The following is a list of some of the charitable causes that Whitney
Houston has supported over the years:
- The Whitney Houston Foundation For Children:
Formed in 1989, the WHFC aids sick and homeless children, and works toward the prevention of child abuse, teaches
children to read, and has built inner city parks and playgrounds. In past years, the foundation also has hosted a Christmas
party for homeless children.
- The United Negro College Fund is a favorite Whitney
Houston charity. She raised a quarter of a million dollars for the UNCF at a 1988 Madison Square Garden concert,
appeared on at least two "Lou Rawls Parade of Stars" telethons to benefit the UNCF, and has been honored by the organization
for her consistent giving with the Frederick D. Patterson Award. One of Whitney Houston's first gigs was a benefit concert
for the UNCF in which she sang "Tomorrow" from the musical "Annie."
- The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation: Whitney Houston
regularly attends their "Carousel of Hope" charity gala and was honored for her giving in 1996 with the Brass Ring Award.
- St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital: Founded by the
late actor Danny Thomas, this hospital helps critically-ill children without asking for money from their parents or
guardians. It is subsidized completely by charitable giving. Whitney Houston has given so much to the hospital over the
years that the founder's daughter, Marlo Thomas, honored her at a charity banquet in 1994.
- South Africa: The announcement that Whitney Houston would participate in the 1988 Freedom Fest concert event
(for a then-imprisoned Nelson Mandela) drew other artists and much media attention. In 1994, Whitney also toured in
South Africa, giving concert proceeds to numerous children's charities including two children's museums, the President's
Trust Fund (for the freed Nelson Mandela), the Kagiso Foundation and several orphanages. In the 1980s, when Whitney was
an up-and-coming fashion model, she also refused to work for any company that did business in then-Apartheid South Africa.
- American Red Cross: Whitney Houston donated all
of her proceeds from the single and home video sales of her Superbowl XXV rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner" to
benefit Gulf War troops and their families. Whitney's record company followed suit. Whitney was elected a member of the
American Red Cross Board of Directors in 1991.
- New York Firefighters and Police: Whitney Houston re-released "The Star Spangled Banner" charity single to
benefit the New York Firefighters Disaster Relief Fund and the New York Fraternal Order of Police Fund following
terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. She waived her royalty rights to the single, which went on to top the U.S. sales
charts in October 2001 and raised more than $1 million.
- The Children's Defense Fund: All of Whitney
Houston's proceeds from her two "Classic Whitney" concerts in Washington, D.C., totaling a quarter of a million dollars,
were donated to this charity.
- The National Birth Defects Center: The Boston area center
named its Hearing & Language Disorder Clinic after Whitney due to her giving.
- UMDNJ University Hospital: The Newark,
N.J.-based hospital named its Pediatric Special Care Unit after Whitney Houston due to her giving.
- Hale House: Whitney Houston donated enough to this
Harlem-based charity that they were able to build a Learning & Recreation Center.
- Rainbow House: Whitney Houston has provided financial assistance to this shelter for adolescent mothers and
for children with HIV and AIDS.
- Russian Aid Fund: In February 2004, Whitney donated 1 million rubles to the Aid Fund for victims of a bomb
attack in the Moscow subway. The funds were raised by her performances in Moscow.
- T.J. Martell Foundation: Whitney Houston has
supported this foundation, which funds research for leukemia, cancer and AIDS.
- Harlem Boys Choir, New Jersey State PBA, and The Youth of Atlantic City: Whitney donated proceeds from her
only 1990 U.S. concert appearances to these three charities.
- Debt Relief: Whitney supported a cyber petition by international debt relief campaign Jubilee 2000 to persuade
world leaders to erase debt owed by 40 of the world's poorest nations.
- Wyclef Jean Foundation: Whitney Houston participated in a Carnegie Hall benefit that earned about $250,000 for
this foundation in January 1991.
- Welcome Home Heroes: Whitney's Easter Sunday 1991 concert in Norfolk, Va., was free for returning Gulf War veterans
and their families. HBO, which televised the event live, encouraged cable systems to descramble their signal so everyone
could enjoy the show for free.
- 1994 Rainforest Benefit: Whitney Houston made a surprise guest performance at this event, notable for Whitney's
singing a bit of "La Donna e Mobile" from Giuseppe Verdi's opera "Rigoletto." She also performed "If It's Magic" and "I Will
Always Love You."
- For the 1992 movie premiere of "The Bodyguard," proceeds went to The Whitney Houston Foundation For Children and
to the Magic Johnson Foundation for pediatric AIDS research .
- For the 1996 movie premiere of "The Preacher's Wife," proceeds went to The Whitney Houston Foundation For Children,
the Boys & Girls Clubs of America (Denzel Washington's choice) and a third charity chosen by director Penny Marshall.
- Kurdish Refugee Relief 1991: Whitney performed at the "Simple Truth" concert at London's Wembley Stadium and
allowed MTV to simulcast her performance of "Miracle" at her Oakland, Calif., concert during a telethon held for this cause.
- Fighting AIDS: One of Whitney Houston's favorite causes, highlights include her performance at the Arista 15th
Anniversary AIDS Benefit in 1990. She also flew to Los Angeles for the "Commitment for Life" AIDS Benefit in 1994
from her South American tour, and then immediately flew back to resume her concert tour.
- Fighting Cancer: Another of Whitney Houston's favorite causes, Whitney performed at a Cancer Research Benefit at
Howard University in Washington, D.C.
- Michael Bolton Foundation: This charity honored Whitney for her giving in 1995 with a fund-raising gala. In 1997,
Bolton's foundation joined forces with Whitney's foundation to honor other charitable artists at a fund-raising gala.
- Emmanuel Cancer Foundation: Whitney was unable
to attend a 1990 benefit held in her honor, so she turned it into a food drive to benefit this New Jersey chidren's
organization.
- Special Olympics: Whitney performed at the
Opening Ceremonies in 1987 and recorded "Do
You Hear What I Hear" for free for their first "A Very Special Christmas" benefit album in 1989.
- 1988 Olympic Games: Whitney Houston recorded the song "One Moment In Time" for an album of the same name to
benefit Olympic athletes.
- Ronald McDonald Children's Charities: The South Florida arm of this organization honored Whitney for her giving.
- The Bronx Zoo: Whitney Houston donated two lion cubs to the Bronx Zoo in New York City in 1989.
- For her 1992 wedding, Whitney asked attendees and fans to contribute to the Whitney Houston Foundation For Children in
lieu of gifts.
- Whitney Houston has been honored for her charity work by the VH1 Honors in 1995, The First Annual Triumphant SPIRIT
Awards by Essence Magazine in 1997, and 1998 Trumpet Awards (organized by Ted Turner).
|