Happy Birthday Oprah Winfrey: Humanitarian Work By The Icon

Oprah Winfrey is not only a highly acclaimed show host, actress and author but her philanthropic work has also won hearts all over the world. It is something she is really motivated and dedicated towards. Having really humble beginnings, Winfrey has seen lows and highs through her life and has come out to be the best version from all her experiences. The honorary Oscar winner has been helping underprivileged people from around the world as much as she can to help them get the best opportunities available by making the basics of life available to them.

She was the first African-American to be named among the top 50 most philanthropic Americans in 2004. She was projected to have donated almost $400 million to educational organisations by 2012.

Winfrey has 31 charities that work for 27 causes around the globe making the lives of millions better through her many organisations. Here is a look at her charities that have made a positive change in the lives of many around the world.

Oprah's Angel Network

Oprah's Angel Network, her own philanthropic organisation, was founded in 1998. The foundation was established to assist humanitarian projects and provide grants to nonprofit organisations all around the world. Oprah made it her personal duty to ensure that 100% of all money go to charity initiatives, thus she personally funded all administrative costs to keep Oprah's Angel Network running. By 2010, the organisation had raised over $80 million and had ceased to accept donations, eventually disbanding. When Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans, however, Oprah established the Oprah Angel Network Katrina Registry. Prior to the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and Rita, relief efforts gathered $11 million and had homes built in Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama. Winfrey has used her talk show to promote The Angel Network, claiming that 100 percent of each donation goes straight to sponsoring a project.

The Oprah Winfrey Foundation

Winfrey is the only director of the Oprah Winfrey Foundation. (Because it is funded by an endowment, you will not be able to donate to this organisation). In 2007, the Oprah Winfrey Operating Foundation was established to support the Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa. Winfrey has genuinely established herself as an altruistic person through these organisations. She has spread her influence and arm far and wide over the globe. In 2006 she put $36 million of her own money in the foundation as well.

Mississippi Animal Rescue League

Aside from these organisations, Winfrey has volunteered with a number of others. Oprah signed a wooden dog bone for the Mississippi Animal Rescue League, which will be auctioned off. She also gave each of her 300 audience members a $1,000 donation to a charity of their choice. Winfrey collaborated on the design and autographed a pair of shoes for the Stuart Weitzman charity shoe auction, which raises money for ovarian cancer awareness and research.

Clinton Foundation

Winfrey is also an active member of the Cllinton Foundation. It helps individuals and the world benefit from their health, economic, education, tolerance, and peace programmes. It was started by former President of the United States Bill Clinton with the stated mission to "strengthen the capacity of people in the United States and throughout the world to meet the challenges of global interdependence."

Project Cuddle

She also extensively donates to Project Cuddle, which is a non-profit organisation based in California dedicated to preventing baby abandonment. It assists pregnant women in need by providing shelter, directing them to medical and prenatal care, and assisting them in finding adoptive families.

Free The Children

She is a major supporter of Free The Children, a non-profit dedicated to building schools for children in developing countries. Winfrey has also put up for auction off some of her collection's automobiles for charity. It was founded by Marc and Craig Kielburger, in 1995 as an international development charity and youth empowerment movement and is now known as WE Charity.