Big Givers Donate To Haiti

by Amanda Gordon (RSS feed)
Jan 15th 2010 at 6:00PM

The response to the earthquake tragedy in Haiti was almost immediate, and just days afterward, millions of dollars have been raised, a lot of it through small donations of $5 or $10 transmitted through the humble text message. But there's another kind of giving that has emerged too: Single donations in much larger amounts, from the likes of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, Olivia Wilde, Tiger Woods, Madonna. Hopefully the list will grow and grow.

Why is it so gratifying though to hear about celebrities making donations? Perhaps because by doing so, they're doing something we've already done, something that thousands of ordinary people are doing. A crisis reminds us that we're all vulnerable, we're all responsible for helping. And that's what it is going to take to bury the dead, take care of the living, and rebuild Haiti.

So when George Clooney asks for your donation tonight, during the Hope for Haiti telethon he is hosting on MTV, you won't just be saying "yes" to an incredibly magnetic movie star, you'll be joining a community of people wanting to help. It's as simple as that. Celebrities undeniably bring some glamour and sparkle to the task of fundraising, and that's okay. It is after all a difficult and serious business. We're lucky to have them.

Check out the gallery below for a look at the amounts donated so far.

Gallery: Haiti's Big Givers

Tags: angelina jolie, AngelinaJolie, ben stiller, BenStiller, brad pitt, BradPitt, brangelina, celebrity donations, CelebrityDonations, donations, earthquake, haiti, yankees

Filed under: Charity, Big Givers

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Sandra J Jan 16th 2010 3:01PM

Another way you can donate to Haiti relief efforts is by going to Recarded.com's Haiti Gift Card Donation page at https://www.recarded.com/DonateToHaiti. Here, you may donate your gift cards to help aid the people of Haiti. Your gift card will be immediately converted into cash and donated in your name to the American Red Cross Haiti Relief and Development Fund.

MultiWriter Feb 14th 2010 1:03PM

It is AMAZING what that little text campaign has done for the Red Cross and Haitian relief. Last count, it has brought in 30 million dollars.

One concern is that the company that administers the campaign, that provides the technology for the text code, is purportedly taking 40% of all the proceeds! Wow!

I don't think charities should be charged 40% by anyone to raise funds to help people.

I work with a company which provides these text codes but at only a 4% fee (about what the credit cards charge to make your transaction).

If you are a charity, please feel free to have a look at our system (at the link below) and see if it could help you and help you keep 36% more of your hard-earned funding. I will help you put it all together, even if you aren't Bill Gates on the computer. :)

Sincerely,
Lauren
http://www.YouTube.com/MobileMarketingWins