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Michael Jackson’s $300 Million Legacy

Michael Jackson died Thursday after going into cardiac arrest, at the age of 50. While no one disputes he was the King of Pop, what you may not have known is that he was a big philanthropist — to the tune of $300 million — to various charities. And a chunk of that went to scholarships.

In fact, in the Millennium-Issue of the “Guinness Book Of Records” Jackson was recognized as the Pop Star who supports the most charity organizations.

In 1986 Jackson gave $1.5 million to set up the "Michael Jackson UNCF Endowed Scholarship Fund”, aimed at students majoring in performance art and communications, with money given each year to students attending a member United Negro College Fund college or university. The scholarship has helped hundreds of students attend college.

Jackson also contributed to the Cities and Schools Scholarship Fund and many other charities aimed at education and special needs children.

The following is a list of some of the charities he publicly helped, taken from AllMichaelJackson.com:

• AIDS Project L.A.
• American Cancer Society
• Angel Food
• Big Brothers of Greater Los Angeles
• BMI Foundation, Inc.— Support music education for gifted youngsters.
• Brotherhood Crusade
• Brothman Burn Center
• Camp Ronald McDonald
• Childhelp U.S.A. – Aims at meeting the needs of abused an neglected children—including education.
• Children’s Institute International
• Cities and Schools Scholarship Fund
• Community Youth Sports & Arts Foundation
• Congressional Black Caucus (CBC)
• Dakar Foundation
• Dreamstreet Kids
• Dreams Come True Charity
• Elizabeth Taylor Aids Foundation
• Juvenile Diabetes Foundation
• Love Match
• Make-A-Wish Foundation
• Minority Aids Project
• Motown Museum
• NAACP
• National Rainbow Coalition
• Rotary Club of Australia
• Society of Singers
• Starlight Foundation
• The Carter Center’s Atlanta Project

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• The Sickle Cell Research Foundation
• Transafrica
• United Negro College Fund (UNCF)
• United Negro College Fund Ladder’s of Hope
• UNESCO—The proceeds of one of his tours went to the education of children in developing countries.
• Volunteers of America
• Watts Summer Festival
• Wish Granting
• YMCA – 28th Street/Crenshaw

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