Beyoncé Gave $6 Million to Aid Coronavirus Relief Efforts

(Image credit: (C)KEVIN MAZUR / GETTY IMAGES)

published 24 April 20

Through her BeyGOOD charity initiative, Beyoncé (opens in new tab) donated $6 million to coronavirus relief efforts, partnering with Twitter founder Jack Dorsey's #startsmall campaign.
The money will go to organizations supporting underserved communities of color in the U.S.
Beyoncé (opens in new tab) is also supporting organizations providing mental healthcare in Houston, New York, Detroit, and New Orleans.

Beyoncé, our forever Queen, just made an enormous donation to aid coronavirus relief efforts. Through BeyGOOD, her charity initiative, she partnered with Twitter founder Jack Dorsey's #startsmall fund to donate $6 million, which will go to the National Alliance in Mental Illness (NAMI), UCLA, and a string of community-based organizations.

"Communities of color are suffering by epic proportions due to the Covid-19 pandemic," a statement on Beyoncé's website (opens in new tab) opens. "Many families live in underserved areas with homes that make it harder to practice social distancing. Communities that were already lacking funds for education, health and housing are now faced with alarming infection rates and fatalities. And these communities lack access to testing and equitable healthcare."

"Beyoncé's BeyGOOD is supporting organizations that are on the ground 24/7, including United Memorial Center, Bread of Life, Matthew 25 and others, to address these dire needsin some of the hardest hit areas, providing basic necessities, including food, water, cleaning supplies, medicines, face masks, and personal hygiene items."

"Void of these basic necessities, mental burdens are also accelerated," Beyoncé said in the statement, explaining that her donation would go towards "providing mental wellness services in Houston, New York, New Orleans and Detroit.

A post shared by Beyoncé (@beyonce) (opens in new tab)
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Beyoncé also shared a powerful video statement on her Instagram, which also screened during last weekend's One World: Together at Home concert, thanking essential workers and calling out the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Black communities. Read her full statement below:

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Emily Dixon

Emily Dixon is a British journalist who’s contributed to CNN, Teen Vogue, Time, Glamour, The Guardian, Wonderland, The Big Roundtable, Bust, and more, on everything from mental health to fashion to political activism to feminist zine collectives. She’s also a committed Beyoncé, Kacey Musgraves, and Tracee Ellis Ross fan, an enthusiastic but terrible ballet dancer, and a proud Geordie lass.