Zendaya Donates $100,000 to a Place That's Incredibly Meaningful to Her

She said it launched her career.

Zendaya Stoermer attends The Movie 'Dune: Part Two' press conference at Conrad Hotels in Yeongdeungpo-gu on February 21, 2024 in Seoul, South Korea.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

At arguably the height of her career, Zendaya is taking the time to give back to a place near and dear to her heart.

On Tuesday, Feb. 20, the Euphoria actress donated $100,000 to the California Shakespeare Theater in Oakland, California—the very place where Zendaya got her start and launched her acting career.

The actress partnered with the Women Donors Network (WDN) in order to make the generation donation to the theater, which will go to its North Star Fund in order to assist in efforts to improve the theater and put on future shows.

“We are very pleased to be able to offer this general support grant in partnership with Zendaya,” Leena Barakat, President & CEO of the Women Donors Network said in a written statement, as reported by People.

“We hope that our funding supports your work and helps further your strategic vision, wherever funds are most needed.”

Zendaya Stoermer attends The Movie 'Dune: Part Two' press conference at Conrad Hotels in Yeongdeungpo-gu on February 21, 2024 in Seoul, South Korea.

Zendaya attends The Movie 'Dune: Part Two' press conference on February 21, 2024 in Seoul, South Korea. 

(Image credit: Getty Images)

In a written statement posted to the theater's website, Clive Worsley, the executive director of Cal Shakes, said that the theater is "deeply grateful to Zendaya and the WDN for their partnership and their generous grant."

"This gift helps Cal Shakes going strong as we prepare for our 50th Anniversary season," Worsley continued in the same statement.

Zendaya was a child model and backup dancer before she made her television debut on the 2010 Disney Channel sitcom Shake It Up. Later, in 2013, Zendaya went on to help create the Disney series

In a previous interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Zendaya looked back on the start of her career and the moment she finally felt like she had some power and agency as an actor.

"That was my first time realizing that I could have a little bit of power and request things that I wanted," Zendaya said at the time. "It was hugely important to me that it was a Black family being showcased. I just thought that that was important from the Disney Channel, considering that I know I watched it as a kid, and what I connected to the most was That's So Raven."

: Zendaya attends the World Premiere of "Dune: Part Two" in Leicester Square on February 15, 2024 in London, England.

Zendaya attends the World Premiere of "Dune: Part Two" in Leicester Square on February 15, 2024 in London, England. 

(Image credit: Getty Images)

In addition to giving back to her roots, Zendaya has been serving some truly headline-worthy fashion moments as she continues to promote her upcoming film Dune: Part Two.

On Feb. 15 at Leicester Square, the Spider-Man actress walked the Dune: Part Two premiere red carpet dressed in the metallic space-age outfit from the legendary French fashion designer Thierry Mugler's fall/winter 1995-1996 collection.

Then, on Feb. 22,  Zendaya rocked a vintage Givenchy gray zip-up jacket and matching miniature skirt, both featuring red, open-wire pattern decorations throughout.

Even in the wake of being named one of this year's 2024 Meg Gala co-chairs, it's clear that Zendaya is still not forgetting where she came from and how she got her start. We love to see it!

Danielle Campoamor
Weekend Editor

Danielle Campoamor is Marie Claire's weekend editor covering all things news, celebrity, politics, culture, live events, and more. In addition, she is an award-winning freelance writer and former NBC journalist with over a decade of digital media experience covering mental health, reproductive justice, abortion access, maternal mortality, gun violence, climate change, politics, celebrity news, culture, online trends, wellness, gender-based violence and other feminist issues. You can find her work in The New York Times, Washington Post, TIME, New York Magazine, CNN, MSNBC, NBC, TODAY, Vogue, Vanity Fair, Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire, InStyle, Playboy, Teen Vogue, Glamour, The Daily Beast, Mother Jones, Prism, Newsweek, Slate, HuffPost and more. She currently lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband and their two feral sons. When she is not writing, editing or doom scrolling she enjoys reading, cooking, debating current events and politics, traveling to Seattle to see her dear friends and losing Pokémon battles against her ruthless offspring. You can find her on X, Instagram, Threads, Facebook and all the places.