5 Most Generous Celebrity Charity Organizations

November marks the beginning of our annual season of giving. Our mailboxes and inboxes fill with gentle reminders and tiny gifts from our favorite charities; the brassy ring the Salvation Army bell strikes a regular cadence outside groceries; we gather our families and together roll out ladles of food to those less fortunate at soup kitchens. We try all year to give back, but it is the holiday season when we feel that inherent goodwill the most. 

Some of us have more to give than others, be that time or money, but few of us have the capacity or capability of giving as much as celebrities. Recent years have sparked a revolution among the stars and most major celebrities now endorse and give regularly with philanthropic enthusiasm. Several celebrities of an even higher caliber have founded their own charities. These luminaries recognized a need in the world, whether in their local community or across the world and took action to change it. Through financial support and enormous vision, these special celebrities aren’t just transforming the world, they’re also transforming themselves into heroes.

Here's a list of celebrity charity organizations - some of which you may find surprising! 

1. Ben Affleck: Eastern Congo Initiative 

Ben Affleck achieved success in the entertainment world at a young age and, unlike many of his contemporaries, perpetuated that early prosperity into a successful career. But at some point, Affleck realized that wasn’t enough; though appreciative of his success, he hated the selfish life he lived and began looking for ways to give back. The number "five million deaths" was ultimately his call to action; after he discovered the death toll in Central Africa, he was appalled at the sparse action taking place and moved to change things himself. 

Affleck founded the Eastern Congo Initiative in 2010, not to simply donate to a cause, but to help a community improve itself from the inside out. Grants raised by the Eastern Congo Initiative go directly to community–based organizations founded by Congolese people who want to help their personal community with specific improvements in areas that need help, such as economic development and maternal health. By investing directly into the community, rather than a middle–man charity, Affleck and ECI accomplish more, and faster. ECI also promotes advocacy; with greater awareness comes a greater sense of responsibility.

How You Can Help: You can easily donate to the cause on the charity’s website. Since ECI works directly with existing Congolese organizations, it’s difficult to donate your time—but your monetary donation goes a long way.

George Clooney: Not On Our Watch

Founders: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle  and Jerry Weintraub

Not On Our Watch has the star power of not just one but several celebrities on its Board. With famed humanitarians George Clooney (whose wife Amal Clooney is the world–famous human rights lawyer) and Brad Pitt at the helm, as well as superstars Matt Damon and Don Cheadle, this organization received immediate acclaim and notoriety. 

Not On Our Watch brings the world’s attention to the underrepresented, though massive, atrocities of the world. Developing countries often face the greatest challenges—and gain the least attention—but Not On Our Watch works to level those disproportions. Using the influence of their Board’s notoriety, Not On Our Watch works to bring awareness to underrepresented conflicts and causes through international press and media attention. The organization currently focuses on three major centers of crisis: Darfur, Burma and Zimbabwe. 

How You Can Help: You can help Not On Our Watch by championing the cause. Whether that be informing your community or reaching out to local political leaders, the more people who are aware of these issues, the faster they can be solved. Not On Our Watch also encourages you to donate to emergency relief programs. 

Eva Longoria: Eva's Heroes

Growing up with a sister with intellectual abilities, Eva Longoria has always been grateful for the ways in which her sister sweetened her life. Their mother was so inspired by Eva’s sister that she became a special education teacher and, following in those footsteps, Eva, along with Board President Christiane-Perkins Garcia, founded Eva’s Heroes in 2008. 

Eva’s Heroes works to enrich the lives of those with intellectual special needs and to improve on their inclusivity in daily life. People with intellectual special needs often find themselves excluded from daily society, but Eva’s Heroes works to break down those barriers through programming for teenagers and young adults. 

How You Can Help: You can easily donate to Eva’s Heroes through their website; your contribution goes directly to programming that helps people with intellectual disabilities. Or contact their office about volunteering or beginning your own, local programming for Eva’s Heroes.

Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research 

If there is one celebrity who has consistently been in the spotlight for championing a cause, it is undoubtedly Michael J. Fox. This cause is a very personal one for Michael J. Fox; the actor was diagnosed with young–onset Parkinson’s disease in 1991, keeping his condition private for another seven years. After the actor revealed his Parkinson’s, he immediately took up the torch for the cause, founding the Michael J. Fox Foundation in 2000.

The ultimate goal of the Foundation is to find a cure for Parkinson’s disease through intense research. In the meantime, the Foundation works tirelessly to ensure the comfort of current patients through improved therapies, treatments, and prescriptions. But the backbone of the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research is funding pharmaceutical research that will actually contribute to the cause and, hopefully, reach the market. 

How You Can Help: The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research makes helping easy. In addition to regular donations, you can fundraise with their grassroots community, Team Fox, or begin a "Tribute Page" that celebrates someone you know with Parkinson’s. The Foundation also connects patients to clinical trials directly through their website.

Matt Damon: Water.org

We are all lucky enough that a simple walk to our kitchen and turn of a knob can provide us with clean drinking water. For much of the developing world, this is an unfathomable luxury. 750 million people around the world do not have access to safe water daily while 2.5 billion people lack improved sanitation through plumbing and water. These basic necessities result in countless deaths annually. Recognizing the enormous need for clean water and with access to the capital and publicity to truly help, Matt Damon and Gary White founded Water.org.

Like Eastern Congo Initiative, Water.org works directly within the community in order to be most effective. The charity currently operates across the globe in a variety of developing countries, including Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. Water.org partners with 62 local organizations in 12 countries, seamlessly integrating local knowledge with global power. With a goal to provide clean drinking water and the dignity of a toilet to the world, all within the next several decades, Water.org’s vision is enormous—but they’re already well on their way.

How You Can Help: Water.org provides countless ways for you to donate to their cause. Donate directly on the website, sponsor an athletic event or fundraiser in their honor, or simply share the cause on social media—Water.org encourages your support in every way. 

There you have, a list of celebrities and their generous foundations. Did we miss a celebrity charity? Post it below!