Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s Charitable Work

Angelina and Brad’s charitable work and contributions are considerable, especially when compared to other celebrities of their rank and status.  Jolie and Pitt, now a Hollywood super couple, have all eyes on them and they do not disappoint.  They have a sincere interest in changing the world for the better and have become quite well known for their efforts.  This page will give you a clear idea of just how involved both Angelina and Brad are in making a positive difference in the world.

During the shoot of Tomb Raider in Cambodia in 2001, Angelina became painfully aware of the many humanitarian crises plaguing the globe.  At that time, she sought information from UNHCR, visited refugee camps, and eventually made an 18-day field mission to Tanzania and Sierra Leone.  This inspired her to make her first $1 million contribution to UNHCR.  Angelina believed in this cause so much, she covered her own expenses for each of her missions.  Later that same year, she was named UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador in Geneva.

When asked what she hopes to accomplish with her involvement in humanitarian issues, Jolie proudly states, “Awareness of the plight of these people…they should be commended for what they have survived, not looked down upon.”  Her words are profound, but her actions speak to the masses.  Angelina has even incorporated her efforts into her professional world with the filming of Beyond Borders in Namibia and A Place in Time.

Angelina has made multiple UN trips all over the world ranging from Thailand, Ecuador, Kenya, Sudan, Sri Lanka, North Caucasus, Jordan, Egypt, Chad, and West Darfur.  On these trips, she has paid visits to refugee camps and met with world leaders to try and resolve many of the humanitarian issues at hand.  Her trips have become more and more political over time, participating in World Refugee Day in Washington, D.C. and speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos (2005 and 2006).

She is clearly using her influence to bring awareness, as she has also filmed an MTV special (The Diary of Angelina Jolie & Dr. Jeffrey Sachs in Africa) and her efforts have been recognized widely.  Angelina received the first Citizen of the World Award by the UNCA and has also been awarded the Global Humanitarian Award by the UNA-USA.  Furthermore, she has given $5 million for a wildlife sanctuary in Battambang, where she also owns property.  Aside from her work with the UN, she also is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the International Rescue Committee.

Brad Pitt, on his own, is also very much involved in humanitarian efforts, namely the ONE Campaign, which is aimed at fighting AIDS and poverty throughout third-world nations.  Like Angelina, Brad has also incorporated his humanitarian efforts into his professional life.  In 2005, he narrated the PBS special Rx for Survival: A Global Health Challenge.  With fellow celebrities such as Don Cheadle, George Clooney, and Matt Damon, he founded Not On Our Watch, a non-profit that brings awareness of the genocide occurring in Darfur.

Known for his love and appreciation of architecture, Brad has also created the Make It Right Foundation, which brought together housing professionals during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.  He pledged $5 million to get the ball rolling.  The goal of this organization was to rebuild New Orleans’ Ninth Ward with an emphasis on affordability, sustainability, and environmentally conscious efforts.

Also like Angelina, Brad has begun to politicize his humanitarian efforts by meeting with Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, and U.S. President, Barack Obama.  Together, this Hollywood super couple has also made a difference.  In 2005, the two made a visit to Pakistan in light of the Kashmir earthquake, in 2006 they traveled to Haiti to visit a school run by charity Yele Haiti, and in 2007 they contributed $1 million to three charities focusing on the atrocities in Darfur.

Aside from their multiple worldwide humanitarian visits and contributions, they have also founded the Jolie-Pitt Foundation, which aids humanitarian causes across the globe.  The foundation makes regular contributions to Doctors Without Borders, Global Action for Children, the Daniel Pearl Foundation, and so much more. Between 2006 and 2007, the foundation gave almost $6 million to charitable causes.