Ray of Light Foundation is a charity

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

founded by American singer-songwriter

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...

in 1998. Named after her seventh studio album, ''

Ray of Light ''Ray of Light'' is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released in early 1998 by Maverick Records. A stylistic and aesthetical departure from her previous work, ''Ray of Light'' is an electronica and techno-pop reco ...

'' (1998), it is dedicated to helping "to promote peace, equal rights and education for all". The organization focuses on women, education, global development and humanitarian.

Foundation

After contributing to various charitable organizations, Madonna decided to establish her own in 1998 and named it after her seventh studio album, ''

'' (1998). The foundation is based in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, California, with Melanie Ciccone (Madonna's sister) working as its

trustee Trustee (or the holding of a trusteeship) is a legal term which, in its broadest sense, is a synonym for anyone in a position of trust and so can refer to any individual who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility to t ...

. According to Sarah Ezzy from

Global Philanthropy Group Global Philanthropy Group is a consulting firm that provides philanthropic services for high-net-worth individuals, charitable foundations and corporations. Their clients include John Legend, Avril Lavigne, Madonna, Tegan and Sara, Miley Cyrus, Eva ...

, she "alone" funds the organization. The foundation's primary focus areas are women, education, international development, and humanitarian concerns.

Selected charitable activities

Eurasia

The Ray of Light Foundation has contributed to programs in

Eurasia Eurasia (, ) is the largest continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. Primarily in the Northern and Eastern Hemispheres, it spans from the British Isles and the Iberian Peninsula in the west to the Japanese archipelago a ...

such as teacher salaries in

Gaza Strip The Gaza Strip (;The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p.761 "Gaza Strip /'gɑːzə/ a strip of territory under the control of the Palestinian National Authority and Hamas, on the SE Mediterranean coast including the town of Gaza.. ...

schools through the

United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is a UN agency that supports the relief and human development of Palestinian refugees. UNRWA's mandate encompasses Palestinians displaced by the 1948 P ...

(UNRWA) and microloans to female farmers through the Palestine Fair Trade Association. The foundation also supports

Americans for Peace Now Americans for Peace Now (APN) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States whose stated aim is to help achieve a comprehensive political resolution of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. Founded in 1981 as the sister organization to ...

, which advocates for a diplomatic solution to the

Israeli-Palestinian conflict Israelis ( he, יִשְׂרָאֵלִים‎, translit=Yīśrāʾēlīm; ar, الإسرائيليين, translit=al-ʾIsrāʾīliyyin) are the citizens and nationals of the State of Israel. The country's populace is composed primarily of Jew ...

. The Ray of Light Foundation assisted 2,600 Palestine refugee girls in gaining access to inclusive and high-quality education in the Gaza Strip, according to the UNRWA 2018 annual report. Following Madonna's donation to the COVID-19 vaccine in 2020, the foundation provided financial assistance to

American Near East Refugee Aid American Near East Refugee Aid (Anera) is an American 501(c)(3) non-governmental organization that provides humanitarian and development aid to the Middle East, specifically the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, Lebanon and Jordan. Founded in 1968 in ...

the Americas

In the Americas, the foundation contributed to the Community Organized Relief Effort in Haiti, an organization founded by her former husband Sean Penn which Madonna visited in 2013. The following year, Madonna donated to three Detroit organizations: Detroit Achievement Academy & Detroit Prep, Downtown Boxing Gym and the

Empowerment Plan The Empowerment Plan is an American humanitarian organization, located in Milwaukee Junction, Detroit, Michigan. The organization works to address homelessness by providing jobs to homeless women, and by manufacturing a coat that is given to homel ...

, with supplies such as iPods and iPads, as well as money, to assist in the construction of a boxing gym. Furthermore, the foundation has supported causes for artists suffering from health issues as well as medical research and health organizations. By 2007, it was report that Madonna has made small donations to various health organizations, including TJ Martell Foundation for Leukemia and Cancer Research and also to All Saints Church.

Africa

In Africa, the foundation has supported Madonna's

Raising Malawi Raising Malawi is a charity non-profit organization that was founded by Madonna and Michael Berg in 2006. It is dedicated to helping with the extreme poverty and hardship endured by Malawi's one million orphans, primarily through health and educa ...

charity organization,

Shining Hope for Communities Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO) is a grassroots movement based in Nairobi, Kenya in urban slums providing services, community advocacy platforms, and education and leadership development for women and girls. SHOFCO serves more than 350,000 ...

in Kenya, and the creation of Mali's first secondary school with buildOn. It assisted the

Global Fund for Women The Global Fund for Women is a non-profit foundation funding women's human rights initiatives. It was founded in 1987 by New Zealander Anne Firth Murray, and co-founded by Frances Kissling and Laura Lederer to fund women's initiatives around th ...

in Nigeria with the

Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping On the night of 14–15 April 2014, 276 mostly Christianity, Christian female students aged from 16 to 18 were kidnapped by the Islamic terrorism, Islamic terrorist group Boko Haram from the Government Girls Secondary School at the town of Chi ...

in 2014, and the

International Organization for Migration The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is a United Nations agency that provides services and advice concerning migration to governments and migrants, including internally displaced persons, refugees, and migrant workers. The IOM was ...

in 2016.

Other campaigns

In 2019, the Ray of Light Foundation joined a partnership with the

National LGBTQ Task Force The National LGBTQ Task Force is an American social justice advocacy non-profit organizing the grassroots power of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community. Also known as The Task Force, the organization supports act ...

to expand that group's "violence prevention work, especially as it affects transgender women of color."

References

External links

Official website
{{Madonna Madonna Charities based in California