Most of us know that Michael Jackson is the King of Pop, the youngest of his brothers in the Jackson 5 and the most-awarded artist of all time. He won more awards than any other music alive or deceased. He's received 23 Guinness World Records, 40 Billboard Awards, 13 Grammys, and 26 American Music Awards.
But many don't know that Michael Jackson earned other awards as well: awards in giving (yes, giving). Michael really wanted to make his mark on this world and make it a better place, so he did just like his song "Man In The Mirror" said, he started with himself.
In fact, in the Millennium-Issue of the “Guinness Book Of Records” Jackson was recognized as the Pop Star who supports the most charity organizations.
In 1986 Jackson gave $1.5 million to set up the "Michael Jackson United Negro College Fund Endowed Scholarship Fund”, aimed at students majoring in performance art and communications, with money given each year to students attending a member United Negro College Fund college or university. The scholarship has helped hundreds of students attend college.
Jackson also contributed to the Cities and Schools Scholarship Fund and many other charities aimed at education and special needs children.
Unbeknownst to many of us, Michael supported the 1995 Million Man March to the tune of nearly three hundred thousand dollars. He also gave to needy children in Romania and Bangkok, and assisted the “Motown Museum Historic Foundation.” Children in Bombay received millions of dollars and children in Poland received almost a million dollars worth of toys.
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In all, Celebrity Net Worth estimates that in addition to large amounts of time and effort to support charities and causes, Michael Jackson gave in excess of $200 million over the course of his life to try to make the world a better place.
The old saying goes, “put your money where your mouth is.” Michael Jackson did that and more.
The following is a list of some of the charities he publicly helped:
AIDS Project L.A.
American Cancer Society
Angel Food
Big Brothers of Greater Los Angeles
BMI Foundation, Inc.— Support music education for gifted youngsters.
Brotherhood Crusade
Brothman Burn Center
Camp Ronald McDonald
Childhelp U.S.A. – Aims at meeting the needs of abused an neglected children—including education.
Children’s Institute International
Cities and Schools Scholarship Fund
Community Youth Sports & Arts Foundation
Congressional Black Caucus (CBC)
Dakar Foundation
Dreamstreet Kids
Dreams Come True Charity
Elizabeth Taylor Aids Foundation
Juvenile Diabetes Foundation
Love Match
Make-A-Wish Foundation
Minority Aids Project
Motown Museum
NAACP
National Rainbow Coalition
Rotary Club of Australia
Society of Singers
Starlight Foundation
The Carter Center’s Atlanta Project
The Sickle Cell Research Foundation... (list continued on next page)
...Transafrica
United Negro College Fund (UNCF)
United Negro College Fund Ladder’s of Hope
UNESCO—The proceeds of one of his tours went to the education of children in developing countries.
Volunteers of America
Watts Summer Festival
Wish Granting
YMCA – 28th Street/Crenshaw