From actors to athletes: Five celebrity charities on Funds Online

By Jessica Threlfall, Research Coordinator, DSC

It is not uncommon for celebrities to use their success for good, many choosing to engage in philanthropy by donating to charitable causes or raising awareness. However, some take it a step further by launching their own charitable foundations.

From Beyoncé’s BeyGOOD, which supports economic equity, to the George Lucas Foundation, which focuses on transforming children’s education, each celebrity-led organisation has its own unique mission, often shaped by the interests and experiences of the celebrity behind it.

Here at DSC, we have been researching UK grant makers for 50 years and have seen plenty of famous faces pop up along the way. Last year, we explored the journey of Mission 44, the charity founded by Formula 1 legend Lewis Hamilton, inspired by his experiences of inequality in the education system.

But Mission 44 is just one of several celebrity-led grant-makers that feature on Funds Online. Of course, celebrity-led trusts represent only a small part of the rich and varied grant landscape, but they do give us an interesting glimpse into how public figures can use their influence to make a difference.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at five celebrity-led grant-makers on Funds Online:

Sir Elton John

The longest-running grant-maker on our list is the Elton John Aids Foundation, founded by Sir Elton John in 1992 in the US and 1993 in the UK. Inspired by the loss of close friends to HIV, Sir Elton launched the foundation with a determination to address LGBTQ+ stigma, discrimination and end the AIDS epidemic worldwide.

Since its creation, the foundation has raised $650 million (around £485 million), funding innovative projects such as HIV testing, prevention, treatment, training and education. In 2024 alone, the foundation funded 119 programmes and made grants across 58 countries, including the UK. Elton remains actively involved in the foundation’s work, hosting regular fundraising events, including an annual Academy Awards Viewing Party, and using his fame to raise awareness for the cause.

Raheem Sterling

Our next grant-maker was founded in 2021 by English footballer Raheem Sterling. The organisation is called 1692 (also known as The Raheem Sterling Foundation) and takes its name from the earthquake that devastated Port Royal, Jamaica, on June 7, 1692. This event led to the founding of Kingston, Raheem’s birthplace.

The foundation draws inspiration from Raheem’s own journey, supporting young people from disadvantaged backgrounds in areas that were key to his own success: education, employment, and social mobility. It funds youth education projects and collaborates with other organisations to create opportunities for young people. The foundation’s work is initially focused on supporting communities in London, Manchester, and Kingston, as these are the areas closest to Raheem’s heart.

Jonathan Bailey

The most recent addition to our list comes from Wicked and Bridgerton star Jonathan Bailey, who founded The Shameless Fund in 2024. The charity was created to support LGBTQ+ causes through creative brand partnerships that raise funds for national, international, and grassroots organisations. According to its website, the fund aims to ‘forge a world where every LGBT+ person can live authentically, love freely and thrive without the burdens of discrimination, oppression or shame’.

The Shameless Fund’s first collaboration featured a partnership with fashion brand Loewe, producing a ‘Drink Your Milk’ T-shirt, inspired by Bailey’s role in the historical miniseries, Fellow Travelers, with proceeds going directly to the charity. Since then, it has teamed up with British eyewear retailer Cubitts to create a range of products, with 100% of proceeds going to the charity, and launched a partnership with Android.

The charity is still in its early days, but it is already making an impact. So far, it has supported a small number of selected organisations, including Say it Loud Club, a London-based charity that supports LGBTQ+ refugees and people seeking asylum.

Tom Holland

While The Brother’s Trust was technically founded by his parents, Tom Holland is still very much involved. Established in 2017 by Nikki and Dominic Holland, the trust was named after Tom and his three younger brothers, Sam, Harry, and Paddy. The trust uses Tom’s Hollywood fame to raise funds through events, merchandise and sponsorships, supporting ‘charities who struggle to be heard’ in the charity sector.

Events range from film screenings and behind-the-scenes film set tours to meet-and-greets with Tom, as well as a “posh” pub quiz at Claridge’s in London to raise money for the trust. We have been tracking the trust since it was added to Funds Online in 2018, and it has gone on to support a variety of charities and causes, including health, education, social welfare and children’s organisations.

In its last financial year alone, it awarded nearly £500,000 in grants to a variety of organisations, from creative therapies for people with dementia to research into rare medical conditions. Tom continues to play an active role and remains listed as a trustee, ensuring the trust can continue to make a real difference to charities that may otherwise go unnoticed.

The Sidemen

Our final mention is YouTube supergroup, The Sidemen, made up of several well-known internet personalities who together have over 20 million subscribers. Since 2016, the group has used their online fame to support good causes, hosting regular charity football matches that bring together other internet stars to raise money for various charities. Their most recent charity match in 2025 raised £4.7 million, with 100% of the profits going to charitable organisations, including their own recently established charity, Bright Side.

Launched in 2023, Bright Side uses its funds to support organisations working across a range of causes, with an overarching aim to help people to find a safe place to call home, and give young people access to the best education, spaces and opportunities possible. In its first year, the charity donated £50,000 to support organisations working with young people.

Visit Funds Online to get access to info on celebrity grant-makers and more

These examples represent just a small selection of celebrity-led organisations creating meaningful change. Of course, even trusts established by the rich and famous are not immune to the challenges faced by charities across the sector. Some celebrity-led organisations, though well-intentioned, are short-lived, with many struggling to find their footing. They can also face scepticism, with assumptions that their work is driven more by image than impact.

Yet the foundations in this list prove the opposite: they show a genuine desire to use wealth, influence and public platforms for good. Whether funding grassroots initiatives or shining a light on overlooked issues, these five trusts are making a real difference.

To find more information on these celebrity-owned trusts and details of over 8,000 funders giving over £8 billion in grants, log in or subscribe to Funds Online.