When it comes to charitable athletes, your background reality doesn’t matter. Successful athletes are typically into philanthropy at the same time. 

Whether you were an Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander or from a small town in Portugal, whether you went to Alma Mater University or Harvard, at the end of the day, you will be remembered for what you have done for others. 

These charitable athletes have decided to invest in far more important things than Amazon Prime early access, the Porsche 911 GT3 R, or the most expensive suburb near the beach. 

Some of these names are already known to you, and you may also know the hardship they had to endure to open their heart like that. Either way, this article will give you an insight into the contributions of these super nice people.

Having said that, let’s find out the most charitable athletes and celebrities of our generation! 

Michael Phelps Foundation

Michael Phelps doesn’t spend all his days swimming and practicing for the Olympics. He also wants to make swimming a growing sport and encourage young talents to participate in the prestigious championship. 

Initially, he established this foundation with a $1 million sponsor bonus from the 8 gold medals that he bagged in the Olympics. Among the very first initiatives of this organization, Michael wanted to take part in a nationwide tour to Dream, Plan, and Reach young talents. 

In all, this foundation that he created is responsible for financially helping boys and girls with training, equipment, pool access, pool maintenance, staffing, member handbook, prizes, medals, and posters. 

Charitable Work of Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods is also big on charitable work and he generously donates his money to organizations that need his help. Some of the institutions to which he contributes financially are Shriners Hospitals for Children, Tiger Woods Learning Center, TGR Foundation, Rainforest Foundation Fund, Caddy for a Cure, and Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

The TGR Foundation is responsible for making significant impacts in the lives of young adults by helping them get college admissions, health facilities, and overall welfare. On the other hand, the Shriners Hospital is located in Los Angeles that specializes in spinal cord injury, burns, and orthopedics. 

Besides, the Tiger Woods Learning Center has provided top-notch educational services to students from grades 4 to 12. The students are given all the tools and knowledge to strive in school and in life in the educational facility. 

Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center 

Muhammad Ali was also fond of charitable work and this center proves it. This center takes pride in caring for and supporting people with movement disorders and their families. It uses Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) surgery to treat Parkinson’s disease. 

More importantly, this center has a Hispanic Outreach Program that provides art classes, exercise classes, education, care, voces unidas, volunteers, and more! All these came to fruition because Muhammad Ali himself had this disease. 

People started noticing a difference in his speech and speed in 1970 although he wasn’t officially diagnosed with the disease until 1984. The disease did impact his performance in the ring. Eventually, he came up with this establishment to help people who suffered the same as him. 

Charitable Work of LeBron James

LeBron James is also one of the famous charitable athletes who has done a lot for the community. He has donated at least $100 million to 7 foundations, and one of them is the Family Foundation. He granted 4-year scholarships to the ONExONE organization helps students who live in struggling areas of the United States of America. 

Then, he established the I Promise School in his hometown Akron, Ohio, and used up $20 million to build the standard of education over there. Moreover, the LeBron James Family Foundation is taking the initiative to start the I Promise HealthQuarters for dental, eye care, and medical services in his hometown. 

Other than Akron Ohio LeBron contributions, this guy has also donated a significant amount of money to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture’s exhibit to honor  Muhammad Ali. 

He and his wife have done a lot for the Boys and Girls Club of America by fixing up the club’s furniture, roof, and workspace. Even more, they donated 1000 new personal computers to the club so that those young boys and girls can learn and grow to be excellent adults! 

Elton John AIDS Foundation  

Most of us know about the Elton John AIDS Foundation, and of course, the celebrity himself. This man has been involved in fighting against AIDS since the 1980s. He began to get involved in this cause after his close friend suffered from HIV for many years, and eventually, died.
It is true that we need more knowledge, facilities, and finances to treat diseases like HIV and cancer. Elton John raised over $125 million to create facilities in 55 countries with proper education, prevention measures, elimination of prejudice, and care for people who are going through the ordeal. 

Back in 2008, this goodwill ambassador of HIV treatment donated 120 motorcycles to doctors and nurses in Africa so they can easily travel to their patients. In fact, the list of foundations that this man donates to and supports is innumerable. From breast care awareness to victims of war, he has tried to invest wherever he can. 

To name some of them, here is a list: 

• Battersea Dogs & Cats Home
• Project Angel Food
• American Foundation for Equal Rights
• Breast Cancer Research Foundation 
• Children’s Tumor Foundation
• Starkey Hearing Foundation
• Los Angeles LGBT Center
• Food Bank For New York City
• mothers2mothers
• War Child
• True Colors Fund
• St. Francis Food Pantries and Shelters
• STOMP Out Bullying

Charitable Work of Serena Williams

Serena Williams is one of the most known professional charitable athletes who practice philanthropy. She joined forces with UNICEF to go to Ghana to take part in a health program and became the goodwill ambassador. 

Well, why not? She did establish the UNICEF Schools for Africa! This initiative was put forward to provide education to vulnerable children in Africa. 

Supporting mothers and babies also became her passion after the life-threatening ordeal she faced while giving birth to her child. 

This lady also has her own charity organization called The Serena Williams Fund which promotes basic humanitarian support for issues of all kinds. Some of the issues that she advocates for are community violence, breast cancer awareness, women’s bodies, racial issues, poverty, education, and so much more! 

Right now, being the new ambassador of the Allstate Foundation Purple Purse, Serena has outsmarted most of the charitable athletes in the world! This Ambassador United Nations is taking part in ending financial abuse and domestic abuse in the country and beyond through this new initiative!

Christiano Ronaldo

To start, this football legend is also a philanthropy legend like Elton John and Serena Williams. He donated €1 million worth of supplies to a Portuguese hospital that included amenities like fans, ventilators, infusion pumps, and beds. 

He even encourages the football team to engage in these sorts of charitable activities and make donations to American Association Retired Persons, scholarships for Alma Mater University, American Red Cross Fundraising, Canadian Charitable Organization, and other charitable foundations. 

When he won The Golden Boot as the top scorer in Europe, he auctioned it to raise funds to establish schools in Gaza. He did the same thing back in 2017. The award he received for being the best player of the year, he auctioned it to fund the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which treats critically ill kids aged between 2.5 years and 18 years.