Black Actors Who Are the Biggest Philanthropists

The entertainment industry is full of people who use their platforms for good, and many Black male actors have built sustained, concrete initiatives that deliver real help where it’s needed most. From year-round scholarship programs and youth training to disaster preparedness and public-health campaigns, these efforts focus on measurable support—tuition paid, small businesses launched, clinics supplied, communities rebuilt.

Below, you’ll find 25 actors whose philanthropic work centers on specific programs, funds, and partnerships. Each entry highlights what their initiatives actually do—how they’re structured, who they serve, and the types of resources they provide—so you can see the practical shape of the impact behind the headlines.

Denzel Washington

For decades, Denzel Washington has served as a national advocate for Boys & Girls Clubs of America, backing the organization’s academic tutoring, athletics, and leadership programs while helping local Clubs expand after-school hours and update facilities. He and Pauletta Washington have also supported scholarships at his alma mater, funding resources for theater students and campus arts infrastructure.

Washington has contributed to debate education by aiding Wiley College, helping the team with travel and training needs, and supporting programming that introduces competitive debate to new schools. He has also made gifts to military-family support organizations that underwrite lodging and transportation for patients and caregivers receiving treatment at major medical centers.

Will Smith

Through the Will & Jada Smith Family Foundation, Will Smith has funded arts and education grants to community organizations that provide music instruction, filmmaking labs, and college-prep services. The foundation has backed school partnerships that supply classroom technology, teacher training, and scholarships targeted to students from under-resourced neighborhoods.

The foundation has also made contributions to emergency-relief campaigns, channeling funds to organizations that mobilize shelter, food, and transitional housing after natural disasters. Additional grants have supported programs focused on youth leadership development, entrepreneurship workshops, and mental-health services.

Tyler Perry

The Perry Foundation supports a wide range of direct-service programs, including emergency assistance for families facing eviction or utility shutoffs, food-security initiatives, and holiday giving drives that zero out layaway balances for thousands of households. The foundation has underwritten shelter expansions, transitional housing, and services for survivors of domestic violence, coordinating with local agencies to connect clients to counseling and job placement.

Perry has funded disaster relief by chartering flights and transporting supplies to storm-hit regions, while also backing long-term rebuilding through small-contractor grants and materials support. He has provided scholarships at historically Black colleges and universities, covering tuition and fees and creating wraparound funds for books, travel, and living expenses.

Don Cheadle

Don Cheadle helped launch Not On Our Watch, a fund that directed rapid grants to protect civilians in conflict zones and support human-rights documentation. The initiative later aligned with The Sentry, which investigates conflict financing and trains local partners to track illicit networks that fuel violence, enabling targeted sanctions and legal actions.

Cheadle also serves environmental causes as a United Nations Environment Programme Goodwill Ambassador, supporting campaigns that deploy community solar, improve air-quality monitoring, and expand climate-education toolkits. His advocacy has helped channel corporate and foundation funding into projects that strengthen early-warning systems and climate resilience.

Forest Whitaker

Forest Whitaker founded the Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative (WPDI), which trains young people in conflict-resolution, entrepreneurship, and information-technology skills. WPDI operates Community Learning Centers that provide certified courses, small-business incubation, and seed funding, with hubs serving communities in South Sudan, Uganda, Mexico, and the United States.

The program’s “Youth Peacemakers” network equips participants with mediation tools, mini-grant opportunities, and mentorship so they can launch projects—like phone-repair shops, catering services, and tailoring businesses—that create jobs and reduce violence. WPDI also partners with schools to deliver curriculum materials and teacher training in life skills and conflict management.

Morgan Freeman

Morgan Freeman co-founded an organization that evolved into PLAN!T NOW, a nonprofit focused on disaster preparedness. The group produces age-appropriate curricula for schools in hurricane-prone areas, funds micro-grants that help small businesses harden facilities, and distributes emergency kits and checklists to households along vulnerable coasts.

PLAN!T NOW’s scholarship program supports students studying meteorology, emergency management, and related fields, providing tuition assistance and stipends for internships at weather centers and emergency-operations offices. The nonprofit also develops public-service campaigns that teach families how to make evacuation plans and safeguard critical documents.

Samuel L. Jackson

Samuel L. Jackson has supported cancer-awareness and screening programs through campaigns that encourage men to access primary care and early detection. Working with health-advocacy groups, he has helped fund mobile-clinic activations that bring services like PSA tests and blood-pressure checks directly to workplaces and community centers.

Jackson has also raised funds for Alzheimer’s research and caregiver support in honor of family members affected by the disease. Benefit initiatives he supports direct money to respite-care vouchers, clinical-trial recruitment, and helpline staffing that gives caregivers 24/7 access to counseling and resource referrals.

Idris Elba

Idris Elba serves as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations’ International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), helping mobilize investment into smallholder agriculture. His efforts support programs that provide climate-resilient seeds, farmer-field schools, and affordable credit so rural producers can scale yields and access stable markets.

Elba has also championed funds that connect agri-food entrepreneurs with technical assistance, cold-chain infrastructure, and business-plan coaching. These programs create local jobs along the value chain—processing, packaging, and logistics—while improving nutrition and income stability in underserved communities.

David Oyelowo

David Oyelowo partners closely with the GEANCO Foundation, which runs the David Oyelowo Leadership Scholarship for Girls in Nigeria. The scholarship covers tuition, housing, healthcare, and mentorship for girls who are at risk of dropping out, pairing recipients with academic advisors and leadership programming.

GEANCO’s medical initiatives, supported by Oyelowo’s fundraising and advocacy, organize surgical missions and supply hospitals with equipment like anesthesia machines and ultrasound devices. The foundation also trains local staff and supports follow-up care to ensure that patients receive long-term recovery and rehabilitation services.

Chadwick Boseman

In honor of Chadwick Boseman, a memorial scholarship at Howard University’s College of Fine Arts provides four-year awards that cover full tuition for incoming students. The scholarship prioritizes applicants who demonstrate artistic promise and financial need, pairing them with faculty mentors and professional development resources.

The fund complements broader investments in the college’s facilities, student services, and industry partnerships, creating pipelines to internships and apprenticeships on film and television productions. The scholarship also supports community-engagement projects that bring theater and film workshops to area schools.

Michael B. Jordan

Michael B. Jordan’s Outlier Society runs fellowships and trainee placements that give underrepresented creatives paid, on-set experience in departments like camera, grip, costume, and post-production. The program pairs participants with department heads for mentorship and provides resume workshops and job-search support after each placement.

Jordan also launched an HBCU showcase event that brings together student athletes, marching bands, and recruiters, using the platform to secure internship commitments and scholarship funding from corporate partners. The initiative has produced career fairs, portfolio reviews, and application-fee waivers that reduce barriers to entry for students.

Jamie Foxx

Jamie Foxx has been a longtime supporter of the Global Down Syndrome Foundation, helping raise funds for medical care, research, and family services. His participation in major annual events has driven donations that underwrite specialized clinics, therapy sessions, and educational resources for individuals with Down syndrome.

Foxx has also contributed to disaster-relief telethons and benefit concerts that fund emergency grants for housing, food, and transportation in the aftermath of hurricanes and wildfires. These efforts channel money to local nonprofits that coordinate case management and rebuild projects over the long term.

Kevin Hart

Kevin Hart’s Help from the Hart Charity partners with the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) to provide scholarships covering tuition, books, and on-campus expenses for students from low-income households. The program includes mentoring, career-readiness workshops, and connections to internships with partner companies.

The charity also supports technology access by funding laptops, hotspots, and certification courses that help students complete degree programs on time. During emergencies, Help from the Hart has supplied relief micro-grants to families, coordinating with community organizations to verify needs and distribute funds quickly.

Chris Rock

Chris Rock has supported clean-water initiatives by fundraising for projects that drill wells, install filtration systems, and train local maintenance teams. Donations raised through his performances and public appeals have helped expand access to safe drinking water in rural communities.

Rock has also performed at benefit events for anti-poverty organizations in New York, directing proceeds to programs that provide job training, legal services, and cash assistance. Those campaigns help fund eviction-prevention grants, emergency food pantries, and workforce credentials for adults returning to the labor market.

Jeffrey Wright

Jeffrey Wright co-founded a nonprofit working in Sierra Leone that invests in community-led development across education, health, and livelihoods. The organization supports school rehabilitation, teacher training, and textbook distribution, while also backing clinics with medicines and solar power to keep cold-storage running.

During disease outbreaks, the group has coordinated protective-equipment deliveries and public-health messaging in partnership with local leaders. It also pilots small enterprise programs—such as cocoa and coffee co-ops—that provide technical assistance and market access to farmers in mining-impacted districts.

Anthony Anderson

Anthony Anderson advocates for Type 2 diabetes awareness and management, partnering with health organizations to deliver screening events and education workshops. These programs connect participants to nutrition counseling, glucose monitors, and primary-care referrals, focusing on neighborhoods with limited clinical access.

He has also raised funds for children’s hospitals, supporting pediatric equipment purchases, family housing near treatment centers, and patient counseling services. Benefit appearances have helped finance child-life programs that provide tutoring and play therapy during long hospital stays.

Boris Kodjoe

Boris Kodjoe co-founded Sophie’s Voice Foundation, which funds research and family support for those affected by spina bifida. The foundation provides grants for adaptive equipment, connects families to neurosurgical specialists, and supports public-health campaigns promoting folic-acid education.

Sophie’s Voice has also partnered with clinics to host multidisciplinary care days, bringing neurology, urology, and physical therapy under one roof so children receive coordinated treatment plans. The organization amplifies caregiver networks through support groups and telehealth resources.

Shemar Moore

Shemar Moore raises money for multiple sclerosis research and support services, channeling proceeds from his apparel line into grants for the National MS Society. Funds help cover mobility aids, transportation to appointments, and home modifications for patients living with the disease.

Moore’s campaigns also underwrite research fellowships and clinical-trial outreach that accelerate new therapies. Public events he supports include wellness workshops offering yoga, stress-management classes, and caregiver training to improve daily quality of life.

Hill Harper

Hill Harper’s Manifest Your Destiny Foundation runs the Summer Empowerment Academy, a multi-week program providing academic reinforcement, financial-literacy instruction, and college-application coaching. The academy includes SAT/ACT prep, campus tours, and mentoring circles that continue throughout the school year.

The foundation also maintains scholarship funds for first-generation students, covering books, technology, and travel. Its entrepreneurship track offers mini-grants and business-plan competitions, with alumni receiving mentorship from professionals in finance, law, and the arts.

Mekhi Phifer

Mekhi Phifer founded The Vine Group USA to support educational access in underserved communities. The organization supplies schools with textbooks and science equipment, funds classroom renovations, and creates libraries stocked with age-appropriate reading materials.

The Vine Group has also organized medical and educational missions abroad, coordinating volunteer teams that deliver health screenings and teacher-training workshops. Scholarship stipends help graduating students cover exam fees, transportation, and the first semester of college expenses.

Djimon Hounsou

The Djimon Hounsou Foundation focuses on ending modern slavery and human trafficking through education, advocacy, and community programming. It partners with local organizations to run awareness campaigns, survivor services, and school-based initiatives that identify risks and connect families to resources.

The foundation also organizes cultural-heritage events that fund grants for youth sports, arts, and leadership training. Proceeds support after-school programming, mentorship, and small scholarships designed to keep students engaged and on track to graduate.

LL Cool J

LL Cool J’s Jump & Ball Community Camp in Queens offers free summer basketball clinics paired with academic enrichment and health-and-nutrition workshops. The program brings in volunteer coaches and tutors, provides meals, and supplies sports gear to participants at no cost.

Beyond the camp, his foundation supports literacy projects by underwriting book giveaways and classroom libraries. Partnerships with local nonprofits add STEM demonstrations and coding basics to camp schedules, creating an entry point for year-round youth development.

Harry Belafonte

Harry Belafonte founded The Gathering for Justice, which works to end child incarceration and promote juvenile-justice reform. The organization trains young organizers, provides legal-observer support, and runs policy campaigns aimed at expanding diversion programs and closing youth detention facilities.

The Gathering for Justice also coordinates large-scale mobilizations and town-hall events that connect communities with public defenders, social-service providers, and voter-registration resources. Micro-grants fund community projects like restorative-justice circles and youth leadership councils.

Omar Epps

The Omar Epps Foundation supports arts-education and college-readiness initiatives, funding school theater programs, music instruction, and creative-writing workshops. Grants cover instruments, rehearsal space, and stipends for teaching artists who lead after-school classes.

The foundation also runs scholarship and mentoring programs that pair students with industry professionals for portfolio reviews and job-shadow days. College-prep sessions guide families through FAFSA completion, scholarship searches, and campus-visit planning.

Danny Glover

Danny Glover serves as a goodwill ambassador and longtime partner to organizations that expand access to education, healthcare, and clean water in underserved communities. His advocacy and fundraising have helped fund vaccination drives, school-supply distributions, and well-construction projects.

Glover also supports policy and humanitarian groups focused on labor rights and disaster recovery. Benefit events he anchors channel funds to rebuild schools and clinics, train local health workers, and expand counseling services for families displaced by earthquakes and storms.

Share your thoughts in the comments: who else’s concrete programs and community investments should we highlight next?