Crowdfunding has been used to help a range of good causes far and wide – including ones that capture the hearts of charitable celebrities who want to help. Whether it’s for local football teams of relief efforts in Ukraine, we’ve seen a host of A-List stars champion a range of causes.
Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher
Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis started their Stand With Ukraine fundraiser last year when the war broke out – and it has raised an enormous £30,000,000 ($37,000,000) so far. The couple started the GoFundMe as Mila was born in Ukraine and they wanted to help the humanitarian efforts for people on the ground there. There’s been an enormous outpouring of support, with top donations running into the multi-millions. You read more on their Stand With Ukraine fundraiser here.
Ryan Reynolds
Ryan Reynolds is no stranger to helping out a crowdfunding cause. He and partner Blake Lively donated £10k to a fundraiser set up for Wrexham FC player who lost his baby during childbirth. He also gave money to a fundraiser set up by FC United of Wrexham Futsal for their kit, plus £10k to a fundraiser for little girl Aria’s DIPG battle.
Kaitlin Olson And Rob McElhenney
Hunger has hit people across the globe following the Covid-19 pandemic and cost of living crisis. Kaitlin Olson And Rob McElhenney set up their own GoFundMe benefitting Philabundance, which provides meals for needy families. The pair pledged to match every donation up to $25k.
Hugh Grant
Kind hearted plumber James Anderson has been on the front lines of the cost of living crisis, providing food, fixing boilers and offering support to people who need it most. His efforts didn’t go unnoticed by star Hugh Grant, who has donated to James’s organisation Depher three times now. James said Hugh would “always be my brother” after the generous donations.
Andy Serkis
Andy Serkis embarked on an epic fundraising journey for charity Best Beginnings in Covid-19 with his Hobbitathon fundraiser. He read The Hobbit in its entirety live, entertaining hundreds of thousands of listeners as they joined in to listen – raising more than £300k in the process.
Taylor Swift
Covid-19 was a scary, unprecedented and often heartbreaking time for people across the globe. Vicki, a mum of five, lost her husband to coronavirus. He was described on the fundraiser as an ‘outstanding man’.
Taylor and her mum Andrea stepped in to help, donating £39,000 ($50,000) to help her get back on her feet.
Taylor also stepped in to help Vitoria Mario, who wanted to study at Warwick University but wasn’t eligible for student finance because she’s Portuguese. The Shake It Off singer gave Vitoria £23,000 towards her education. Vitoria, who lives in Tottenham, London, said her donation had “actually made my dream come true”.
Michael Sheen
When Storm Dennis hit the UK in 2020, it left devastation for many. Homes and businesses were left in devastation. Michael Sheen saw this happening in Neath, Port Talbot, and the surrounding areas and wanted to step in to help. He started a GoFundMe to help people rebuild, and raised more than £87,000.
Kate Winslet
People were struggling across the UK with energy price hikes last year – and for some, it was especially nerve wracking. Carolynne Hunter, from Scotland, faced a £20k energy bill due to constantly needing electricity to run life saving equipment for her daughter Freya, who has cerebral palsy. This paired with the energy hikes was becoming unmanageable for Carolynne and she started a GoFundMe.
Kate Winslet stepped in and donated the full £20k to Carolynne, who said: “When I heard about the money I just burst into tears — I thought it wasn’t even real. I’m still thinking, is this real?”
