Surprising Celebrity Charitable Efforts

It is no surprise that celebrities give money to charity; they do it all the time, either for tax purposes, good publicity or because they are genuinely nice people. That being said, there are celebrities who are involved in a number of unusual charities or philanthropic efforts. This isn’t to say that they are focusing on unimportant issues or that they are not doing a great thing. It is just fascinating, and a bit surprising, to see what some celebrities are dedicating thaeir time to.



Nicki Minaj’s Tuition Charity

The first example comes from famous rapper/singer Nicki Minaj. Known for her creative lyrics, interesting fashion sense and brash attitude, Nicki Minaj also has a softer side. If you were to ask any college student what their number one concern was, they would probably answer: “student loans.” And Nicki, being a tremendous lover of her fans, wants to help some college students out. Just recently, after speaking directly to some of her fans through Twitter, Minaj officially declared that her charity for college tuitions and payments was being finalized, and that fans would be able to apply soon. And although the charity is not officially open for business, that isn’t stopping Ms. Minaj  from making some lucky fans’ dreams come true now. Also through Twitter, Minaj shared a screenshot of a series of students’ names and their paid tuitions, courtesy of one Nicki Minaj. Once this charity becomes a reality, I can only imagine that Nicki Minaj is going to develop an even larger fanbase.



Matt Damon’s Water for Women

Before I delve into this example, I would first like to clarify that I am in no way taking away or belittling the importance of what these celebrities are doing. I am merely observing charities that are unique. That being said, Matt Damon, star of such films as The Martian, The Bourne Series, and Good Will Hunting, has been hard at work ensuring that the women of the world have clean drinking water. According to a report from The Huffington Post, Matt Damon’s organization has been doing this for 25 years. And a few months ago, Damon’s organization collaborated with Stella Artois for the “Buy a Lady a Drink” campaign. The campaign is aimed at selling hand-designed cups. For every cup sold, one woman is given clean water for five years. The reason Damon has focused on women is due to the fact that, according to the Huffington Post, women in developing nations walk a reported combined 125 miles per day to retrieve water. While it may sound like a strange choice at first, it is certainly a valiant effort on Damon’s part.




Here are two celebrities that are utilizing their fame, fortune and time to do something better for the world. There is a certain beauty behind the fact that these charities are so unique. Hopefully, this inspires you to go out and fight for causes that you believe are not only important, but a bit different as well. At Opes we have several ideas for unique charities. Please contact us if you would like to brainstorm.