DoSomething.org, a non-profit organization that aims to harness teen's "awesome energy" and unleash it on causes they care about, has announced the 20 Most Charitable Celebrities of 2012 and Taylor Swift topped the list!
While the singer was snagging headlines and trophies for her diary-like music, she was also donating serious chunks of cash to important organizations (she gave $4 million to the Country Hall of Fame Museum). Swift also spent hours visiting with young cancer victims and became the youngest person to ever receive the Ripple of Hope Award from the Robert F. Kennedy Center for her charity work. See the entire list and the good that they accomplished in 2012:
Top 20 Celebs Gone Good of 2012
It’s finally here. We know you’ve all been anxiously waiting for this unveiling. Yep, that’s right we’ve got your top 20 Celebs Gone Good of 2012. They have 365 days to make a real impact and this group definitely went above and beyond.
20. Drew Brees
New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees leads the NFL in yards and touchdowns. But in 2012, he put up his biggest numbers off the field. Drew and his wife, Brittany, donated $1 million to victims of Hurricane Sandy. The Super Bowl champ’s Brees Dream Foundation has even pledged another $2 million more to various New Orleans charities. He truly is a Saint.
19. Sofia Vergara
Turning 40 is a pretty big milestone. And for Vergara it was a no brainer how she’d be celebrating: by crowdfunding for charity. Duh. Together with giftiki, a group-gifting platform, the “Modern Family” actress helped raise awareness for Dreams without Borders. Every year the non-profit brings orphans from Vergara’s home country, Columbia, to Disneyland. She’s been going with the group since 2006.
18. Olivia Munn
2012 is the year we fell in love with Olivia Munn. Meanwhile, she’s quite the lover herself, especially of animals and the environment. She’s raised awareness about fur farms with PETA and worked with the USDA to combat the circus’s mistreatment of animals. She also kicked off DoSomething’s Green Your School campaign. Brains, beauty, and benevolence: what’s not to love?
17. Carrie Underwood
America’s favorite country music star has had a big year of giving. Underwood recently donated the proceeds from her last concert to charity. And also raised $350,000 for her Oklahoma hometown. The proceeds were given through her organization, Checotah Animal, Town, and School (C.A.T.S) Foundation, and went towards educational improvements. Additionally, Underwood is a huge supporter of The Humane Society and PETA.
16. Demi Lovato
The "Give Your Heart a Break" singer has had a pretty kick-ass year: judging X Factor and topping Billboard charts. Lovato has also done an amazing job of highlighting several anti-bullying campaigns, like “Mean Stinks” and Love is Louder, which helps people dealing with negative self-image, depression, and bullying. She also partnered with yours truly for our fifth annual Teens for Jeans campaign.
15. Ryan Seacrest
Hosting TV, radio, and awards shows like Ryan Seacrest is something most of us will never experience. But thanks to Ryan, thousands of kids with life-threatening injuries or disease will get a chance. The Ryan Seacrest Foundation builds radio stations in children’s hospitals all over the country. When they’re in the booth, the kids aren’t hospital patients; they’re American idols.
14. Emma Stone & Andrew Garfield
Besides being one of Hollywood’s hottest couples, this duo is one of the most creative at shining a spotlight on good. Stone and Garfield were spotted by paparazzi at a NYC restaurant and instead of running for cover, “The Amazing Spider-Man” stars walked out holding up signs that supported two charities: the Worldwide Orphans Foundation and Gilda’s Club.
13. Ben Affleck
A fierce advocate for residents living in a war-torn Eastern Congo, Affleck joined U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to speak at The Child Survival Call to Action earlier this year. The 40-year-old founded the Eastern Congo Initiative, the first U.S. based advocacy/grant-making initiative that is focused solely on the people of Eastern Congo. He was also honored at our Do Something Awards for his work.
12. George Takei
"Star Trek" went off the air in 1969 but George is still, well, a star. He is a huge advocate for marriage equality and tolerance in general. Proceeds from his “It’s OK to be Takei” apparel goes to charity. He even won the 2012 LGBT Humanist Award from the American Humanist Association for his advocacy in the LGBT community. Oh, my...
11. Jay-Z & Beyoncé
The world’s biggest power couple certainly used their power for good. Jay headlined a benefit performance at Carnegie Hall and supports underprivileged students through his Shawn Carter Scholarship Foundation. Bey’s Survivor Foundation assists victims of disasters, along with AIDS patients and the homeless. Her $5 million housing project will create 43 permanent housing units in her hometown of Houston.
10. Ian Somerhalder
This “Vampire Diaries” heartthrob has got it all – those dreamy eyes, the leading lady, and a heart of gold. He founded the Ian Somerhalder Foundation, which works to educate and collaborate with people to positively impact the planet. Somerhalder is also a huge supporter of The Trevor Project. Oh yea, did we mention he loves animals? The 34-year-old took part in the “Strut Your Mutt” walk in Louisiana to help save shelter lives.
9. Selena Gomez
From the radio to the Internet, from Waverly Place to Transylvania, Selena Gomez is everywhere. So is her impact. The 20-year-old triple threat does work at children’s hospitals across the country. And her second-annual UNICEF charity concert raised $200,000 for kids in Africa. Needless to say, we love her like a, well, you know...
8. LeBron James
In 2012, King James made good on his promise to bring a championship to Miami. LBJ has come a long way, but he hasn’t forgotten his hometown of Akron, OH. Or the idea of a promise. His foundation’s Wheels for Education program provides support and school supplies to 300 underprivileged elementary schoolers. In return, they promise to stay in school until graduation. His PSA supports BoostUp.org, which gives at-risk teens encouragement and resources to stay in school. Meanwhile, the MVP is schooling people on the court.
7. Pink
The "Try" singer is a rock star in every sense of the word. Her American Music Awards performance can attest to that. It’s one of the many reasons we love her – that and the amazeballs work she does with PETA. She's a HUGE advocate of shelter adoption and animal rights.
6. Robin Roberts
Our fav morning news anchor has used her battle with myelodysplastic syndrome (once called pre-leukemia) to shine a light on bone cancer. She teamed up with BeTheMatch.org to spread awareness about bone marrow donation. Roberts’ 30-second TV spot on “Good Morning America,” her radio PSA, along with several ads saw over 44,000 people join the registry. (Baller!)
5. Justin Bieber
“Do something nice for someone else today. u know the truth...do it for the right reasons,” JBiebz tweeted this summer. He certainly has. His Believe Charity Drive raised over $1 million for charity. He works with Pencils of Promise to build schools in third-world countries. He visits young cancer patients. He donated $100,000 so homeless kids could go to school. All this, and he still has time to wink 5000 times a day.
4. Lady Gaga
Gaga has a sold-out world tour and 32 million little monsters RTing her more than anyone on the planet. But, fame hasn’t made her a monster. With a $1.2 million personal donation, Gaga started her Born This Way Foundation, which combats bullying and promotes acceptance of the LGBT community. And, in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, the she pledged $1 million to relief efforts.
3. Channing Tatum
This year was all about Channing Tatum, but People magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive made 2012 about others, too. He and his wife, Luckiest Woman Alive Jenna Dewan-Tatum helped raise millions for the Rainforest Foundation They also supprt Angels for Animals and sponsor abused farm animals through Gentle Barn. No wonder Channing was so happy riding to “Pony.”
2. Miley Cyrus
Let’s see: she got engaged, shaved her head, turned 20, AND rocked a slew of causes. Cyrus spent her big 2-0 promoting Saving Spot! Rescue, a non-profit that is dedicated to finding dogs from high-kill shelters a home. The actress/singer also went barefoot earlier this year in support of TOMS’ One Day Without Shoes challenge. Cyrus has helped raise awareness for several other charities like: Save The Music Foundation, the Starkey Hearing Foundation, and the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
1. Taylor Swift
The country-pop star continues to top the charts with her new album “Red” – but that’s not all. TSwift is our number one celeb gone good. She’s had quite a year being the YOUNGEST person to ever receive the Ripple of Hope Award from the Robert F. Kennedy Center for her charity work. The 23-year-old also donated 4 million (the largest sum yet!) to the Country Hall of Fame Museum. Not to mention, her tremendous work for young people battling cancer among many others.
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