DoSomething.org announced their ninth annual Celebs Gone Good list for 2016. The global movement of celebrities and young people helping families in need by making charity donations, volunteering, and helping in any way, has been growing for years. The 2016 top spot went to none other than Beyonce.
Celebs Gone Good is the annual list that recognizes public figures who use their resources, power, and overall celebrity to help those who are less fortunate.
Beyonce helped spread awareness to a variety of social causes including representation of black women in popular culture, gender equality, support for Black Lives Matter, and assisting the water crisis in Flint, Michigan.
At the red carpet during the 2016 MTV’s Video Music Awards, Beyonce brought with her the mothers of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Oscar Grant III, and Eric Garner. She always teamed up with her husband Jay-Z to host a benefit concert to provide charity donations to the Robin Hood Foundation, an organization that is fighting the poverty issue across the country.
It’s tough to beat Beyonce’s amount of charitable giving, because of both her star power and her financial prowess, but rising star and Hamilton creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda nearly topped the Celebs Gone Good list. Miranda came in at the second spot, undoubtedly a feat worthy of immense respect throughout the world of popular culture and the rest of the world, and looks like he will continue this supportive trend well into 2017.
Miranda teamed up Jennifer Lopez to help donate money to the Hispanic Federation’s Proyecto Somos Orlando initiative, following the shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando. Miranda also used his Tony Awards acceptance speech to pay tribute to the Pulse nightclub victims and continued to support charities throughout the year.
Other notable celebrities who cracked the top-5 include Taylor Swift, who donated $1 million to relief efforts after the major flooding in Louisiana, Demi Lovato, who promoted mental health issues across the country, and Shailene Woodley, who brought national attention to the Dakota Access Pipeline.
Miley Cyrus, John Cena, Lady Gaga, Aziz Ansari, and Chance the Rapper also made major contributions to charities in 2016, along with numerous other celebrities.
Just because you’re not a billionaire celebrity, however, doesn’t mean you can’t help make a difference. By making charity donations and clothing donations, you can greatly help struggling individuals and families. Even small charitable donations can change the world — so start helping as much as you can today. Find out more at this site.