The Ray of Light Foundation is a

non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...

charity organization that was established in 1998 by American singer-songwriter

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...

. The foundation takes its name from Madonna's seventh studio album, ''

Ray of Light ''Ray of Light'' is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on February 22, 1998, by Maverick Records. A major stylistic and aesthetic departure from her previous work, '' Bedtime Stories'', ''Ray of Light'' is ...

'', released in 1998. Its primary mission is to "promote peace, equal rights, and education for all." The organization's key areas of focus include women's empowerment, education initiatives, global development, and various humanitarian efforts.

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, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

, 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, refers to anyone in a position of trust and so can refer to any individual who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility for the ...

. According to Sarah Ezzy from Global Philanthropy Group, 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 a continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. According to some geographers, Physical geography, physiographically, Eurasia is a single supercontinent. The concept of Europe and Asia as distinct continents d ...

such as teacher salaries in

Gaza Strip The Gaza Strip, also known simply as Gaza, is a small territory located on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea; it is the smaller of the two Palestinian territories, the other being the West Bank, that make up the State of Palestine. I ...

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, pronounced ) is a UN agency that supports the relief and human development of Palestinian refugees. UNRWA's mandate encompasses Palestinians who fle ...

(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 left-wing 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 organiza ...

, which advocates for a diplomatic solution to the

Israeli–Palestinian conflict The Israeli–Palestinian conflict is an ongoing military and political conflict about Territory, land and self-determination within the territory of the former Mandatory Palestine. Key aspects of the conflict include the Israeli occupation ...

. 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.

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, Detroit, Michigan. The organization works to address homelessness by providing jobs to homeless women, and by manufacturing a coat that is given ...

, 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 reported that Madonna had 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 in Kenya, and the creation of Mali's first secondary school with

buildOn buildOn is an international nonprofit organization that runs youth service afterschool programs in United States high schools and builds schools in developing countries. The organization's programs engage young Americans from mostly urban areas ...

. 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 aroun ...

in Nigeria with the

Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping On the night of 14–15 April 2014, 276 mostly Christianity, Christian female students and also Muslim students aged from 16 to 18 were kidnapped by the Islamist militant group Boko Haram from the Government Girls Secondary School in the tow ...

in 2014, and the

International Organization for Migration The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is a United Nations related organization working in the field of migration. The organization implements operational assistance programmes for Human migration, migrants, including internally displa ...

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 (formerly National Gay Task Force; National Gay and Lesbian Task Force) is an American social justice advocacy non-profit organizing the grassroots power of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBT ...

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