Khloe Kardashian: Husband's Charity Not A Scam

Reality star Khloe Kardashian has taken to the web to deny allegations that her husband Lamar Odom's charity is a scam.

A report on ESPN's "Outside the Lines" program on March 31 alleged that many charities of top athletes don't fulfill their missions as stated. They cited Odom's charity Cathy's Kids as one of the examples, alleging that the organization hasn't given any money to cancer research even though it has raised nearly $2.2 million.

The charity was founded by Odom in 2004 and was named after the NBA star's mother who died from cancer. ESPN noted that the charity was supposed to raise funds for cancer research, but the report alleged that nearly 60 percent of donations has gone to finance two elite youth basketball travel teams and that there is no evidence that any of the remaining $900,000 went to cancer research.

The Huffington Post reported that on Tuesday, Kardashian took to her blog on the website Celebuzz to defend her husband from the allegations. She insisted that the Los Angeles Clippers star has personally donated "millions" of dollars to cancer research, and that none of the money from the charity went to help him or any member of his family.

She also sought to clarify the ultimate mission of Cathy's Kids, saying that the organization was founded with multiple purposes in mind including cancer research and helping underprivileged youth. "A decision was ultimately made that the charity should focus on one of those purposes — to help enrich the lives of underprivileged inner-city youth," wrote Kardashian. "It accomplished that goal. Cathy’s Kids helped fund multiple AAU basketball teams providing underprivileged youth with opportunities enriching their lives, providing financial support for coaching and travel to tournaments, helping inner-city youth on a path toward success and leading many participants to go on to college."

Aside from Odom's charity, the ESPN report also mentions alleged questionable practices by such well-known athletes as New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez, whose foundation stopped filing tax returns five years ago, and NFL wide receiver Randy Moss, whose two charities allegedly spent no money on philanthropy in 2010.

12-12-12 Concert Rakes In Cash For Sandy Relief

Yesterday was a special day for a number of reasons. First, it's going to be a long time before we see a date, day, and year (12/12/12) like that again. More importantly, it was the date of the 12-12-12 Concert for Sandy Relief at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Our editor-in-chief, Paul Clolery, was in attendance for the six-hour long show, and has a summary of the night's events on our website. The concert featured legendary performers including Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi, Billy Joel, Rolling Stones, and Sir Paul McCartney, in addition to contemporary artists like Kanye West, Chris Martin of Coldplay, and Alicia Keys, who closed out the night with a rendition of her hit song "Empire State of Mind" alongside McCartney.

Yet the big story of the night was money raised for Hurricane Sandy Relieft. Donations went to organizations serving victims of the storm through the Robin Hood Relief Fund. Before an act even took the stage, the concert raised $37 million. A final donation tally was not available as of this writing.

Individuals who called in through the night to make a contribution had the chance to speak to a host of celebrities who were working the call center. These included big names such as Adam Sandler, Ben Stiller, Whoopi Goldberg, Steve Buscemi, Naomi Campbell, Tony Danza, and James Gandolfini.

One of the highlights of the night came when McCartney, one of the last two surviving Beatles along with Ringo Starr, helped front a reunion of the '90s grunge band Nirvana. The band was headed by the late Kurt Cobain, and McCartney filled his role by performing a new song written by the surviving members of Nirvana called "Cut Me Some Slack."

The 12-12-12 Concert was broadcast to a worldwide audience of nearly two billion people through television feeds, radio, and online streaming sites. The show was reminiscent of the first benefit show for charity, the Concert for Bangladesh, also held in Madison Square Garden, in 1971. That show was organized in part by legendary Indian musician Ravi Shankar, who passed away this week at the age of 92.

You can read the full overview of the concert on the NPT website.

Wyclef Jean Defends Charity Amid Financial Scandal

Haitian-born hip hop star Wyclef Jean is defending his charity, Yele, amid reports the now-defunct organization improperly used funds meant for relief efforts.

According to a report in The New York Times, Yele, which Jean founded in 2005 and was based in New York City, closed its doors last summer after a continuing investigation by the NY Attorney General's Office found the charity misappropriated funds meant for victims of the Haiti earthquake. Yet despite these woes, Jean still stands by his efforts.

In his new memoir, "Purpose: An Immigrant's Story," Jean denied that he used his charity for personal gain. He wrote that he had no need for more personal wealth, citing his watch collection worth $500,000 as an example of his well-being. He also wrote that, someday, people will understand that "Yele is Haiti's greatest ally and asset."

At the end of August, Derek Q. Johnson, Yele's former chief executive, announced his resignation in an e-mail to supporters.

"As the foundation’s sole remaining employee, my decision implies the closure of the organization as a whole," wrote Mr. Johnson, who replaced Jean as the head of the organization after he announced a failed candidacy for Haiti's president. Johnson's resignation came after Jean refused to accept a settlement proposed by NY Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman that would have required Jean and Yele's two other co-founders to pay $600,000 in restitution to cover the "waste" of the organization's assets.

A forensic audit of the organization from 2005 to 2009 found that, of the $3 million in expenses during that time period, there were $256,580 in illegitimate benefits to Jean and other staff and board members, including $24,000 for a chauffeur service, and $30,763 for a private jet to take actress Lindsay Lohan to a benefit in Chicago. That fundraiser netted only $66,000. In addition, The New York Post reported last November that, despite receiving $16 million in donations for the Haiti earthquake, Yele spent only $5.1 million on disaster relief.

Yele was hardly a mammoth entity before the Haiti earthquake, having only $37,000 in assets. After the quake struck, however, Jean was able to raise $1 million in 24 hours by urging his Twitter followers to donate via text. He also garnered attention for his organization when he co-hosted MTV's "Hope For Haiti" telethon with actor George Clooney.

You can read the full story in The New York Times.

Alec Baldwin Donates $1M To NY Philharmonic

Actor Alec Baldwin has donated $1 million to the New York Philharmonic in honor of the organization's departing president, Zarin Meheta, who is stepping down after 12 years.

Baldwin, who joined the Philharmonic's board in March 2011, gave the money from proceeds he earned from his commercials with Capital One Bank, according to an article in Crain's New York Business.

"I have loved classical music all of my life," Baldwin said in a statement. "But Zarin Mehta made my dream of becoming part of the world of classical music come true."

In addition to being a member of the board, the "30 Rock" actor has hosted the organization's weekly radio show since 2009. In a statement, Meheta said that Baldwin's "role as our radio host has brought us many new listeners, as well as much appreciated attention. And his active roles as board member, gala benefit chairman, and high-profile and magnanimous donor have benefited us and our field."

Meheta, who will leave his post at the end of the Philharmonic's 2011-2012 season, will be replaced by incoming executive director Matthew VanBesien.

This isn't the only big influx of money going to an arts institution. Crain's also reported that the New York City Council approved a bill last week that secured $156.4 million in funding for cultural and art institutions in the city's fiscal year 2013 budget. It represents an increase of $3.6 million from last year.

You can read the full report on Baldwin's donation in Crain's.

Hip-Hop Star Mary J. Blige Vows To Get Her Charity Back On Track

Amid reports of turmoil at her charity to empower women, hip-hop star Mary J. Blige said she would get the organization back on the right track.

The New York Post reported today that Blige told the entertainment show E! News that she and her advisers are well on their way to fixing some of the problems at her charity, Foundation for the Advancement of Women Now (FFAWN).

"As founder and CEO of FFAWN, I am ultimately responsible for anything that goes wrong. The problem is that I didn't have the right people in the right places doing the right things. This should have never been allowed to happen, but it did and now we are fixing it."

Blige went on to tell E! News that she had the "wrong" people in place at FFAWN, and that she has no plans to close the embattled nonprofit.

The Post initially ran a report on May 27 detailing a litany of abuses at FFAWN. The charity not only has no office or phone number, but hundreds of thousands of dollars are unaccounted for. In addition, it has yet to file its federal tax returns for 2010, as well as its annual state-charity registration.

FFAWN is also facing two civil lawsuits, one that claims the organization failed to pay musicians at a fundraising event in 2011 and another the charges the charity defaulted on a $25,000 loan.

You can read the full story in The New York Post.

Maurice Sendak's Legacy Of Philanthropy

Well known author and illustrator Maurice Sendak passed away today at the age of 83 after suffering a stroke. While Sendak was best known for books such as "Where the Wild Things Are," he also leaves behind a legacy of philanthropy.

The Huffington Post reported today that Sendak was quietly involved in a number of philanthropic causes. In 2010, he gave $1 million to the Jewish Board of Family and Children's Services, a New York City based agency that provides services to needy families in the state. Sendak decided to make the gift in honor of his partner, Eugene D. Glynn, who died in 2007 after working for the organization as a psychiatrist for 30 years. Sendak told The Wall Street Journal at the time that he was contributing to a cause that Eugene would have wanted to do.

Sendak's donations didn't always come in the form of money. Since the 1960s, he had been donating his books and illustrations to Philadelphia's Rosenbach Museum of Library. Sendak served on the museum's board of directors.

You can read the full story in The Huffington Post.

Remembering Whitney Houston's Philanthropy

News broke this weekend that six-time Grammy Award winner Whitney Houston died at the age of 48.  Last night's Grammy Award Show featured many moving tributes to the late singer, whose cause of death is not yet known.  Although she is best known for her great voice and personal troubles, Houston also leaves behind a philanthropic legacy.

Ecorazzi, a pop-culture blog, wrote about Houston's charitable work on Saturday and it showed that as her musical career grew, so did her efforts to help the less fortunate.  Like other celebrities, Houston created her own foundation, the Whitney Houston Foundation for Children, a nonprofit that helped kids with cancer and AIDS all over the world.  The foundation was founded in 1989 and was awarded an honor by VH1 in June 1995 for its charitable work.

Houston also worked to raise money for other charitable causes.  She has worked with a wide variety of nonprofits including the United Negro College Fund, St. Jude's Children's Hospital, and the Children's Diabetes Foundation.  Her performance of "The Star Spangled Banner" hit #1 on the charts in 1991, and all the proceeds from that record went to the Red Cross.  More recently, according to the site Look To The Stars, Houston and her sister created a line of scented candles, with a portion of the proceeds going to Teen Summit, a nonprofit that helps turn around the lives of young adults.

You can read more about Houston's philanthropy in Ecorazzi.

eBay Founder Dedicated To Philanthropy

Unless you've been living under a rock, you probably have at least heard of the online auction site eBay.  Maybe you've even won a few collectable items from it.  But if you were asked how the name Pierre Omidyar connected to the site, would you have an answer?

Pierre Omidyar is the founder of the successful auction site and he has lived a fairly quiet life.  Prior to a big profile recently published in USA Today Omidyar, 44, avoided the spotlight.  He gave an occasional interview now and then, but he spent the majority of time working with his wife Pam on his real passion: Philanthropy.

Pierre and Pam have given over $1 billion to hundreds of causes both through individual giving and four organizations they created: Omidyar Network, Humanity United, HopeLab, and Ulupono (which is Hawaiian for "doing the right thing") Initiative.

Yet the Omidyars don't just throw their money around without a plan.  More often than not, their donations go to charities that have solid business plans that allow them to produce the needed funds to keep its programs running.  Think of it as a venture-capitalists' approach to philanthropy: They want their money to go to organizations that have the best chance to create social change.  And that all starts with having a solid business strategy.

What do you think about the Omidyar's approach to philanthropy?  Do you think we will start seeing more philanthropists take this venture-capital-like approach?

Make sure to read the full story in USA Today.

Garth Brooks Gets His Donation Back

An Oklahoma hospital has been ordered to pay $1 million to country singer Garth Brooks after failing to build a women's health center in honor of his late mother.

The details of the case were laid out in a story that originally appeared in the previous edition of NPT Weekly.  Brooks donated $500,000 to Yukon, Okla.-based Integris Canadian Valley Region Hospital with the understanding that the gift would help fund a women's health center named after his mother, Colleen Brooks, who died in 1999.  He filed a suit against the hospital after the center had been built without his mother's name attached.  The jury ruled in favor of Brooks on Jan. 24, awarding him his original donation plus an additional $500,000 in punitive damages.  A spokesperson for Integris said that the hospital does not expect to have to cut any services or programs in light of the settlement, as the money will not come from their operating budget.

This case shows the importance of the donor having a written agreement with the nonprofit when making a major gift.  Jeffrey Tenenbaum, a nonprofit attorney at Venable LLP in Washington, D.C., told NPT that it's uncommon to have only a verbal agreement with the client.  Said Tenenbaum: “This case is the perfect example of why verbal commitments do not work out.”

Tenenbaum goes on to say that the written agreement should lay out the dollar amount that will be paid, whether or not the contract is enforceable, and provide contingencies if the original purpose of the contribution cannot be fulfilled.  While the case ultimately worked out in Brooks' favor, these steps are highly advisable to prevent legal issues like this from happening.

You can read the full story in The NonProfit Times.

Global Fund Gets Major Gift From Gates Foundation

These are tough economic times we live in, but philanthropic organizations are still willing to give big money to causes that improve the lives of people in need.

That was the key message that Bill Gates sent when his organization, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, committed $750 million to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria.  The major gift came in the form of a promissory note, a new funding mechanism that allows an organization to distribute funds based on immediate needs, which leads to greater impact.

The Gates Foundation has always placed a high priority on deadly diseases with its philanthropic efforts.  The organization has already contributed $650 million to the Global Fund since its inception 10 years ago at the World Economic Forum, which is a gathering of the world's top business and political leaders.  In addition, the foundation has a Global Health Program that uses advances in technology to help save lives in poor nations.  Most of this work is done through grants to partner organizations.

Since 2002, investments to the Global Fund have helped develop innovative treatments for AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria in developing countries around the world.  The organization has provided antiretroviral treatment to 3.3 million people, detected and treated 8.2 million people with tuberculosis, and provided 230 million bed nets to families to prevent malaria.  These efforts and more have helped save 100,000 lives every month.

You can read more about this story in The NonProfit Times.

Using Celebrities For Breast Cancer Awareness

It's not uncommon to see nonprofit organizations enlist the help of celebrities to generate buzz.  When they a cause is paired together with big names, it is often a recipe for success.  That has certainly been the case with the Los Angeles, Calif.-based Noreen Fraser Foundation's campaign for breast cancer awareness.

An article in last week's edition of The Times of Northwest Indiana highlighted how the organization has used celebrities in their recent Men For Women Now (M4WN) campaign, which provides a forum for men to support each other while helping their loved ones fight breast cancer.  The campaign has already garnered some big names in show-biz, like Russel Brand, Neil Patrick Harris, Zach Galifianakis, and Jack Black.

The campaign is notable for bringing some comic relief to a painful subject.  For example, Black appeared in an ad for M4WN to encourage women to get mammograms:

"All of us guys, dudes, and bro–imgos are getting off our lazy butts and making appointments for our beloved ladies to meet with this bad boy."

The campaign also partnered with Chicago, Ill.-based Threadless to create a t-shirt creation contest.  Artists were encouraged to submit their designs for a shirt that would raise awareness towards breast cancer using humor.  25 percent of the proceeds from the shirt, which will be sold by Threadless, would go to the Noreen Fraser Foundation in an effort to conduct more research on breast cancer.  The creator of the winning design is set to receive $750 in cash, a $250 Threadless gift card, and an iPad 2 prize pack.  Not a bad haul for a little bit of creativity.

Make sure to read the full article on M4WN on NWI.com.

Steve Jobs And Public Giving

In light of the passing of Steve Jobs yesterday, I thought I would bump this post.  The world truly lost a visionary in his passing.  He will be missed.

Unless you've been living under a rock, you are probably aware that Steve Jobs recently announced his resignation as CEO of Apple.  Jobs leaves behind an impressive legacy at Apple, with products like the iPhone and iPad revolutionizing our society.  He also has accumulated a great deal of wealth, nearly $8.3 billion through his shares in Apple and Disney.  Yet, as The New York Times reports, there is no public record of Jobs ever giving money to charity.

Millionaires are often at the forefront of philanthropic activities.  Bill Gates is well known for his work in philanthropy, and Warren Buffett has gotten many billionaires to sign a so-called "Giving Pledge."  The NYT piece examines why Jobs has never been involved in the philanthropic sector, at least publicly, but it came away with few answers.  The article mentions that Jobs did create a foundation in his name in 1986, but closed it after a year.  There has also been speculation that he has been hesitant to give because he has been focused on expanding Apple and dealing with his declining health. 

Given his somewhat private nature, it is possible that Job has given anonymously.  The Times article mentions that there has been speculation that a $150 million donation to the Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center came from him.

To read the full article on this subject, head on over to The New York Times.

Amy Winehouse Foundation Hits A Snag

Mitch Winehouse, father of the late Amy Winehouse, told the BBC Newsbeat blog that plans to create a foundation in his daughter's name have hit a snag.  The problem?  The proposed name, 'The Amy Winehouse Foundation,' has already been registered.  Winehouse insists the foundation will still be created, but he's going to hold off on his plans until this issue has been resolved.

Foundations created in celebrities' names are often meant to promote a cause that was important to that individual.  In this case, Mitch Winehouse had planned to have his foundation help those who were struggling with substance abuse.  Amy Winehouse, who died last month at the age of 27, had long struggled with addictions to drugs and alcohol.  Her father said that she had gotten past her drug addictions at the time of her death, but that she was having trouble with alcohol.  The cause of her death has yet to be determined.

If you would like to read more about The Amy Winehouse Foundation, head over to BBC Newsbeat.  If there is any update on the status of the foundation, we will be sure to post about it here.

Myra Kraft Passes Away At 68

Note: This is a summary of a story from an outside news organization.  To read the full article, follow the links in this post.

Myra Kraft, a powerful figure in the world of philanthropy, passed away yesterday at the age of 68 after a long battle with cancer.  Although she may be best known as the wife of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, Myra used the fame that came with her last name to create a lasting legacy of philanthropy. 

In an obituary in today's Boston Globe, that legacy was recounted in great detail.  The piece recounted how Kraft manned phone-banks for fundraising drives for countless charities, rather than just staying in the background as a benefactor.  She was also chair of the Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston and of the Boys & Girls Club of Boston.  Her hands on approach to philanthropy was so effective that the Boys & Girls Club waived its normal term limits to keep her on board.

According to the Globe article, Myra was concerned that, when her husband bought the Patriots in 1994, the large amount of money spent and borrowed on behalf of the team would hurt their giving.   This did not happen.  On the contrary, the couple's philanthropy increased.  Their last major gift as a couple was a $20 million donation to Partners HealthCare this year.  This donation was used to pay off the student loans of doctors in exchange for them working at community health centers for the needy.

Myra was a powerful force in the philanthropic sector.  By the time she reached adulthood, she had already donated more than $100 million to various different causes.  Her work will surely be missed, not only by those who knew her personally, but by those who benefited from her generosity.  To read the full obituary of Myra Kraft, visit the Boston Globe online.

26 Years of Live Aid

Yesterday was the 26th anniversary of the Live Aid concerts in London and Philadelphia.  Musicians like Freddy Mercury, Bob Dylan, U2, Paul McCartney, and more came together to raise money for the famine that was ongoing in Ethiopia.   

Even with today's technology, the concept of Live Aid is still extremely impressive.  At the time, the event was one of the most ambitious broadcasting events of the time, with both concerts being carried by different networks: BBC in London and ABC in America.  In addition, MTV carried an entirely separate feed of the US concert.  During the broadcast, viewers were urged to call in and donate money to the cause.

And donate they did; the concerts raised over $100 million for famine relief in Africa.  Adjusted for inflation, that number would be $200 million today.  Imagine if one of your fundraisers got that kind of money; you'd be set! 

While there were other fundraising concerts before and after, Live Aid was an important event in the history of philanthropy and fundraising. It led directly to other "aid" concerts, like Farm Aid, and was the pre-cursor to benefit concerts like those for Haiti and Japan, and Stand Up 2 Cancer, aired on most major television networks.  Feel free to share your thoughts on how Live Aid may have impacted philanthropy and fundraising below, as well as any memories you may have of the concerts.

NPTtv Summary: Homelessness Gets Slam Dunked

An NBA superstar is bring his game into the philanthropic court.

The Los Angeles Laker's Kobe Bryant has launched the Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation, which aims to help the homeless in LA.

Bryant made the announcement at a news conference at My Friends Place, a nonprofit resource center that offers free emergency services to about 1,600 homeless people a year. The goal for the new charity is to provide permanent housing and career/educational resources for the homeless.

If you would like to learn more about Kobe's charity, visit it's website at http://kvbff.org/.

Lady GaGa and Robin Hood Foundation Make a "Good Romance"

Yeah, sorry for the pun; I couldn't help it. Anyway, I just wanted to share the latest story that we have posted on our website.  It's about pop star Lady GaGa teaming up with The Robin Hood Foundation to give away $1 million dollars to charities that help "disconnected youth" in NYC.

In what they are hoping is a good romance, Lady Gaga and the Robin Hood Foundation in New York City are sponsoring a contest in which they will give away $1 million to five charities that benefit disconnected youth in New York City. And, they are giving away tickets to the foundation’s sold out gala where she will perform.


The contest began today, with the public voting via http://on.fb.me/GagaRobinHood.


Disconnected youth is a term that refers to young people between the ages of 16 and 24 who are not in school or employed in the legitimate workforce. They might have had experience with the criminal justice system or have been in foster care. They aren’t getting the education, work, civic, and family support they need to be successful adults. A significant portion of these young adults are part of the LGBQT community.


“I’m thrilled to be working with the Robin Hood Foundation to distribute funds to help the youth of New York City,” said Lady Gaga. “NYC is my hometown and I think investing in these kids’ future will go a long way.”

You can read the rest of the story at The NonProfit Times.

Hack for Education: DonorsChoose.org Launches New Contest

Note: This is a summary of a story from the newest webcast of The NonProfit Times TV.  To view the video of this story in full, follow the links in this post.

Hacking is always a bad thing, unless you ask the folks at DonorsChoose.org.

The online education charity, and one of Fast Company Magazine‘s top 50 most innovative companies, has launched a new contest for developers and data crunchers. The contest, called Hacking Education, calls for participants to develop apps that will improve education in America.  Over the past ten years, more than 165,000 teachers at 43,000 public schools have posted 300,000 classroom project requests so presumably, the winning applications should help with this.

Judges for the contest include a who's who cast of famous names in education advocacy, as well as some big names in business.  These include Arianna Huffington of The Huffington Post, Wendy Kopp of Teach for America, venture capitalist Fred Wilson, and former NYC School’s Chancellor Joel Klein.   And to top it all off, the grand prize winner will be presented by none other than Comedy Central’s Stephen Colbert.  So what are you waiting for, nonprofit techies?  Start your programming!

Demi Moore Knows About Real Men

It seems like star power doesn't get you the attention it used to.  That's the hard lesson that Demi Moore and husband Ashton Kutcher are learning when it comes to their campaign to fight child sex slavery.  The campaign, called "Real Men Don't Buy Girls," involves photos of different celebrities (including Justin Timberlake and Bradley Cooper) holding up signs that have the groups title on it. 

But despite the star power behind this important issue, it appears it hasn't caught on too well, at least in the social media department. As of earlier this week, the Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher Foundation (DNA) Facebook page had only 74 followers.  74!  It does beg the question of why this issue isn't catching on very well.  Just look at some of the statistics related to human trafficking (taken from the DNA Facebook page):

• There are 27 million people forced into sex slavery today, one million of which are in the United States
• 120,000 to 130,000 of the slaves in the United States are children
• The global sex slavery market generates $39 million annually
• The average age of entry into forced prostitution in the US is thirteen.

These are some disturbing numbers, so why aren't more people paying attention to the DNA Campaign?  One reason, at least according to a report by FoxNews, some think the celebrity duo isn't treating this issue with the seriousness it deserves.  The report states that some, including Norma Ramos of the Coalition Against Trafficking Women, think they are "dumbing down" the overall message with some of the ads they have put out in support of the campaign.  One of the ads, for instance, features Justin Timberlake shaving with a chainsaw, in order to show that "real men know how to shave."  That does sound a bit silly, doesn't it?

Well whatever the reason is, the fact of the matter is that the  "Real Men Don't Buy Girls" campaign just doesn't seem to be catching on as well as it should.

Celebrities Stepping Up To The Charitable Plate

The group known as dosomething.org recently released its latest top 10 list, based on people who have made extraordinary contributions to charitable causes during 2010. That is the subject matter of this video that sheds light on the increasing amount of charitable efforts undertaken by a variety of celebrities. Lady Gaga topped the list at the number one spot for her involvement in gay rights and her call for the end of the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy. Lady Gaga has been actively involved in a variety of other charities, channeling the proceeds from her involvement to HIV and AIDS research and care programs.

The list goes on
A number of other well known personalities embraced personal involvement in charitable endeavors in 2010. Alicia Keys took the 2nd spot on the list for her work with her 'Keep A Child Alive' campaign focused on providing support for HIV and AIDS victims around the world. Providing support and encouragement for victims of floods was what earned singer Taylor Swift the number three spot on the list, a cause that she has donated half a million dollars towards. A focus on the tragic and urgent issue of child sex trafficking was what earned Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore the number four spot on the list.

Other individuals who made the dosomething.org top 10 list were Matt Damon for his efforts to bring clean drinking water and sanitation infrastructures to the Third World. Leonardo DiCaprio made a significant contribution in 2010 towards saving endangered tigers, and was also involved in raising awareness regarding global warming and other environmental issues. Justin Bieber is another celebrity who made the list as a result of his charitable fundraising efforts. Be sure to view the video to see what good work some of your favorite celebrities have been involved in.