52 Celebrities Making the Largest Donations to the Coronavirus Causes
COVID-19 has taken the world by storm. Here in the U.S., there have already been more than 25 million cases and 400,000 deaths. Thankfully, times of turmoil can bring out the best in people — including deep-pocketed celebrities. Many generous stars are showing their true colors by opening their wallets to causes close to their hearts.
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Last updated: Jan. 25, 2021
Katy Perry
Donation: 10% from the sale of every shoe and handbag from katyperrycollections.com in April and May
In an April 7 Twitter post, Katy Perry revealed 10% from the sale of every shoe and handbag from katyperrycollections.com in April and May will be donated to Baby2Baby. The mom-to-be said the funds will help provide essential items to children and families impacted by COVID-19.
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Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul
Donation: 100% of Dos Hombres online sales through May 5th
Former “Breaking Bad” co-stars Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul are donating 100% of all online sales of their Dos Hombres Mezcal to the United States Bartender’s Guild, Hospitality Industry Relief Fund and America’s Food Fund through May 5, according to the company’s Instagram account.
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Michael Che
Donation: $5,000 plus one month’s rent for 160 apartments
After “Saturday Night Live” star Michael Che lost his grandmother to the coronavirus, he paid one month’s rent for all 160 apartments in her apartment building, according to an April 15 Instagram post. He also quietly donated $5,000 to the Tip Your Waitstaff fundraiser, benefitting currently unemployed workers at The Comedy Cellar in New York City, according to the fundraiser’s GoFundMe page.
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Nina Dobrev
Donation: $10,000
Nina Dobrev took to social media to reveal a $10,000 donation to Bethenny Frankel’s BStrong organization, which will help purchase masks and other necessary medical supplies for various hospitals.
Rachel McAdams
Donation: $10,000
She delighted fans by making a virtual appearance on Canada’s Heroes of Health: COVID-19 Stream-a-Thon, but Rachel McAdams didn’t stop there. The Canada native donated $10,000 to the cause.
Tinsley Mortimer
Donation: $10,000
Peter Gamba, a longtime editor on “The Real Housewives of New York City” passed away on April 1 due to COVID-19 complications. Cast member Tinsley Mortimer and her fiance, Scott Kluth, each donated $10,000 to a GoFundMe campaign created for Gamba’s family.
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J.J. Abrams and Katie McGrath
Donation: $50,000
In an effort to give back to the people who bring their films to life, J.J. Abrams and his wife, Katie McGrath, quietly donated $50,000 to the It Takes Our Village to #SupportOurCrews GoFundMe campaign, according to the site.
David E. Kelly and Michelle Pfeiffer
Donation: $50,000
Hollywood power couple David E. Kelly and Michelle Pfeiffer quietly donated $50,000 to the It Takes Our Village to #SupportOurCrews GoFundMe campaign, according to the site. A writer and showrunner, Kelly is listed as a fundraiser for the campaign, which supports film and television crew members currently out of work due to COVID-19 production halts.
Ellen Pompeo
Donation: $50,000
In an April 8 Instagram post, “Grey’s Anatomy” star Ellen Pompeo praised the America’s Food Fund campaign and revealed she contributed to it. What the generous star didn’t say was that she donated $50,000, making her one of the fundraiser’s top donors, according to its GoFundMe campaign page.
Reese Witherspoon
Donation: $50,000
She’s been mum about it on social media, but Reese Witherspoon quietly donated $50,000 to America’s Food Fund, according to its GoFundMe campaign page.
Dierks Bentley
Donation: $90,000
On March 16, country music star Dierks Bentley took to Instagram to announce the temporary closure of his Dierks Whiskey Row Nashville restaurant and bar. He also revealed plans to immediately give each of his 90 hourly employees $1,000 to help with short-term expenses.
Fall Out Boy
Donation: $100,000
A nod to the city they grew up in, Fall Out Boy donated $100,000 to the Chicago Community COVID-19 Response Fund, according to the band’s Instagram account.
Michael Douglas
Donation: $100,000
He hasn’t spoken publicly about it, but Michael Douglas quietly donated $100,000 to the Frontline Responders fund, according to the campaign’s GoFundMe page.
Gwyneth Paltrow
Donation: $100,000
On April 9, Gwyneth Paltrow posted a video to her Instagram account promoting Beauty United for Frontline, a group of beauty and wellness brand founders coming together to support the Frontline Responders Fund. She encouraged followers to support the cause and quietly donated $100,000, according to its GoFundMe campaign page.
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Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis
Donation: $100,000+
While he hasn’t publicized his donation, Ashton Kutcher has been tweeting his support for the Frontline Responders Fund, yet his wife Mila Kunis quietly donated $100,000 to the cause, according to the site. The actor also revealed on Twitter that the couple is launching a company called Quarantine Wine and will donate 100% of profits to COVID-19 relief efforts.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
Donation: $112,000+
Royal rebels Prince Harry and Meghan Markle donated more than $112,000 from their wedding broadcast to the U.K. charity Feeding Britain, according to People. They had previously agreed to donate excess profits from the BBC broadcast of the ceremony to a charity of their choice.
Edward Norton
Donation: $115,000
He’s part of the fundraising team for the Frontline Responders Fund, but Edward Norton’s generosity doesn’t stop there. The actor and his wife, Shauna Robertson, donated $115,000 to the cause, according to the campaign’s GoFundMe page.
Kristen Bell
Donation: $150,007.96
When Kristen Bell decided to donate $150,000 to No Kid Hungry, her kids asked if they could also donate money from their piggy bank, according to an Instagram post. Therefore, her final donation totaled $150,007.96.
Shawn Mendes
Donation: $175,000
The Shawn Mendes Foundation donated $175,000 to the SickKids Foundation. In a press release, SickKids praised the pop star’s foundation for enabling the purchase of necessary equipment and supplies for COVID-19 preparedness.
Donatella and Allegra Versace
Donation: 200,000 euros (approx. $217,500 USD)
Italian fashion designer Donatella Versace and her daughter, Allegra, donated 200,000 euros to the intensive care department of the San Raffaele Hospital in Milan, according to a joint statement posted on Instagram.
Billy Joel
Donation: $500,000+
On March 31, The Joel Foundation announced it would be making several donations to COVID-19 relief efforts. The first was a $500,000 donation to BStrong — Bethenny Frankel’s charity— for the purchase of masks, corona kits and hazmat suits for healthcare professionals.
Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi
Donation: $1 million
In addition to unspecified donations to other charities, Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi donated $1 million to Meals on Wheels, No Kid Hungry and America’s Food Fund, according to a video the comedian posted on Twitter.
Kylie Jenner
Donation: $1 million
Kylie Jenner received major praise from her doctor Thaïs Aliabadi in a March 25 Instagram post for quietly donating $1 million to help purchase masks, face shields and other protective gear for first responders.
Elton John
Donation: $1 million
In an April 4 Twitter post, the singer revealed his Elton John Aids Foundation has created a $1 million COVID-19 Emergency Fund to ensure frontline workers can respond to the effects of the virus on HIV care.
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Angelina Jolie
Donation: $1 million
Actress and activist Angelina Jolie donated $1 million to No Kid Hungry, according to a March 25 press release from the charity, which provides meals to low-income children.
Madonna
Donation: $1 million
On April 3, Madonna took to her website to announce plans to join the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to help find a drug that will prevent or treat COVID-19. A rep for Gates Philanthropy Partners confirmed to Variety that the singer made a $1 million donation to the organization’s COVID-19 Therapeutics Accelerator.
Bruno Mars
Donation: $1 million
As a way to show appreciation to employees, Bruno Mars donated $1 million to the MGM Resorts Foundation to support MGM employees experiencing financial hardship due to the pandemic, according to an MGM Resorts International press release. Mars has performed a series of limited dates at The Park Theater at Park MGM in Las Vegas since 2016.
Dolly Parton
Donation: $1 million
Country music legend Dolly Parton announced a $1 million donation to Vanderbilt University Medical Center on Instagram. The gift honors her longtime friend Naji Abumrad, MD, a professor of surgery, and will support researchers working to find COVID-19 treatments.
Pink
Donation: $1 million
After recovering from COVID-19, Pink donated $500,000 to the Temple University Hospital Fund in Philadelphia, in honor of her mother, who worked there for 18 years, according to an Instagram post. She also donated $500,000 to the City of Los Angeles Mayor’s Emergency COVID-19 Crisis Fund.
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Donation: $1 million
Actor and former politician Arnold Schwarzenegger took to Instagram to reveal a $1 million donation to the Frontline First Responders Fund. He encouraged his followers who are able to donate to follow suit and help “protect our real action heroes on the frontlines in our hospitals.”
Ryan Seacrest
Donation: $1 million
The “Live With Kelly and Ryan” host told People he’s donating $1 million to help with COVID-19 relief efforts in New York and Los Angeles because both cities are special to him. Specifically, $750,000 of his donation will go toward housing and feeding 200 first responders in New York City for the next six weeks, through the First Responders Children’s Foundation.
James Taylor
Donation: $1 million
Boston native James Taylor and his wife, Kim, donated $1 million to Massachusetts General Hospital. Their gift will support ongoing COVID-19 relief efforts at the hospital where the singer was born.
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Kim Kardashian West
Donation: $1 million+
In a March 28 Instagram post, Kim Kardashian West revealed her shapewear company SKIMS will donate $1 million to support mothers during the pandemic. Additionally, she announced in an April 6 Instagram post that 20% of all profits from her KKW x KRIS fragrance — a collaboration with mom Kris Jenner — will be donated to Blessings in a Backpack from April 15 to May 5.
Ed Sheeran
Donation: $1 million+
He’s been on a social media break since Christmas Eve, but Ed Sheeran quietly donated more than a million dollars to help several charities in England, according to ABC News. At least part of his generous donation reportedly went to children’s hospital wards in Ipswich, located in the county of Suffolk, England, where Sheeran and his wife reside.
George and Amal Clooney
Donation: $1.05 million
Notable philanthropic couple George and Amal Clooney donated $250,000 each to The Motion Picture and Television home, the SAG-AFTRA Fund and the Los Angeles Mayor’s Fund, according to Deadline. They also donated $300,000 to international charities, including the Lebanese Food Bank, Lombardo Italy Region and the NHS.
Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds
Donation: $1.4 million
On March 16, Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds took to Instagram to reveal they donated $1 million to be split between Feeding America and Food Banks Canada. The couple also quietly donated $100,000 to each of the four hardest-hit hospitals in New York, according to E!.
Rachael Ray
Donation: $4 million
Celebrity chef Rachael Ray’s nonprofit The Yum-o! Organization and The Rachael Ray Foundation have joined forces to donate $4 million to COVID relief efforts. The groups supported several food-related charities, including Feeding America, Share Our Strength, World Central Kitchen, National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, City Harvest, Hunger-Free America, Wholesome Wave and Rethink Food.
Leonardo DiCaprio and Laurene Powell Jobs
Donation: $5 million
In early April, Leonardo DiCaprio and Laurene Powell Jobs joined forces on a $5 million donation to help launch America’s Food Fund. The duo also partnered with Apple and the Ford Foundation to create the campaign that aims to ensure everyone has reliable access to food.
Rihanna, Jay-Z and Jack Dorsey
Donation: $6.2 million+
In addition to other individual and joint efforts, Rihanna’s Clara Lionel Foundation, Twitter and Square CEO Jack Dorsey and Jay-Z’s Shawn Carter Foundation joined forces to release $6.2 million in grants for COVID-19 relief efforts in the U.S. and abroad. The grants will benefit 11 organizations including the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City, Covenant House New Orleans and Direct Relief.
Oprah Winfrey
Donation: $10 million
A massively charitable mogul, an April 2 Instagram post by Oprah Winfrey revealed plans to donate $10 million to help Americans during the pandemic. This includes a $1 million donation to America’s Food Fund.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 52 Celebrities Making the Largest Donations to the Coronavirus Causes
