Philanthropy Facts

Jon Bon Jovi has a restaurant that has no prices; guests pay whatever they can or volunteer in exchange for their meal.

(Former) Billionaire Chuck Feeney gave away over 99% of his multi-billion dollar fortune to philanthropic endeavors, such as helping underprivileged kids go to college. He is now worth a few million dollars.

Johnny Depp used to travel with his Capt. Jack Sparrow costume to make impromptu visits to sick kids in hospitals.

Between 2007 and 2012, Bill Gates gave away $28 billion; saving 6 million lives.

Angelina Jolie purchased 60,000 hectares of land in Cambodia that had active poachers and turned it into a wildlife reserve named after her son. Some of the former poachers were employed as rangers.

A young programmer offered a homeless man the choice between $100 cash or coding lessons. Leo Grand chose the lessons, and now his first mobile app is available to download for $.99.

As of April 2010, Bill Gates had donated $36,854,000,000 in his lifetime! That's more than half of his total net worth!

In 2007, a customer kindly gave a $10,000 tip to a Pizza Hut waitress after hearing she had financial troubles which had forced her to drop out of college.

Self-made millionaire Harris Rosen adopted a Florida neighborhood called Tangelo Park, cut the crime rate in half, and increased the high school graduation rate from 25% to 100% by giving everyone free daycare and all high school graduates scholarships.

Hockey player Jarome Iginla donates $2,000 to the children’s charity Kidsport for every goal he scores. Since 2000 it has added up to more than $700,000.

Keanu Reeves gave $75 million of his matrix sequels paycheck to the film’s SFX team and bought the entire stunt crew Harley Davidson motorcycles.

Newman’s Own foods donates 100% of its post tax profits to charity. As of June 2012 these donations have exceeded 330 million dollars.

During the 1930’s depression, Australian businessman Sidney Myer provided Christmas dinner for 10,000 unemployed people, including a gift for every child.