SOURCE OF WEALTH: Singer, Songwriter
FUNDING AREAS: Veterans, Health & Human Services
OVERVIEW: Lionel Richie does his grantmaking through the Lionel Richie Foundation, which has made modest grants lately.
BACKGROUND: Lionel Richie was born in Tuskegee, Alabama, in 1949. He lived at the Tuskegee Institute growing up and initially wanted to become a priest. A founding member of the Commodores, Richie was involved in such hits as “Easy,” “Three Times a Lady,” and “Brick House”—perhaps the greatest funk track of all time. He reached greater fame as a solo artist, and his Can’t Slow Down won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year. In 1985, he co-wrote the charity single “We Are the World,” which raised over $63 million for humanitarian aid in Africa and the United States.
ISSUES:
VETERANS: Richie, via his foundation, has supported Veterans for America and Sheriff’s Youth Foundation of Los Angeles County. In a recent tax year, the foundation only gave away $10,000, however, with $5,000 going to each of the aforementioned organizations.
HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES: Richie supports the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, City of Hope, UNICEF, Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center, and the Clara Lionel Foundation, an organization the singer Rihanna established to “benefit impoverished communities across the globe, with healthcare, and education, among other various programs.”
LOOKING FORWARD: It is unclear if Richie, in his 70s, will increase his philanthropy via his foundation. He may have other more direct avenues of grantmaking, however, and some important grants may be missing from this rundown.
CONTACT:
The Lionel Richie Foundation does not provide a clear avenue of contact but below is an address:
The Lionel Richie Foundation
1880 Century Park E., Suite #1600
Los Angeles, CA 90067
