by Jamie Foxx is one of Hollywood’s most talented and versatile stars. He first rose to fame as a comedian and actor on the popular 1990s sketch comedy show In Living Color. Since then, he has gone on to have an illustrious career in film and music, winning an Academy Award and multiple Grammy Awards along the way.
However, there is more to Jamie Foxx than just being a talented entertainer. He has quietly been making a profound difference in many people’s lives through his charitable work over the past two decades. Foxx has supported various important causes close to his heart through financial donations and by lending his time, name, and voice.
Let’s take a closer look at some of Jamie Foxx’s most notable philanthropic endeavors and the huge charitable impact he has made.
The Foxxhole Foundation: Supporting the Next Generation
One of Foxx’s biggest charitable initiatives is his non-profit organization called The Foxxhole Foundation. He launched the foundation in 1998 with a vision to support underprivileged youth in creative arts education.
The Foxxhole Foundation provides financial assistance and programs to schools, community centers, and families in need. The goal is to help develop the artistic talents of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. A key focus area is supporting music education.
Some major programs run by The Foxxhole Foundation include:
- Music Scholarships: Awards scholarships each year to youth to support their music studies. This includes instruments, music lessons, and more.
- Youth Summer Camps: Organizes free multi-discipline art camps for underserved youth during summer breaks.
- Developing Recording Studios: Built a professional and state-of-the-art recording studio at a boys’ home campus in Louisiana to provide musical opportunities.
Over the past 20+ years, The Foxxhole Foundation has awarded scholarships to thousands of students across disciplines like music, visual arts, dance, and theater. Tens of thousands of youth have also participated in Foxxhole Foundation’s summer camps and benefitted from its programs.
Jamie Foxx is very hands-on with his foundation’s work. Not only does he oversee operations and raise funds through events and benefit concerts, but he also regularly participates in coaching and mentoring the next generation of creative talents.
Leading Fundraising for The Global Fund
Another major charitable cause dear to Jamie Foxx is raising money and awareness for The Global Fund – an international financing organization that provides support to developing countries to combat HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and other infectious diseases.
Jamie Foxx has been supporting The Global Fund for over 15 years. He was appointed as the first Global Fund Ambassador for the Arts way back in 2006 in recognition of his commitment to their mission.
For the past decade and a half, Foxx has been at the forefront of inspiring his peers and contacts within the entertainment industry to also lend their star power to back The Global Fund. Thanks to his efforts, the organization has gained support and raised tens of millions in funding from the Hollywood community.
Some examples of what Jamie Foxx has done to support The Global Fund include:
- Organizing and performing in major benefit concerts like the “Global Citizen Festival” which raised $58 million in funding for The Global Fund.
- Partnerships with brands like Louis Vuitton that have launched special edition products with proceeds benefiting The Global Fund
- His own donations as well as rallying celebrities to participate in fundraising campaigns like the “Red Nose Day” telethon event.
Jamie Foxx is still going strong in raising both funds and visibility for The Global Fund sixteen years after first getting involved. It goes to show his long-term commitment to the mission of fighting infectious diseases worldwide.
Championing Youth Education with the UNCF
Improving access to education for youth from disadvantaged and minority backgrounds is another major charitable cause championed by Jamie Foxx over the past two decades.
He has been a leading ambassador for the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) and is credited with raising tens of millions in donations for them. The UNCF provides scholarships, programs and operational funds to support historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) across the United States.
Jamie Foxx himself attended university on a music scholarship. So he strongly believes in the mission of the UNCF to make college education accessible for bright students, irrespective of their financial ability to pay for tuition.
Some of the major initiatives led by Jamie Foxx to support the UNCF include:
- Serving as Chairman of the UNCF’s “An Evening of Stars” telethon fundraiser for six years straight. Helped raise over $25 million.
- Investing $1 million to set up the Jamie Foxx Scholarship initiative in 2009 which has so far awarded over $1.2 million in scholarships.
- Personally donating several million dollars towards various UNCF scholarship and program funds over the years.
- Leveraging his industry network like designing shoes with Reebok where proceeds went towards UNCF.
Jamie Foxx’s fantastic work alongside the UNCF has helped send thousands of kids to college. Many of them are now thriving doctors, engineers, teachers giving back to their communities. It’s a major contribution toward helping break the cycle of poverty.
Rebuilding Schools Post Hurricane Katrina
When Hurricane Katrina caused horrific devastation across New Orleans and the coast of Louisiana in 2005, Jamie Foxx was one of Hollywood’s most active celebrities to help aid relief efforts on the ground.
Given that Foxx himself is a native of Louisiana, he took the hurricane relief work quite personally and made multiple personal and foundational donations totaling several million dollars. Some of his major contributions included:
- Giving over $1 million dollars to the American Red Cross relief fund.
- Paying to relocate around 80 Hurricane Katrina affected youth and enroll them at the LeMieux Center for Excellence – a vocational training institution Foxx supports.
- Driving truckloads of relief supplies to displaced families around New Orleans together with his sister Deidra Dixon and friends right after the hurricane hit.
- Launching “Jamie Foxx’s Helping Hand Charity” fund to support rebuilding of schools that got destroyed in New Orleans suburbs. Raised several million dollars.
Multiple schools and educational centers got rebuilt from scratch thanks to Jamie Foxx’s contributions after Hurricane Katrina. Given his personal connection to New Orleans, Foxx stayed invested long after the headlines faded and has continued to support relief plus rebuilding efforts in The Big Easy for years.
It was a cause he felt deeply for and Foxx certainly lived up to expectations in helping those affected bounce back post the 2005 tragedy.
Supporting Actors of Tomorrow
In addition to Jamie Foxx’s major philanthropic initiatives and causes, he is also a huge believer in paying it forward when it comes to helping the next generation of creative talents in the entertainment industry.
He has informally mentored dozens of young actors, filmmakers, musicians and comedians – helping them navigate showbiz, making useful connections and guiding them towards their big breaks.
Here are some rising talents who got a major early career boost thanks to Jamie Foxx’s mentorship:
- Actors Michael B. Jordan and Jay Ellis have been mentored by Foxx from very early on. He cultivated their talent and helped them land debut roles.
- Comedians Mo’nique and Anthony Anderson got some of their earliest exposure by performing sets on Foxx’s show (The Jamie Foxx Show) when they were still up and coming.
- Musicians Tank and The-Dream have spoken about how Foxx gave them guidance on dealing with fame years ago when they first became successful.
- Jussie Smollett got acting guidance as a teen and later his role alongside Foxx in The Soloist helped propel his career. Director of The Soloist Joe Wright said “Jamie took Jussie under his wing and was really supportive.”
While he keeps much of his personal mentoring and advice casual and behind-the-scenes, Jamie Foxx’s support is appreciated by the dozens of rising talents he has taken time to guide over the decades.
The Heart Behind The Work: Honoring His Grandparents’ Values
Looking at the scale and commitment behind Jamie Foxx’s outstanding philanthropic work over 20 years, one might wonder about his motivation and inspiration behind it all.
In several interviews over the years, Foxx has revealed that his passion for giving back stems from the lessons on compassion he learned from his beloved grandmother. She raised him as adopted son and instilled strong values of integrity and assisting those less fortunate.
He has said “My grandmother was a stickler for two things – honesty and making sure you help others.” Foxx proudly continues his grandparents’ legacy by upholding those values of generosity and giving.
Jamie Foxx shares that his grandmother always maintained that “blessed” people had a duty to “be a blessing to others.” Something he has evidently taken deeply to heart as evidenced by his selfless support of so many charitable causes over so many years.
When praising his ongoing philanthropy, former president Barack Obama accurately summed up Jamie Foxx’s charitable work as coming from “a good heart.” The genuineness and commitment Foxx brings is inspiring. He once said “When you are in a position to help, you can’t be tired, or make excuses.” Wise words.
Indeed, behind all the glamor and fame, Jamie Foxx is someone who stays tightly connected to his roots. His actions over the past two decades speak volumes about the compassionate human behind the brilliant entertainer we all know publicly.
Conclusion: An Inspiring Legacy of Giving
Jamie Foxx may have won leading roles in blockbuster films or topped Billboard charts with hit singles, but what makes him truly stand out is his dedicated philanthropy and charitable work spanning over twenty years now.
He supports important causes ranging from promoting youth education and poverty relief to rebuilding communities after disasters. And Foxx remains deeply involved instead of just donating funds – organizing events, giving his time to mentor kids and more.
Tens of thousands of lives worldwide have been touched thanks to Jamie Foxx’s huge contributions championing philanthropy. Quietly and without seeking commendations, he keeps finding more ways to give back and stay attuned to human suffering wherever it exists.
Jamie Foxx continues to leverage his star power and success to create positive change today. That lasting legacy of humanitarian work is what will continue to enrich our world long after he gave his final Oscar-worthy performance. It’s his off-screen role as a real life hero that we should celebrate now and always.
