Clooney famously founded the charity Not On Our Watch with his Ocean’s 11 co-stars Don Cheadle, Matt Damon, and Brad Pitt, as well as producer Jerry Weintraub and David Pressman. The organization’s main goal is to put an end to genocide in Sudan – a conflict directly and indirectly claiming the lives of thousands of people every day. The charity has donated millions of dollars to help those suffering in the region, with much of the funding going through the United Nations World Food Programme.

Clooney has visited the region and spoken personally with victims of rape, abuse and torture. He has even sat down one-on-one with President Barack Obama to discuss the action that can be taken to put an end to war in the Sudan.

Not On Our Watch also supports charitable organizations in Burma and Zimbabwe.

That’s not Clooney’s only cause, however. The handsome star has been known to give generous donations to the homeless, is a supporter of Bono’s ONE Campaign against global poverty and is also on the Board of Trustees for the United Way.

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Immediately after his big break, DiCaprio donated $35,000 toward the creation of the Leonardo DiCaprio Computer Center at the Los Feliz branch of the Los Angeles Public Library, just blocks from where he grew up.

For his 2006 movie Blood Diamond – which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture – Leonardo spent time with 24 orphaned children from the SOS Children’s Village in Maputo, Mozambique.

Perhaps most famously, however, DiCaprio has his own eponymous charitable foundation. The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation works to build awareness of environmental issues – including global warming, species endangerment and alternative and renewable energy sources – through participation with organizations including the Natural Resources Defense Council, Global Green USA, the International Fund For Animal Welfare and National Geographic Kids, among others.

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Jonathan Lipnicki may be best known for his role as the adorably bespectacled kid in the Oscar-winning film Jerry Macguire, but that’s not what he wants to be remembered for. Instead, the actor is working to make sure his legacy lies more in charitable contributions than childhood movie roles.

The little boy from the movie is all grown up now: At 19, Lipnicki has become a speaker for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and is actively involved with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the Starlight Children Foundation and the NBA’s Read to Achieve program. In fact, JDRF named Lipnicki one of its “Heroes of 2001″ when he was only 10 years old for his work with the organization. Famous pals say the actor, who also voiced Stuart Little and starred in The Little Vampire, is getting heavily involved in his charity work, despite the convention that people his age are more interested in themselves and their love lives.

And that’s not all Lipnicki is doing for good causes. He’s also an international spokesperson for Pediatric Chiropractic and Kids Day America/International. What’s more, his work doesn’t stop with people – the actor also happens to be an animal lover who is reportedly working with animal rights groups such as Pets and Their Stars and the Nuts for Mutts group.

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Damon co-founded H2O Africa, its name changed to Water.org in 2009, an organization whose mission is to raise funds to purify water in developing countries. First, Water.org identifies the countries most in need and funds local partner organizations that will sanitize the water, promote health and hygiene, and organize community involvement. The foundation has assisted communities in gaining access to safe water in Africa, Asia and Central America.

Along with celebrities George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Don Cheadle and Jerry Weintraub, Damon co-founded Not On Our Watch, an international advocacy group bringing awareness to global crises. He has also supported the ONE Campaign which combats AIDS and poverty world wide. He is also an ambassador for ONEXONE, a non-profit group dedicated to improving the lives of children. ONEXONE hosts a number of annual charity events with Damon in attendance and has featured musical performances by Snow Patrol, Mary J. Blige and Collective Soul.

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In 1988, he founded the Jackie Chan Charitable Foundation, a philanthropic organization that gives out scholarships and dynamic assistance to Hong Kong’s youth through a variety of outreach programs. Over the years, the foundation has broadened its areas to comprise provision of medical services, assistance to victims of illness and natural disasters, and projects that give aid to Hong Kong-based recipients.

Through the foundation, Chan has contributed to several major projects which includes The Jackie Chan Challenge Cup Intercollegiate Invitation Tournament, Hong Kong Girl Guides Association Jockey Club Beas River Lodge, The Jackie Chan Family Unit, The Jackie Chan Whole Person Development Center, The Jackie Chan Gymnasium at Lingnan University.

Jackie Chan’s foundation has also given medical donations in Hong Kong, medical funding in Mainland China, and support for performing arts and youth development programs.

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Born on the 4th of December 1973, Tyra Banks is the founder and host of the CW reality TV show, America’s Next Top Model; host of her own TV talk show, The Tyra Banks Show; as well as the co-creator of True Beauty.

Raised in Inglewood, California, she joined the Elite Model Management agency during her senior year in high school. Over the years, Tyra Banks became the recipient of numerous recognitions. She was hailed as the Supermodel of the Year in 2005 by the Michael Award and Woman of the Year in 2000 by Sports Illustrated.

In 1999, Tyra Banks successfully established the leadership and life skills development program, TZONE. The program was created for the primarily disadvantaged teen girls all over the greater Los Angeles area.

At present, the Tyra Banks TZONE Foundation has offered several useful resources to a number of community nonprofits. The members of the foundation are empowered to take control of their lives by engaging in several productive activities such as filmmaking, community activism, dance, sports, leadership, writing, and even entrepreneurship at an early age.

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Based in Baltimore, Maryland, Jada and Will’s foundation offers support to the youth in urban inner cities. It was given the David Angell Humanitarian Award by the ASA (American Screenwriters Association) in 2006 in recognition of the foundation’s projects that focus on education, violence prevention and family wellbeing.

In December 2006, Jada Pinkett-Smith gave $1 million dollars to the Baltimore School for the Arts in honor of the famous late rapper Tupac Shakur, who used to be her classmate and good friend in her schooldays.

In 2007, the Will and Jada Smith Foundation, in cooperation with Maybelline and the Lupus Foundation of America (LFA), held the initial “Butterflies Over Hollywood” at the El Rey Theatre, LA in support of Smith’s aunt who was diagnosed with the lupus disease. There were more than 300 guests and celebrities who showed up to help raise funds for professional educational programs and the LFA.

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Apart from engaging in film and martial arts, Jet Li began getting involved in the Red Cross Society of China as its “philanthropic ambassador” in 2006. He donated 500,000 Yuan (or $62,500) of box office profits from his movie Fearless to the Red Cross psychological sunshine program that supports mental health.

In 2007, Jet Li put up his own nonprofit organization called The One Foundation, as Jet Li was moved by a near-death experience in the Maldives during a tsunami in 2004. The foundation promotes global disaster relief programs in partnership with the Red Cross, and other causes like suicide prevention and mental health awareness. Ever since the establishment of the organization, Jet has contributed to recovery efforts in various calamities, one of which was during the 2008 earthquake in Sichuan.

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Apart from being a popular comedian and an opinionated liberal who has her own mind, Rosie O’Donnell has earned a reputation in charitable philanthropy for her work with children. As a mother of three adopted children, she would attribute her persistent advocacy to children’s welfare to her difficult childhood, having lost both parents to cancer at an early age.

In 1996, she used $3 million of the advance for her memoir Find Me to fund the establishment of the For All Kids Foundation, a public charity. She also became vocal in calling for instituting national standards for day care in the US. Since 1997, O’Donnell’s For All Kids Foundation has awarded more than $22 million in Early Childhood Care and Education program grants to over 1,400 child-related nonprofit organizations.

Rosie O’Donnell’s creativity and penchant for comedy has boosted her charitable work. She has often found a way to cultivate philanthropy out of her detractors. Her partnership with Listerine where the company donated $1,000 to charity for every kiss to O’Donnell was a way to counter her designation by a rival company as “unkissable.” She was able to raise more than $350,000.

Personal donations by O’Donnell have also supported various causes. In 2006, she donated $50 million in an irrevocable trust to charity as well as for the rehabilitation of war veterans whose limbs were ravaged by the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars.

In 2003, she helped establish Rosie’s Broadway Kids, a foundation which provides free instruction in music and dance to public schools and students. It has served more than 22 schools and more than 5,100 students, teachers and their family members. All of the net profits from her 2007 book Celebrity Detox were donated to the foundation, helping the foundation build the Maravel Center, a state-of-the-art school for performing arts.

In 2007, O’Donnell collaborated with various artists on the True Colors Tour, a cause-oriented concert to benefit the Human Rights Campaign, P-Flag and the Matthew Shepard Foundation.

For her exemplary work with children, the New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children recognized O’Donnell in 2006.

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Ashley Judd has spent most of her time among the ill and sexually exploited in Third World countries since becoming a global ambassador for YouthAIDS. This foundation is a prevention program under the Population Service International, where Ashley Judd has been a member of the Board of Directors since 2004. Being the humanitarian that she is, Judd has traveled to Cambodia, Kenya, Rwanda, and many more places affected by illnesses and poverty.

During her travels, she has witnessed the life of the poor and uneducated, and has since then become an advocate for preventing poverty and promoting awareness among the world. In her efforts, she has met political and religious leaders, heads of states, diplomats, and leaders to lend her voice to the deprived, and to convey the message to those who have the power to bring about political and social change.

The YouthAIDS three award-winning documentaries have starred Ashley Judd as the subject, which aired throughout the world, in channels such as the Discovery Channel, National Geographic, and VH1. Through her work with the organization, she has come across the need for a balanced and integrated approach to empower human rights and global health, and to prevent social atrocities. Judd has also been involved with organizations such as the Women for Women International, and Equality Now, as well as other non-government organizations that bring attention to social, educational, health, economic, cultural, and financial funding of the unfortunate.

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George Clooney is one of those actors who use their considerable star status to enhance the profile of a cause. In July of 2005, he was part of the “Live 8” event that called attention to eliminating poverty through free concerts taking place in different parts of the world.

Clooney is also a huge supporter and member of the ONE Campaign, alongside entertainers such as Bono, Al Pacino, Salma Hayek, Tom Hanks and many more. The campaign aims to increase government funding for humanitarian aid, specifically to fight poverty and AIDS in Africa.

His biggest charity effort is his active cooperation in the Save Darfur Coalition, which is an advocacy group that calls attention to the Darfur Conflict in Eastern Africa. The group has built a worldwide movement and has gained a heavy level of concern from the public.

George Clooney traveled to Darfur in 2006 with his journalist father, Nick Clooney, and filmed a documentary, A Journey to Darfur. In 2008 it was released in DVD format with proceeds going to the International Rescue Committee.

Another one of his many charitable efforts is his involvement in the “Not On Our Watch” campaign, which creates lifesaving humanitarian assistance and protection for the deprived, vulnerable and displaced.

Time Magazine has named George Clooney as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World after seeing how he “uses star power to illuminate the crisis in Darfur.” The UN has also named the actor a “Messenger of Peace” in January 2008.

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At an early age, Paul displayed an early interest in the theater. At the age of seven, he made his acting debut, playing the court jester in a school production of Robin Hood. After serving in the Navy during World War II, he completed his degree at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio; graduating in 1949. Later he studied Drama at Yale University, graduating in 1954.

Within the years of his acting career, Paul became interested in his activities outside acting. He joined car races and was socially active in issues such as gay rights. In 1982, Newman co-founded Newman’s Own, a line of food products. The brand initially sold salad dressing but has expanded to encompass a wide range of food including lemonade, pasta sauce, popcorn, wine, and salsa. Newman also created a rule that all proceeds from the sale of Newman’s Own products, after taxes, would be donated to charity.

One of his beneficiaries is the “Hole in the Wall Gang Camp,” a residential summer camp for seriously ill children, which is situated in Ashford, Connecticut. Newman co-founded the camp in 1988. Newman’s college fraternity, Phi Kappa Tau, adopted “Hole in the Wall” as their “national philanthropy” in 1995. One camp has expanded to become several “Hole in the Wall” camps in the U.S., Ireland, France and Israel. The camp serves 13,000 children every year, free of charge. In June 1999, Paul Newman gave away $250,000 to Catholic Relief Services to help refugees in Kosovo. As of early 2006, the franchise has resulted in excess of $250 million in donations.

On September 27, 2008, Paul Newman died after battling lung cancer. He lived life as a celebrity without scandal.

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With her equally high-profile partner Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie donated more than $8.5 million to their Jolie-Pitt Foundation in 2006 alone. Among the recipient charitable organizations are Global AIDS Alliance, Doctors Without Borders, the Daniel Pearl Foundation, Namibia Red Cross Action Program, the Epidermolysis Bullosa Medical Research Foundation and Global Green USA. It also supports victims of the Iraq war, particularly the children affected. Other programs work toward providing relief for Darfur refugees. In 2008 the Jolie-Pitt Foundation was given all the proceeds of the $14 million-worth exclusive photos of the couple’s newborn twins. People magazine and British Hello! Magazine paid for these snapshots of Vivienne Marcheline and Knox Léon, born July 12 that year.

Also in 2008, the couple worked with Global Health Committee. The non-profit group received the gift of $2 million for the construction of a center for AIDS and tuberculosis-afflicted children in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. In honor of their generous donation, the clinic will be named after Zahara, who Jolie adopted from Ethiopia.

Angelina Jolie became a committed humanitarian advocate in 2000 when her filming of Tomb Raider took her to Cambodia and opened her eyes to its harsh realities. With the realization that the situation in the country was a mere echo of so many other afflicted communities, she decided to be the change herself.

Since her appointment in 2001, Angelina Jolie has been a devoted United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees’ Goodwill Ambassador. By 2003, Angelina Jolie became the first recipient of the United Nations Correspondents Association’s Citizen of the World Award. Two years after, UNA-USA also recognized her humanitarian work with the Global Humanitarian Award. In the same year, she established the National Centre for Refugee and Immigrant Children. The year 2005 also saw Angelina Jolie awarded with Cambodian citizenship for her dedication to the Asian country’s betterment. In 2007, the Freedom Award was duly given to her by the International Rescue Committee.

Angelina Jolie has also taken her advocacy to the political level by becoming a member of the Council on Foreign Relations in 2007. Everyday life for her entails a balance between her acting career, philanthropic efforts, and her role as mother to her three adopted children (Maddox, Pax, Zahara) and three fathered by Brad Pitt (Shiloh, Knox Leon and Vivienne Marcheline).

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Chuck Norris extends his time and energy to works for charities like Funds for Kids, Veteran’s Administration National Salute to Hospitalized Veterans, the United Way, and the Make-A-Wish Foundation, contributing in the form of donations and fundraising activities.

Being a former member of the United States Air Force stationed in Korea, he served as a spokesperson for the U.S. Veterans Administration in order to popularize the issues that concern hospitalized war veterans such as pensions and health care. In fact, for his patriotism and significant contributions to this cause, he received the “Veteran of the Year” award at the American Veteran Awards in 2001.

Perhaps his most notable philanthropic contribution is his work to develop self-esteem and focus among young people to keep them away from drug-related pressure by way of martial arts training. He established the United Fighting Arts Federation and “KickStart” (formerly “Kick Drugs Out of America”) in 1990. KickStart helps at-risk children shift their focus to martial arts through programs directed towards the middle school and high school population.

In 2005, Chuck Norris founded the World Combat League (WCL), a full contact, team-based martial arts competition, to which a portion of the proceeds from the World Combat League go to Norris’ charity KickStart.

As a world-acclaimed martial artist, Chuck Norris is the owner of a number of martial arts champion titles, like the Professional World Middleweight Champion title that he held for six years (1968 – 1974). He is also the proud owner of the 1969 Triple Crown, a recognition he received for having the most tournament wins.

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Christopher Reeve caught the eye of producers after he graduated from Juilliard in 1974. He was offered many acting gigs on Broadway and eventually auditioned for the role of Clark Kent in Superman. And the rest is history.

In 1995, he fell off a horse that caused a cervical spinal injury that paralyzed him from the neck down. After going through treatments and surgeries, Christopher Reeve traveled to Israel and met many patients with the same illness. He was very inspired that he became vice chairman of the National Organization on Disability and chairman of the American Paralysis Association. Christopher Reeve emerged as an activist for embryonic stem cell research.

The Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation is one of the leading bastions in the field of spinal cord research. The foundation aims to find treatments for people suffering from spinal cord paralysis and other disabilities, specifically neurological disorders. One of its missions is to help people with disabilities enjoy life.

The foundation was initially known as American Paralysis Foundation (APF). But since Christopher Reeve’s passion, creativity, and brilliance contributed to the success of spinal cord research, APF eventually became the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation, and then later on, the Christopher Reeve Foundation.

In 2006 alone, the foundation awarded over $64 million in research grants. Over $8 million quality-of-life grants were given away.

In 2004, Christopher Reeve died of a heart failure at the age of 52. His wife, Dana Reeve, was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2005 and died the following year at the age of 44. In their honor, the foundation was renamed the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation.

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Born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada on June 9, 1961, Michael J. Fox moved to Los Angeles in 1979 to pursue his acting career. His father, William, was a member of the Canadian Forces while his mother, Phyllis, was a payroll clerk and actress.

Throughout his television and film career, Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) to help find a cure for Parkinson’s disease. The foundation relies on an aggressively funded research agenda. One of the top things in Michael J. Fox and his team’s agenda list is embryonic stem cell research or studies.

On the neurological fronts, the MJFF has been quite progressive in their search for a cure. Scientists are getting to closer to fully understanding the brain and how Parkinson’s disease affects it. For his part, Michael J. Fox focuses his energies on the foundation and its efforts to raise awareness and funding. Since its inception in 2000, the MJFF has given away funds amounting to almost $140 million.

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Bill Cosby rose to stardom via the adventure show I Spy, and the television shows The Bill Cosby Show and The Electric Company. However, it was his role as Cliff Huxtable in the television series The Cosby Show that made him a household name.

Now an established star, Bill Cosby is an active philanthropist. One of his largest gifts was a $20 million grant to Spellman College, the largest gift ever granted to any of America’s traditionally black colleges. The gift was used to establish the Camille Olivia Hanks Cosby Academic Center, along with three chairs in the fine arts, social sciences and humanities. The money was also used for a library and archival program of international African women research and resources at the Academic Center.

In 1997, Bill Cosby’s son, Ennis William, was shot to death along Los Angeles’ Interstate 405 as he was changing a flat tire. This led Bill Cosby and his wife, Camille, to establish the Hello Friend/Ennis William Cosby Foundation. The foundation focused on creating equal rights for people with dyslexia and other language-based learning difficulties.

Bill Cosby continues to reach out to others by giving lectures to black communities, particularly those with problems related to illegal drugs, education, and teenage pregnancy. Bill Cosby is also raising funds for US Slavery Museum in Virginia.

Bill Cosby received the 2003 Bob Hope Humanitarian Award.

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