purse to help raise money for the anti-domestic violence organization Allstate Foundation.
Zendaya
Instead of requesting presents for her 18th birthday, Zendaya asked her fans to donate money to help feed children in Haiti, Tanzania, and the Philippines.
Demi Lovato
Demi Lovato took part in the ALS ice bucket challenge by dumping five buckets of water over her head and urging fans to donate to the cause. She also recently started a campaign to raise awareness for mental illness.
Lupita Nyong'o
Lupita Nyong’o is an advocate for the Borgen Project which is an organization that hopes to eliminate global poverty.
Amy Poehler
Amy Poehler has started the Smart Girls movement with the goal to engage people in ”volunteerism, civic activism, cultural exchange, and self-expression through the arts.”
LeBron James
Lebron James has founded the LeBron James Family Foundation which raises funds for Wheels for Education, Akron I Promise Network, The Lebron Advisory Board, Boys & Girls Clubs, St. Vincent-St. Mary High School, and Time to Promise. That is a great commitment to philanthropy. How admirable.
Mindy Kaling
Mindy Kaling is a supporter of Pancan.org, an organization that helps out people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and their caregivers.
Justin Bieber
Everyone hates on Justin Bieber for his mischievous behavior and his annoying relationship with Selena Gomez, but he is actually a very charitable guy. He has granted over 200 Make a Wish requests.
