TIME100 Philanthropy List Spotlights Rihanna, Elton John and Shakira

Chart-topping artists Rihanna, Sir Elton John and Shakira are accustomed to praise for their records. TIME has now shifted attention to another measure of influence: years of giving through their foundations.

On Thursday, May 14, the magazine released its first TIME100 Philanthropy roll call, with all three names included.

Rihanna was placed in the Trailblazers grouping for the Clara Lionel Foundation, which she set up in 2012 after her grandmother passed away from cancer-related illness. The Fenty founder’s charity has since channelled more than US$100 million into programmes tied to climate action, the arts, schooling and medical care in the Caribbean, the United States and East Africa.

The list also saluted Sir Elton and David Furnish for long-running efforts to confront HIV and AIDS through the Elton John AIDS Foundation. Shakira was noted for backing education in Colombia via the Barefoot Foundation, which has trained hundreds of thousands of teachers and put up numerous schools.