When the news won’t stop reporting on Kim Kardashian’s divorce or Justin Bieber’s love life, sometimes it’s all too easy to forget that there are some celebrities out there who are doing good things with their fame and fortune. Many offer up their time, energy and money by being part of benefit concerts or giving generous donations.
As a reminder that many big names in music are doing their part, today we wanted to share a few celebrity-endorsed organizations that are out there, courtesy of Look to the Stars‘ website:
Dave Matthews Band
The band established the Bama Works Fund in 1999 to help disadvantaged youth and the disabled, as well as support protection of the environment, the arts and humanities. The band also donated the $1 million raised during a charity concert to homeless and children’s charities in San Francisco, California, and has played other charity concerts benefiting Bay Area parks, music education and AIDS research.
Jack Johnson
Johnson, with his management and crew, created the All At Once Campaign, as well as the Johnson Ohana Charitable Foundation. This charity promises to match fans’ donations to the local charities featured in the Village Green area at each of his shows (up to $2500 per concert). Johnson and his wife set up the Kokua Hawaii Foundation, and has performed in school classrooms to help raise awareness for the charity and the environment.
Johnson also supports the Australian Marine Conservation Society, which is working to increase protection for threatened sea turtles through the Save Moreton Bay campaign.
John Legend
Legend established the Show Me Campaign to raise funds to help impoverished villages in Africa. In 2008, Legend and philanthropist Dr. Jeffrey Sachs completed a tour of universities all over the US to encourage social, economic, personal, and educational growth. Called the Poverty Action Tour, the sessions challenged people to support the fight against poverty, and promote the charities and groups that champion the cause.
Rather than giving out money to destitute villages, the Show Me Campaign and Millennium Promise are more practical. They provide mosquito nets to curb the millions of avoidable deaths from malaria, free meals to children attending school which raises attendance rates and health, safe water points, local clinics and fertilizer to improve crop production and eradicate food shortages.
Stevie Wonder
On top of being a United Nations Messenger of Peace, all proceeds from his “Shelter In The Rain” single were directed to Wonder’s charity organization The Wonder Foundation to help with Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. He also performed a duet with Bruce Springsteen on the all-star charity single for African famine relief, “We Are the World”, and he took part in another charity single the following year, the AIDS-targeted “That’s What Friends Are For”.
Elton John
Since 1992, the Elton John AIDS Foundation has distributed more than $30 million internationally to support HIV/AIDS prevention, the elimination of prejudice and discrimination against HIV/AIDS-affected individuals and direct services to those living with HIV/AIDS.
And of course we can’t forget about… Bono
There are few people in the music industry who have the presence of Bono. He has been a leader in the fight against poverty, and has helped to create the ONE Campaign, (RED) and EDUN, a clothing company which is striving to stimulate trade with poverty stricken countries.
He was on Forbes’ Generous Celebrity List for his work with Debt AIDS Trade Africa (DATA) against the spread of AIDS and for debt relief in Africa, participation in fundraising concerts like Live 8, and his donation of $50,000 to One in Four Ireland, a charity that helps survivors of sexual abuse. Bono has received 3 nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize, and was knighted in 2007.
If you don’t have the funds to donate millions like some stars, it’s as easy as participating in (or organizing your own) benefit concert in your community. Keep in mind it’s a two-way street – as we mentioned earlier this week, benefit concerts are a great way to get publicity for your band.
Have any of you been part of a benefit event, and what was your experience like? If you hit it big, which organization would you donate to? We’d love to hear from you, so click over to the Facebook page and let us know!
Contact Information:
TakeLessons
Jon Crim
Tel: 877-231-8505
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photo by A. M. Saddler
L. to R.: Maureen Van Zandt, Steven Van Zandt, Lady Gaga onstage at Edison Ballroom 
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