Since her transition to pop superstardom and amassing a global following, Taylor Swift has done a remarkable job of staying true to her progressive values without overly politicizing her brand.
Carolyn Bolton| Opinion contributor
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“People throw rocks at things that shine.”
That lyric flashed through my head as I read arecent opinion columnclaimingthat TaylorSwift “has yet to make a significant mark as a philanthropist,” and that her estimated$4 billionEras Tour earnings are a chance for the singer to champion left-leaningcauses inhonor of her fans.
AsSwifties know, though, this dismissive characterization of the12-timeGrammy Award winner’s charitable giving is anything but perfectly fine. Swift has a mind of her own, and she’s not afraid to use it. Her approach to philanthropy is no exception.
Taylor Swift has supported food banks and cancer patients
Map outSwift’s philanthropy and one finds the singer’s empathetic approach to giving is deeply personal and powerful, transcending political divides. That includes her support of friends, cancer patients, sexual assault survivors, disaster relief organizations and food banks along her Eras Tour.The list goes on.
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Take her steady support of friends who have fallen on hard times.Swift, for example,loanedher New York City home to Sophie Turner amid the “Game of Thrones” star’s divorce from Joe Jonas and gifted Kesha$250,000after a judge ruled against the singer in a civil court case.
What’s more, afterSwift won acountersuitagainst former country music DJ David Mueller, whogropedher during a red-carpet event in 2013, “The Man” singer pledgedmoneyto theJoyful Heart Foundation, a nonprofit that helps counsel sexual assault survivors.
Perhaps the most personal ofSwift’s charitable giving, however, is her ongoing support of those fighting cancer, just as both ofSwift’sparentshave battled cancer – an experienceSwift writes about in “Soon You’ll Get Better,” a deep track on her"Lover"album.
Rather than make splashy, polarizing donations to Planned Parenthood, as fellow artistsHarry StylesandLizzohave done,Swift speaks up about important policy concerns but stops short of big politicized left-leaning donations – perhaps out of respect for her more traditional fans.
Swift speaks up about her progressive values without hurting her brand
Swift rose to fame as a country singer, securing the admiration of more moderate women who found escape in songs like “Love Story” and “Ours,” in whichSwift sings about prioritizing love, marriage and the allusion of family life over a depressing 9-to-5 cubicle job.
Yet, since her transition to pop superstardom and amassing a global following,Swift has done a remarkable job of staying true to her progressive values without overly politicizing her brand. Her focus, instead, is on connecting with her fans –whether from a stage or a hospital room.
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What’s more, it’s reasonable to assume that a singer savvy enough toquestionthe legitimacy of FTX, a now bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange, has already mapped out her philanthropic goals.
In fact, Swift could already be donating to the left-leaning groups that some people want her to give to, but – for a variety of reasons – does so privately, which is her prerogative and part of her constitutional right to free speech.
Whatever directionSwift decides to tack with her charitable giving –now or in the future – her decision likely will be personally driven, intentional and an extension of her already significant mark on the world of philanthropy. And, most important, the decision will be entirely her own.
Carolyn Bolton is the communications and marketing director for DonorsTrust, a giving-account provider based in Alexandria, Virginia.
