What is the philanthropic spirit

Far from all celebrities spend their professional fees on luxury life, yachts, planes, and diamonds. Some prefer to help others and do charity work.

The world we live in is not perfect. Natural disasters, environmental changes, wrecking, violence, illness, hunger, poverty, all these problems arise every day in our environment and are pulsating with a big wound of society. Many people prefer not to notice this and live their own lives. But many good people are ready both financially and physically to help those in need and solve the pressing problems of a giant planet Earth. Among the "creators of good," you can find many famous names. The stars, despite their busyness, still find time for charity. Fame, money, popularity are not enough to live and work for. They dream of making the world better and make it better through philanthropic work.

They understand that one can spend money, not on fancies only but also for helping those in need of financial help more than anyone else. Therefore, celebrities often join the ranks of philanthropists, because there are many truly sincere people with a good heart among them, who are not indifferent to other people's troubles.

Charity is top-rated among celebrities.Bill Gates, Kenau Reeves, Shawn Mendes, Joaquin Phoenix, Oprah Winfrey, Kate Middleton, Lady Gaga, George Clooney, Eva Longoria, Leonardo DiCaprio, Shakira, Charlize Theron, Natalia Vodianova, Queen Rania, Stella McCartney, Gisele Bündchen, Madonna, Jennifer Hudson, Angelina Jolie, Emma Watson are among them. Almost everything is donated for good deeds, the difference is only in the number of contributions, and some have more, others less. Some people believe they are doing it for the sake of PR, but the very meaning of their actions does not change from this. Their money helps someone to survive, and someone to recover.

If to speak about the pioneers of charity, the most famous philanthropists of the late XIX - early XX centuries in America - their names are known to everyone – those are Andrew Carnegie and John Rockefeller. From the very beginning, in the USA, three strategies of great charity can be distinguished

• The accumulation of values with their subsequent transfer to public use; t
• The establishment of functional educational institutions;
• The foundation of charitable foundations.

The first strategy made it to where public museums and libraries were opened up. Rich people of America gathered collections of paintings or old books and then handed them over to society under the supervision of individual trustees.

The second strategy is the founding of universities and public libraries, that is, educational institutions that are immediately under the control of the people appointed by them to manage.

Along with schools, colleges, universities, libraries, and museums based on private money, individual organizations began to appear to manage money for charitable purposes. The mechanism was the same as when the museum was founded - the foundation of charitable trusts in which a group of trustees managed the money. In the beginning, it was usually a little money and local goals.

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As for the trends, do you remember how Chandler from Friends TV-series returns from Tulsa on New Year’s, having left his work, he brings envelopes with certificates instead of gifts to his friends saying: “On your behalf, a charitable contribution was made to the ballet troupe of New York”? American companies have been practicing such a thing with replacing corporate gifts with contributions to charity for a very long time. This phenomenon even got its name, which is alternative giving.

This trend has gone beyond corporate charity, and now ordinary people are practicing alternative giving, offering their guests donations to charity funds instead of birthday gifts and weddings. Kate Middleton and Prince William also supported the alternative giving trend during their marriage, asking guests to donate to a charity fund instead of a present. It has become a separate kind of charity called wedding charity.

We all know a talented, forever young, and quite modest actor Keanu Reeves. He is the one who played Neo in Matrix, Kevin Lomax in Devil`s Advocate, and John Wick in a movie with the same title.

The actor does not like beautiful houses and private jets. Even when he became famous, he did not buy his place to live but stayed in rental housing. He has few things, no security, and instead of a car, Keanu moves around on public transport. The actor gave 90% of his fee from Matrix movie (which is $ 80 million) to make-up artists, special effects specialists and other colleagues whose salaries were much lower than those of the actors. Also, he gave motorcycles to 12 stuntmen.

Keanu Reeves is the founder of the Cancer Foundation. It exists for a few years now, and it is not the way to seek the limelight. He talked about its existence once only during the interview in 2009. According to the actor, the private foundation was working for six years back at that time. Its primary goal is to help children ill with cancer financially, let alone financing cancer treatment studies. A personal tragedy prompted the actor. One of his sisters had leukemia back in the 90`s. After a long struggle with the disease, the girl was in remission. Mass media reported that Reeves was supporting his sister while she was struggling with the illness and when she became feeling better, he took her on vacation to Tahiti.

Keanu is a stranger to vanity. He refused to give his name to the organization. He does not like taking credits but lets the foundation do what it is supposed to be doing. Besides, he supports all kinds of environmental initiatives and an animal rights activist.

Money is the last thing he cares about. He says he could live for what he already has for the next couple of centuries.

Even though he does not make a song and dance about his philanthropic work, he does not make a mystery out of it either. For example, it is well-recognized that he was supporting PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), SickKids (pediatric research hospital), and Stand Up To Cancer (care ware aimed at capital investments for oncology diseases studies.

This is how a rather shy by nature and living secluded life actor with a kind heart does. Besides, he is almost always up for taking pictures with his fans.

About the author 

Melisa Marzett admires many people and celebrities doing charity work are among them. Traveling around the world and writing for Resumenperk.com. She enjoys what comes out of it and. She is curious by nature, workaholic but an easy-going person at the same time. A sports fan, a cinema-goer, and an animal rights activist who has a cat Tim and loves him very much!