February 15th, 2013. With award season upon us, it seems like you can’t turn on the television or pick up a newspaper without viewing the famous. Would you look at those celebrities differently if you knew which stars used their fame to help others? Did you know Tina Fey supports the National Kidney Foundation? (Photo by Stefanie Keenan/WireImage) The nonprofit rating organization, Charity Navigator, has compiled a list of celebrities who put their star-power to good use.
Actor Kerry Washington, seen here with Jeff Daniels at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, supports the nonprofit Boys & Girls Clubs of America and V-Day, a global activist movement to end violence against women and girls. (Photo by Michael Buckner/WireImage)
Charities cultivate relationships with stars for their ability to increase the public’s awareness of their charitable endeavors and thus stimulate more donations. Celebrities can be spokespersons, board members or even a founder of a charity. These stars were out at the Screen Actors Guild Awards at The Shrine Auditorium on January 27, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jason Merritt/WireImage)
Sigourney Weaver supports the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International.
It is wonderful that celebrities have the power to make us aware of causes that need our support. But the onus is still on us to do our homework before making a contribution. A celebrity’s endorsement simply can not serve as a substitute for researching a charity. First of all, even if you are the number one fan of a particular celebrity, you two probably do not have exactly the same philanthropic interests. Second, the celebrity may not have thoroughly vetted the charity’s finances, commitment to accountability and transparency or its programmatic accomplishments — all steps that savvy donors take before making a donation.
Charity Navigator presented a list of celebrity-related charities to help you determine which may be worthy of a contribution from you. While this certainly isn’t an exhaustive list, it is an extensive list of celebrity-charity relationships. The Charity Navigator rating shows
| Charity Name | Rating |
|---|---|
| A Place Called Home |  |
| Al Roker | |
| Africare | |
| Nelson Mandela | |
| Alaska Conservation Foundation | |
| Jimmy Carter | |
| Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation | |
| Afleet Alex, Alex Gordon, Anna Gunn, Bailee Madison, Cindy Crawford, Jordin Sparks, Marc Summers, Peter Facinelli | |
| American Academy in Berlin | |
| Henry Kissinger | |
| American Museum of Natural History | |
| Michael Bloomberg, Tom Brokaw | |
| amfAR | |
| Elizabeth Taylor, Harry Belafonte, Kenneth Cole, Sharon Stone | |
| Big Brothers Big Sisters of America | |
| Kate Snow, Lynn Swan, Matt Lauer, Nick Lachey, Patricia Heaton, Wayne Brady | |
| The Boomer Esiason Foundation | |
| Boomer Esiason | |
| BRAC USA | |
| Mahabub Hossain | |
| Canine Companions for Independence | |
| Dean Koontz | |
| The Carter Center | |
| Jimmy Carter, Rosalynn Carter | |
| Center for Economic and Policy Research | |
| Danny Glover | |
| College Summit | |
| Don Cheadle | |
| Columbus Zoo and Aquarium | |
| Jack Hanna | |
| Disabled Veterans’ LIFE Memorial Foundation | |
| Gary Sinise | |
| Dream Foundation | |
| Priscilla Presley | |
| Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation | |
| Gloria Reuben, Neal McDonough, Nigel Barker | |
| Elton John AIDS Foundation | |
| Elton John, Jane Fonda, Whoopi Goldberg | |
| Environmental Advocates of New York | |
| Blythe Danner | |
| Fisher House Foundation | |
| Denzel Washington | |
| Free the Slaves | |
| Desmond Tutu | |
| Grassroot Soccer | |
| Ethan Zohn | |
| Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association | |
| Betty White | |
| Harlem RBI | |
| Mark Teixeira | |
| The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts | |
| George H. Bush, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Jimmy Carter, Laura Bush, Michelle Obama, Ronald Reagan | |
| Keep a Child Alive | |
| Alicia Keys | |
| Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts | |
| Michael Bloomberg | |
| Livestrong Foundation | |
| Lance Armstrong | |
| Magic Johnson Foundation | |
| Earvin “Magic” Johnson | |
| Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund | |
| Eva Longoria | |
| Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research | |
| Michael J. Fox | |
| National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc. | |
| Amy Grant, Bon Jovi, Donny Osmond, Martina McBride, Reba McEntire | |
| National Center for Missing & Exploited Children | |
| John Walsh | |
| National Kidney Foundation | |
| Rusty Wallace, Tina Fey | |
| National Organization on Disability | |
| George H.W. Bush | |
| Natural Resources Defense Council | |
| James Taylor, Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert Redford | |
| Naval Aviation Museum Foundation | |
| George W. Bush | |
| New York Restoration Project | |
| Bette Midler | |
| Oceana | |
| January Jones, Kelsey Grammer, Pierce Brosnan, Ted Danson | |
| Project A.L.S. | |
| Ben Stiller, Julianna Margulies | |
| Rainforest Foundation US | |
| Sting , Trudie Styler | |
| Refugees International | |
| Matt Dillon, Queen Noor Al-Hussein, Sam Waterson | |
| Ronald McDonald House Charities | |
| Al Roker, Billy Bush, Carl Lewis, Cindy Crawford, Hayden Panettiere, Mario Lopez | |
| Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation | |
| George Schultz, Nancy Reagan, Rudolph Giuliani, Rupert Murdoch, Steve Forbes, T. Boone Pickens | |
| Shelter Network | |
| Maya Angelou | |
| Special Olympics | |
| Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bart Conner, Jackie Chan, Maria Shriver, Michael Phelps, Nadia Comaneci, Pierce Brosnan, Scott Hamilton, Timothy Shriver, Vanessa Williams, Yao Ming | |
| Sundance Institute | |
| Robert Redford | |
| The Sunlight Foundation | |
| Jimmy Wales | |
| Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue Foundation | |
| Tony La Russa | |
| UCP Wheels for Humanity | |
| Ali MacGraw, Tim Allen | |
| United Nations Foundation | |
| Ted Turner | |
| United Way Worldwide | |
| Dolly Parton | |
| V-Day | |
| Eve Ensler, Jane Fonda, Kerry Washington, Rosario Dawson, Salma Hayek | |
| Vital Voices Global Partnership | |
| Diane von Furstenburg, Sally Field | |
| Water.org | |
| Matt Damon | |
| The Wild Animal Sanctuary | |
| Jessica Biel | |
| WildAid | |
| Bo Derek, Harrison Ford, Leonardo DiCaprio, Yao Ming | |
| Actors and Others for Animals |  |
| Betty White, Doris Day, Joanne Worley, Loretta Swit | |
| Adopt A Pet.com | |
| Drew Barrymore | |
| After-School All-Stars | |
| Arnold Schwarzenegger, Kobe Bryant, Maria Shriver | |
| Alaska Wilderness League | |
| Jimmy Carter | |
| ALSAC – St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital | |
| Marlo Thomas | |
| American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research | |
| Dick Cheney | |
| American Film Institute | |
| Charlton Heston, Gregory Peck, Steven Spielberg | |
| American Friends of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra | |
| Itzhak Perlman, Zubin Mehta | |
| American Heart Association | |
| Andie McDowell | |
| American Humane Association | |
| Paula Abdul | |
| American Parkinson Disease Association | |
| Muhammad Ali | |
| America’s Promise Alliance | |
| Colin Powell | |
| Baby Buggy | |
| Jessica Seinfeld | |
| Baltimore Reads | |
| Cal Ripkin, Jr. | |
| Best Buddies International | |
| David Caruso, Mark Montigny | |
| Better World Fund | |
| Kofi Annan, Ted Turner | |
| Blue Ridge Broadcasting Corporation | |
| Billy Graham | |
| Boys & Girls Clubs of America | |
| Ashanti , Bill Clinton, Bill Cosby, Courtney Vance, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Denzel Washington, Edward James Olmos, Gen. Wesley Clark, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Jimmy Rollins, John Mellencamp, John Singleton, Kerry Washington, Mario Lopez, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen, Michael Jordan, Muhammad Ali, Queen Latifah, Ruben Studdard, Shaquille O’Neal, Smokey Robinson, Swin Cash, Usher | |
| Camp Boggy Creek | |
| Norman Schwarzkopf, Paul Newman | |
| Camp Sunshine, Georgia | |
| Jeff Foxworthy, Julianne Chambliss, Saxby Chambliss | |
| Careers through Culinary Arts Program | |
| Al Roker, Jacques Pepin, Marcus Samuelsson, Tim Zagat | |
| Celebrity Fight Night Foundation | |
| Muhammad Ali | |
| The Center for Strategic and International Studies | |
| Henry Kissinger | |
| The Chi Chi Rodriguez Youth Foundation | |
| Chi Chi Rodriguez | |
| Children Affected by AIDS Foundation | |
| Doris Roberts, James Gandolfini, Jamie Lee Curtis | |
| The Children’s Health Fund | |
| Paul Simon | |
| Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation | |
| Christopher Reeve | |
| Coalition for Clean Air | |
| Ed Begley, Jr. | |
| Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International | |
| Sigourney Weaver | |
| Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation For Autism | |
| Doug Flutie | |
| Eisenhower Fellowships | |
| Christie Todd Whitman, Colin Powell, George H.W. Bush, Henry Kissinger | |
| Entertainment Industry Foundation | |
| Charlize Theron, Katie Couric, Pierce Brosnan | |
| Farm Aid | |
| Dave Mathews, John Mellencamp, Neil Young, Willie Nelson | |
| Freedom Alliance | |
| Oliver North | |
| The Fresh Air Fund | |
| Mariah Carey, Tiki Barber | |
| Geffen Playhouse | |
| David Geffen, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Steven Spielberg | |
| Gilda’s Club Chicago | |
| Gilda Radner | |
| God’s Love We Deliver | |
| Joan Rivers | |
| The Goodman Theatre | |
| Brian Dennehy | |
| Green Dot Public Schools | |
| Oscar De La Hoya | |
| Greenpeace Fund | |
| Bono | |
| Habitat for Humanity International | |
| Jimmy Carter | |
| Healthy Child Healthy World | |
| Amy Brenneman, Laura Dern, Meryl Streep, Olivia Newton-John | |
| The Hole in the Wall Gang Fund | |
| Julia Roberts, Paul Newman | |
| Horizons National | |
| Brian Williams | |
| Human Rights First | |
| Sigourney Weaver | |
| Hunter’s Hope Foundation | |
| Jim Kelly | |
| In Defense of Animals | |
| Elaine Hendrix | |
| International OCD Foundation | |
| Elizabeth McIngvale, Jeff Bell | |
| International Tennis Hall of Fame | |
| Jim Courier, Pam Shriver, Patrick McEnroe | |
| Jazz at Lincoln Center | |
| Michael Bloomberg, Wynton Marsalis | |
| Joe Torre Safe At Home Foundation | |
| Joe Torre | |
| John F. Kennedy Library Foundation | |
| Caroline Kennedy | |
| Joslin Diabetes Center | |
| Ray Allen | |
| KICKSTART | |
| Chuck Norris | |
| Literacy Partners | |
| Liz Smith | |
| Make-A-Wish America | |
| Chris Webber, Grant Hill, Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Donnalley, Michael Johnson | |
| Marine Toys for Tots Foundation | |
| Bob Hope, Michelle Obama, Ronald Reagan | |
| Mitchell Institute | |
| George J. Mitchell | |
| The Museum of Modern Art | |
| Michael Bloomberg | |
| Museum of the City of New York | |
| Michael Bloomberg | |
| My Stuff Bags Foundation | |
| Michael Reagan | |
| NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund | |
| Thurgood Marshall | |
| National Constitution Center | |
| Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, Sandra Day O’Connor | |
| National Inclusion Project | |
| Clay Aiken | |
| National Women’s History Museum | |
| Meryl Streep | |
| The Nature Conservancy | |
| Michael Douglas | |
| New York City Ballet | |
| Michael Bloomberg | |
| New York City Center | |
| Joanne Woodward | |
| Operation USA | |
| Julie Andrews | |
| The Paley Center for Media | |
| Kim Cattrall | |
| Positive Coaching Alliance | |
| Barry Zito, Bart Conner, Bill Bradley, Dean Smith, Doc Rivers, Dot Richardson, Herm Edwards, Kerri Strug, Larry Brown, Nadia Comaneci, Phil Jackson, Ronnie Lott, Summer Sanders, Tony Dorsett | |
| Pro Kids Golf Academy | |
| Ernest H. Wright, Sr. | |
| The Public Theater/New York Shakespeare Festival | |
| Jimmy Smits, Kevin Kline, Liev Schrieber, Michael Bloomberg, Morgan Freeman, Nora Ephron, Sam Waterson | |
| Race to Erase MS | |
| Avril Lavigne, Tom Arnold, Tommy Hilfiger | |
| Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network | |
| Christina Ricci | |
| Riverkeeper | |
| Robert F. Kennedy Jr. | |
| Room to Grow | |
| Uma Thurman | |
| Santa Barbara Zoo | |
| John Cleese | |
| Several Sources Shelters | |
| Stephen Baldwin | |
| SOS Children’s Villages-USA | |
| Sarah Ferguson | |
| Spirit of America | |
| George P. Shultz | |
| Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation | |
| Lee Iacocca | |
| Symphony Space | |
| Alec Baldwin, Cynthia Nixon, Stephen Colbert, William Hurt | |
| Tiger Woods Foundation | |
| Tiger Woods | |
| Tom Coughlin Jay Fund Foundation | |
| Tom Coughlin | |
| Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance | |
| Julianne Moore | |
| United States Fund for UNICEF | |
| Alyssa Milano, Clay Aiken, India.Arie , Laurence Fishburne, Lucy Liu, Sarah Jessica Parker, Téa Leoni | |
| USA Cares | |
| Dennis Miller | |
| USA for UNHCR | |
| Angelina Jolie | |
| Victory Junction Gang | |
| Kyle Petty | |
| William J. Clinton Foundation | |
| Bill Clinton | |
| WITNESS | |
| Peter Gabriel | |
| Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts | |
| Michelle Obama, Tony Bennett, Trisha Yearwood | |
| Women for Women International | |
| Rania Al-Abdullah | |
| World Society for the Protection of Animals | |
| Audrey Landers, Simon Cowell, Tiffani Thiessen | |
| Youth For Tomorrow | |
| Joe Gibbs | |
| All Stars Helping Kids |  |
| Emmitt Smith, Kristi Yamaguchi, Marcus Allen, Ronnie Lott | |
| American Cinematheque | |
| Candice Bergen, Francis Coppola, Goldie Hawn, Martin Scorsese | |
| American Friends of the Yitzhak Rabin Center for the Study of Israel | |
| Henry Kissinger, Madeleine Albright | |
| Amnesty International USA | |
| Bono , Nazanin Boniadi, Nicolas Cage | |
| Apollo Theater Foundation | |
| Quincy Jones | |
| CJ Foundation for SIDS | |
| Don Imus | |
| Country Music Foundation | |
| Taylor Swift | |
| The Gorilla Foundation | |
| Betty White | |
| Helen Woodward Animal Center | |
| Diane Keaton | |
| International Campaign for Tibet | |
| Richard Gere | |
| John Tracy Clinic | |
| Robert Wagner | |
| Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International | |
| Mary Tyler Moore, Nick Jonas, Sugar Ray Leonard | |
| Last Chance for Animals | |
| Chris DeRose | |
| Los Angeles Opera | |
| Placido Domingo | |
| March of Dimes | |
| Denny Hamlin, Jennifer Lopez, Kelly Clarkson, Nicole Kidman, Sherri Shepherd | |
| Muscular Dystrophy Association | |
| Jerry Lewis | |
| National Coalition Against Censorship | |
| Judy Blume | |
| People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals | |
| Alec Baldwin, Alicia Silverstone, Pamela Anderson, Pink , Woody Harrelson | |
| The Roar Foundation | |
| Antonio Banderas, Betty White, Bo Derek, Loni Anderson, Melanie Griffith, Tippi Hedren | |
| Save the Manatee Club | |
| Jimmy Buffett | |
| Seeds of Peace | |
| Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, Queen Noor Al-Hussein | |
| Southeastern Legal Foundation | |
| Edwin Meese | |
| Steadman Hawkins Research Foundation | |
| H.M. King Juan Carlos I of Spain | |
| The Climate Reality Project | |
| Al Gore | |
| Waterkeeper Alliance | |
| Robert F. Kennedy Jr. | |
| Women’s Sports Foundation | |
| Billie Jean King, Chris Evert, Dominique Dawes, Geena Davis, Holly Hunter, Laila Ali, Martina Navratilova, Mia Hamm, Sheryl Crow | |
| Alonzo Mourning Charities |  |
| Alonzo Mourning | |
| American Diabetes Association | |
| Donovan McNabb, Elliott Yamin, Gladys Knight, Greg LeMond, Joan Allen, Lovie Smith, Tony Dungy | |
| American Tinnitus Association | |
| William Shatner | |
| Andre Agassi Foundation for Education | |
| Andre Agassi, Emeril Lagasse, Sir Elton John | |
| George Bush Presidential Library Foundation | |
| Andrew H. Card, Jr., Jeb Bush | |
| The Imus Ranch | |
| Don Imus | |
| The Larry King Cardiac Foundation | |
| Larry King | |
| Marijuana Policy Project Foundation | |
| Adam Carolla, Bill Maher, Jack Black, Jesse Ventura | |
| MASS MoCA | |
| Meryl Streep | |
| Miracle Flights for Kids | |
| Bruce Jenner, Wayne Newton | |
| National Council of Negro Women | |
| Maya Angelou | |
| Teachers Without Borders | |
| Jane Goodall | |
| Teammates for Kids Foundation | |
| Garth Brooks | |
| VH1 Save The Music Foundation | |
| Wynton Marsalis | |
| California Police Youth Charities |  |
| Brande Roderick | |
| Operation Lookout | |
| Dyan Cannon |
Lots of local movers and shakers also put their star power to good use. Have you seen any?