“I think that any free-thinking person who becomes very wealthy and has strong opinions on things would get involved with something like The Trevor Project or scholarships for schools or whatever. Fame is very useful in directing attention toward those things.”

“You know, the fact that I wake up in my lovely apartment in New York and get to stroll down here and do a couple of shows, and there is somebody in some country waking up wondering where he’s going to live that week—it’s a horrendous feeling. There is a sense that you have to do something. I feel Brad Pitt would agree that the way to help is to really get behind things that you’re passionate about, like The Trevor Project. You have to give back.”

We think he nailed it! More celebs should follow his example and use their wealth and fame for the benefit of others.

DoSomething.org came out with a list of their top twenty “Celebrities Gone Good” in 2011. Daniel made number 17!

Who are your favorite charitable celebrities? Do you respect an actor or musician more when they use their influence for good?

We can all remember what we were doing when we heard the news that morning. This year, the New York Times has created an interactive Google map where people from around the world can pinpoint and share where they were and how they felt when they first heard. To browse the stories and add your own, you can check out the map here. The map is part of the New York Times’ larger collection of articles, photos, and reflections called “The Reckoning: America and the World a Decade After 9/11.”.

We appreciate the efforts of all of our members and our charities, and this month it seems especially important that we highlight the IAVA, which stands for the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. Since 9/11, over 2.2 million Americans have served in Iraq or Afghanistan, and the IAVA continues to provide resources for veterans and returning soldiers. The IAVA improves the lives of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans and their families as they focus on addressing mental health issues, a stretched VA system, health care costs, and education.

You can earn free donations for IAVA year round by supporting them on SocialVibe.

Rivers, oceans, and beaches are more than a fundamental part of our summer experiences; they represent a vital eco-system that affects everything from sea life to or our economic well being.

We all know there are plenty of threats to beaches, oceans, and sea-life, but it's not always clear how things like pollution affect us and what we can do to help, aside from the obvious like not littering. Thankfully, organizations like Heal the Bay are here to help.

Here are a few simple things you can do to help keep our oceans healthy and clean:

- Don't clean or garden with harsh chemicals. The cleaning products we use end up in our oceans. If you garden or wash your car with these products, chances are they're going into the ocean without being filtered. Making your own cleaning products with ingredients like baking soda and lemon are healthier for your family, cheaper and better for the environment. Learn how here.
- Of course you don't litter, but make sure your friends, family and others don't either. Whenever you get the chance, teach kids about why it's important to never litter.
- Learn about volunteer opportunities like beach clean-ups, and recruit friends and family to join you.
- Reduce urban run-off by conserving water. Faucets off while you brush!
- Purchase items from buythebay.org. All proceeds from each item support Heal the Bay projects!

You can earn free donations for Heal the Bay by supporting them on SocialVibe!