Which A-list celeb and her husband gave a cool $2 mil to an arts foundation? Which bombshell supermodel donated $1.5 million to the Red Cross for Haiti Relief? Find out at:
http://www.parade.com/
Celebrities make headlines with their charitable contributions, but do the biggest givers get the most credit? The latest issue of PARADE features the top five most generous celebs, compiled by The Giving Back Fund, an organization that seeks to encourage philanthropy.
The Giving Back Fund does not include those who chose to keep their donations private or decline to participate, thus no Oprah or Brangelina. But there are other big names on the list that you may recognize: Jerry Seinfeld, Matthew McConnaughey, Barbra Streisand, Sandra Bullock, Will and Jada Smith, Hugh Hefner and many, many more.
Here’s a glimpse at the top five published in Sunday’s PARADE Magazine.
1980’s actress Jami Gertz and her husband Tony Ressler top the list with a whopping $10,569,000 donation they made to the Ressler Gertz Foundation. Grants from the foundation include $1.7 million to the LA County Museum of Art, $400k to Cedar Sinai Medical Center.
Musician Herb Alpert is second on the list with his donation of $9,104,800 to the Herb Alpert Foundation, which focuses on the arts, compassion, and well being.
Actor Mel Gibson gave $6,853,000 to the A.P. Reilly Foundation, which he started to support Holy Family Church.
Mega-producer/director/writer George Lucas gave $4,250,000 to Lucas Film Foundation which was then granted to The George Lucas Educational Foundation whose mission is to inspire and empower young people to become responsible citizens, compassionate leaders, and to live their dream.
Rounding out the top five is prolific novelist Nora Roberts, who donated $3,000,000 to the Nora Roberts Foundation, which supports literacy. Additional areas of focus are: children’s programs, arts organizations, and humanitarian efforts, with local organizations being its priority.