Lady Gaga Launches Born This Way Foundation.ORG

Like many office water cooler chats, we at PIR talk a lot about celebrities. But in addition to bantering about Angelina’s right leg or the latest Dancing with the Stars cast, we often discuss celebrities who use their influence to establish nonprofits and foundations, and who in turn look to .ORG to mobilize support for their causes. Today’s topic of conversation? Lady Gaga’s the Born this Way Foundation (www.bornthiswayfoundation.org).  Even before her organization’s launch, Lady Gaga has been an unwavering advocate of the anti-bullying movement that has heated up in the past year (heck, she wrote her hit song, “Born this Way,” about these very issues). So it’s no surprise that the Born this Way Foundation’s mission is to “foster a more accepting society, where differences are embraced and individuality is celebrated.” Ultimately, the foundation aims to cultivate a safe community where young people can obtain the skills and opportunities necessary to encourage a kinder, braver world.

Lady Gaga’s influence as a global pop icon is undeniable, and it would be difficult to refute the idea that everything she touches turns to gold. Even for the foundation’s launch event taking place today, she has brought on the public support of Oprah Winfrey, author and speaker Deepak Chopra, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius and more.   And on a personal level, it’s great to see the involvement of her mom, Cynthia Germanotta, a former Verizon colleague of mine.

We’re thrilled they have recognized the value of .ORG to help spread the word about her cause and to empower youth to make the world a better place. The launch of the Born this Way Foundation doesn’t just highlight the trend of celebrities utilizing .ORG to promote their passions; it’s an example of the music community in particular embracing the domain to flex its philanthropic muscle.

We look forward to following the triumphs of the Born this Way Foundation in the months and years to come and have no doubt that it will join the expansive roster of .ORGs making a tangible impact on the world—and quickly. If you’d like to watch the live stream of the organization’s launch event today to learn more about its mission, click here.

And with that, I wanted to leave you with a few other examples of foundations and nonprofits created by celebrity musicians that are worth checking out:

• Raising Malawi, Madonna: Founded to bring an end to the extreme poverty and hardship endured by Malawi’s 1.4 million orphans and vulnerable children once and for all.
• Keep a Child Alive, Alicia Keys: Provides treatment, love and support to families affected by HIV/AIDS.
• One, Bono: Fights extreme poverty and preventable disease, particularly in Africa, by raising awareness and pressuring political leaders to support smart and effective policies and programs that are saving lives, putting kids in school and improving futures.
• G-Unity Foundation, 50 Cent: provides grants to nonprofit organizations that focus on improving the quality of life for low-income and underserved communities.

Know of others? We’d love to hear from you, as we are always looking for exemplary .ORGs. Feel free to send me an email at media [at] pir.org.