Celebrities
April 13, 2016 at 9:32 am
It may not feel like it for those of us in the Northeast quite yet, but summer is right around the corner. How do I know? Because baseball is back! I love going to the ballpark. Even if you don’t really like baseball, most people can admit that going to a major league game is…
April 11, 2016 at 10:18 am
The latest celebrity-approved accessory is a silicon bracelet called the Lokai. Like the iconic yellow Livestrong bands of years past, this one promises to distribute a portion of its profits to charity—10 percent, in this case. Like the Livestrong bands, you can wear it 24/7 without worrying about it tarnishing or falling off. But unlike…
April 8, 2016 at 9:56 am
Dallas Cowboys legend Troy Aikman has overseen the Troy Aikman Foundation for Children ever since establishing it in 1992. Now, however, the NFL Hall of Fame quarterback has decided to dissolve his foundation and transfer its $1 million in assets to the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas' Unite Forever Campaign. That campaign, an effort announced…
April 8, 2016 at 9:47 am
After raising more than $10 million for charity in the run-up to the release of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" last year, Lucasfilm has relaunched the "Star Wars: Force for Change" fundraising campaign for a four-week push that will see the studio matching fan donations—and making fun of Mark Hamill's role in the film. Launched April…
April 4, 2016 at 10:36 am
On Bravo’s “The Real Housewives of Potomac,” cast member Katie Rost is identified as a model-turned-philanthropist who runs her family’s charitable foundation. In the world of reality TV, that means attending glittery events and planning fundraisers. Aside from conveniently supplying opportunities for drama-laden plot points, the not-quite-a-job provides Rost’s raison d’etre. "I’m a ball and…
February 24, 2016 at 10:13 am
Since 2009, Bill Gates has written an annual open letter setting out priorities for the charitable foundation he leads with his wife, Melinda. Some have highlighted specific causes—the first picked out reducing child mortality, improving agricultural productivity and raising the standard of education in America. Others have tackled big themes, such as how innovation could…
February 5, 2016 at 10:50 am
The Carolina Panthers are favored to win Super Bowl 50 on Sunday, with the team’s star quarterback, Cam Newton, picked by Las Vegas oddsmakers to win the game’s MVP award. But do Newton and his team hold the edge in charitable giving? The Chronicle of Philanthropy took a look at both the Panthers and the…
February 5, 2016 at 10:17 am
As his NFL career began in Indianapolis, I had the honor of working with Peyton Manning on a capital campaign I directed to build the St. Vincent Children’s Hospital, later to be renamed the Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital at St. Vincent. I noticed early on that he always was prepared for every meeting, interview, event and activity. He was all business and knew his role...
January 5, 2016 at 10:10 am
Twenty-three Chicago nonprofits answered the phone this week to learn they were lucky recipients of basketball legend Michael Jordan’s winning lawsuit. Jordan wore jersey No. 23 during most of his career with the Chicago Bulls. Jordan’s court case began in 2009 when the now-defunct regional supermarket chain Dominick’s used Jordan’s name in an unauthorized advertisement.…
December 4, 2015 at 11:02 am
Two days after announcing plans to donate $45 billion over time to his family foundation, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg responded to criticism about his philanthropic ambitions. In a Facebook post on Thursday, he pushed back against accusations that he had structured his foundation, not so much as a charity, but as a vehicle for evading…
