MARILYN MONROE’S CHARITABLE CAUSES
A legacy of kindness, with a special heart for children.
Among friends, colleagues, and those who knew her personally, Marilyn Monroe was widely remembered not only for her extraordinary fame, but for her generosity and deep empathy toward others. Throughout her career, she contributed time, attention, and financial support to a range of charitable efforts, often focusing on children’s welfare, medical research, and humanitarian causes.
The timeline below highlights several documented examples of Marilyn’s philanthropy, from benefit appearances in the 1950s to the charitable provisions included in her will. It also explores how stories of her kindness have sometimes evolved into legend, separating what can be verified through historical record from what remains unsubstantiated.
In preserving both the confirmed acts and the myths that surround them, we gain a fuller understanding of Marilyn’s enduring humanity, and the real impact she sought to make beyond Hollywood.
1953: A benefit for underprivileged children cared for by Jude’s Hospital. Marilyn sang with Jane Russell at the Hollywood Bowl
1955: Marilyn worked with WAIF, an organization that placed abandoned children in homes. Jane Russell enlisted Marilyn’s help.
1955: Marilyn’s appearance at a circus sponsored by Mike Todd at Madison Square Garden in New York City benefited the Arthritis and Rheumatism Foundation. She appeared astride a pink elephant.
1957: Marilyn gave earnings from the world premiere of The Prince and The Showgirl to The Milk Fund for Babies.
1962: Marilyn’s final public appearance was at a muscular dystrophy benefit held at Chavez Ravin Dodger Stadium in Los Angels on June 1, her 36th and final birthday.
Marilyn’s final charitable donation was her largest: In her will, she left 25% of her estate to former psychiatrist, Dr. Marianne Kris, “to be used for the furtherance of the work of such psychiatric institutions or groups as she shall elect.” Knowing Marilyn’s enormous love for children, Kris chose the Anna Freud Children’s Clinic of London.
Fact or Fiction?
In 1962, Marilyn visited an orphanage during her trip to Mexico. Her initial donation was $1,000.00. She ripped up the check and replaced it with another for a $10,000.00 donation. That night was one of the few nights in her later life that she recalled sleeping without the aid of sleeping pills.
It’s Fiction: While it’s true that Marilyn visited an orphanage during her 1962 Mexico trip, there is no evidence in Marilyn’s 1962 financial documentation (now part of this collection – view here) of having made either donation.
Learn About Marilyn Monroe
Discover more about the life and legacy of Marilyn Monroe.