Celebrity Causes

localDC.com

Resources for the Washington DC area Non profit groups in the DC area Volunteer!

Celebrity Causes

Learn, donate, volunteer.

Kevin Bacon's sixdegrees.org is a great site that you can participate in to support causes that are important to you.

You can choose a celebrity. If you have a blog, you can paste a badge like the one below into your blog. Or, you can make you own badge if you like; you can upload a photo of yourself and select one or more charities. You can also generate a link to put in emails you send.

</IFRAME

Angelina Jolie

Notes from My Travels: Visits with Refugees in Africa, Cambodia, Pakistan, and Ecuador

(in no particular order)

Lucy Liu is an ambassador for the US Fund for UNICEF

Maria Sharapova supports people affected by the Chernobyl disaster.

Tyra Banks started the TZONE Foundation.

Petra Nemcova started the Happy Hearts Fund.

Jimmy Carter

Sir Richard Branson has been involved with several charities; some are centralized at VirginUnite.

Bono

Charlize Theron

Sir Sean Connery

Sting started Rainforest Foundation with his wife.

Pierce Brosnan (Planet Ark)

Roger Daltry is a patron of Teenage Cancer Trust

Sir Paul McCartney

Gary Sinese and Laura Hillenbrand started Operation Iraqi Children

Muhammad Ali

Edward Norton supports the Enterprise Foundation, which has headquarters in Columbia, MD

His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Michael Bolton

William Shatner

Bill Clinton

Jimmy Smits co-founded The National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts

Leonardo DiCapprio

Tiger Woods (Tiger Woods Dedicates Solar-powered Learning Center)

Oprah

Paul Newman started Newman's Own; they've given away over $175 million to charity. "It started as a joke and got out of control."

Derek Jeter started the Turn 2 Foundation

Phil Collins (Little Dreams Foundation)

Sharon Stone

Rosie O'Donnell

Garth Brooks

Princess Grace of Monaco

Jane Seymour

Chris Evert

Dolly Parton

Doris Day Doris Day Animal Foundation Doris Day Animal League (both located in Washington DC)

Audrey Hepburn

Sarah Jessica Parker

Jennifer Aniston

Denis Leary

Carlos and Deborah Santana

Bill and Melinda Gates The Gates have given away over $20 billion.

photo copyright Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Bearing the traditional Indian greeting of 'tika,' Bill Gates visits with HIV positive patients in New Delhi. Bill Gates arrived on Monday, November 11, 2002, to announce a $100 million commitment from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to slow the spread of HIV/AIDS in India.

Richard Gere

Michael Douglas

Dame Elizabeth Taylor: AMFAR and Elizabeth Taylor Aids Foundation

Princess Diana

Paul Simon co-founded The Childrens Health Fund

Edward James Olmos

Whitney Houston

“You may not realize it, but we are living in the most exciting time in the history of humankind. Never has there been a greater opportunity for a productive, creative and fulfilling life. But it is also the most dangerous time, because we are in charge. Our thoughts and actions in the past have created our present, and our thoughts and actions today will create our future.”

Actor Dennis Weaver

Sarah McLachlan formed the Lilith Fair music fair to promote women musicians. She set a precedent in the world of music videos with her World on Fire video. It was made for $15; the remainder of the $150,000 budget was given to charities.

Carlos and Deborah Santana started the Milagro Foundation to help underprivileged children. Carlos worked for free in 2003, donating the $2 million in profits from the "Shaman" album tour to combat AIDS in Africa. You can read an interview with Milagro Foundation executive director Shelley Brown. Also, check out Deborah Santana's autobiography, Space Between the Stars. (But you might want to get the CD version; it's got cool music on it!)

Ashley Judd is a spokesperson for YouthAids.

Ashley Judd's journal of her trip to Africa

Olivia Newton John

photo credit Mike Newling, courtesy of the Australian Women's Weekly