It’s no secret that many professional athletes make ludicrous amounts of money. While some are content to play on their teams and stay out of the spotlight for the most part, there are many athletes who are on par with A-List celebrities in terms of their lifestyles and salaries. The athletes who drop huge amounts of cash on lavish houses, expensive cars, and VIP events often get the most attention, as they become a staple of tabloids.

However, there are also many athletes who spend huge amounts of cash on items that are a little less consumer based and a lot more charitable. Whether they founded their own organization, are ardent supporters of a particular organization or charity, or merely give generous amounts to a whole slew of organizations, many athletes are extremely charitable with their whopping salaries. They realize they live a fairly privileged life and are very conscious of that, making sure to often give back to those less fortunate.

Some athletes take their charitable responsibilities as a surface thing, merely showing up to events periodically to get some good press. However, there are athletes who are completely dedicated to their charitable endeavours, athletes who work tirelessly to support the organizations they believe in, not only by writing cheques but by being involved in the process.

Here are 25 athletes in a wide range of sports who have shown the world exactly how generous and charitable some athletes can be.

25  25. Carmelo Anthony

Anthony set up his charity, the Carmelo Anthony Foundation, in 2005. His foundation seeks to give back to the community by providing programs and help for disadvantaged youths. He has also hosted or helped organize a variety of events that benefit the youth of the community, and has donated to the Living Classrooms Foundation.

24 24. Eli Manning

Manning has shown his support for the March of Dimes, the Red Cross, and Phoenix House. His most dedicated charitable effort, however, hits closer to his alma mater in Mississippi. In 2007, Manning put forth a five year campaign on behalf of the Blair E. Batson Hospital for Children where he promised to try to raise $2.5 million for the hospital.

23 23. Larry Fitzgerald

Fitzgerald has shown his support for a variety of charities including Oxfam, USAID, and the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center. He also established the Larry Fitzgerald First Down Fund, which helps children by providing funding for positive activities such as youth football camps and supporting children in crisis as well as health-related organizations that deal with families. In honor of his mother Carol, he also set up the Carol Fitzgerald Memorial Fund which provides support to charitable causes that Fitzgerald’s mother believed in.

22 22. Tiger Woods

While Tiger Woods has gotten a lot of bad press for his womanizing tendencies, it can’t be ignored that he has made a lot of generous charitable efforts over the course of his career. He has supported Caddy for a Cure, the Rainforest Foundation Fund, and Shriners Hospitals for Children, as well as attaching his own name to charitable efforts such as the Tiger Woods Foundation and the Tiger Woods Learning Center.

21 21. Charles Tillman

Tillman’s charitable efforts were ignited by something very close to his heart – his daughter, Tiana. When she was only three months old, Tiana was diagnosed with a rare heart disease for which she eventually got a heart transplant. The experience led Tillman to devote himself to help other sick children in Chicago, as his own daughter was helped, and he eventually established the Charles Tillman Cornerstone Foundation.

20 20. Nnamdi Asomugha

Asomugha is just as amazing off the field as he was on the field. He is chairman of the Asomugha Foundation, which is responsible for two incredible charitable programs: the Asomugha College Tour for Scholars program, where he takes youths on college tours, all expenses paid, and the Orphans and Widows in Need Foundation, which helps provide aid to orphans and widows in Nigeria. Asomugha also wrote a mandate into his Nike contract that provides the Narbonne High School (his alma mater) football and basketball team with shoes.

19 19. Tim Tebow

Tebow’s name is synonymous with Christianity, so it seems somewhat expected that he incorporates charitable efforts into his life – it’s what a good Christian would do. Tebow is responsible for the Tim Tebow Foundation, which is attempting to build a hospital in the Philippines in partnership with CURE International.

18 18. Clayton Kershaw

Kershaw established Kershaw’s Challenge after he visited Africa with his wife during a Christian mission. Inspired by a child named Hope, he combined his desire to help Hope and children like her with his baseball skills and designed the concept of “Striking out to Serve.” He encourages individuals to give back with whatever skills, passion, or purpose they have, like his skill at baseball.

17 17. Serena Williams

Williams supports numerous charitable organizations, amongst them the Common Ground Foundation, Build African Schools, the Elton John AIDS Foundation, the Eva Longoria Foundation, Hearts of Gold, and more. She has also been named a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.

16 16. Derek Jeter

Newly retired baseball superstar Derek Jeter has supported several charities throughout his time as an athlete including Soles4Souls, Stand Up To Cancer, and the Entertainment Industry Foundation. However, he is perhaps best known for the Turn 2 Foundation, which he himself established in 1996. Turn 2 seeks to help youths avoid drug and alcohol addiction and to reward academic achievement.

15 15. Lance Armstrong

Armstrong is best known for the foundation that formerly his name, the Livestrong Foundation (formerly the Lance Armstrong Foundation). He has been involved with Livestrong for many years and even ran the New York Marathon to support the Foundation. He also supports charities such as Athletes for Hope, Augie’s Quest, the Jeff Gordon’s Children Foundation, Stand Up To Cancer, the Tony Hawk Foundation, The Miami Project, and more.

14 14. Andy Roddick

In keeping with the tradition of many athletes who establish foundations and name them after themselves, Roddick founded the Andy Roddick Foundation, which seeks to raise funds for children who experience neglect, abuse, or illness, in 2000. He has also shown support for the Bryan Bros. Foundation, City Harvest, the Willow Foundation, and the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation.

13 13. LeBron James

Basketball superstar LeBron James is behind the LeBron James Family Foundation, whose mission is to provide a positive effect in the lives of youths through education and educational initiatives. They’ve been responsible for the initiatives Wheels for Education, the LeBron Advisory Board, and more. James has also supported the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, the Gabrielle’s Angel Foundation, the Children’s Defense Fund, and After-School All-Stars.

12 12. Albert Pujols

Pujols is the founder and chairman of The Pujols Family Foundation, an organization that seeks to help individuals with Down syndrome, individuals living with disabilities or life threatening disabilities, and families and children living in poverty in the Dominican Republic.

11 11. Michael Phelps

At the Beijing Olympics, Phelps won his 8^th gold medal at the time and received a $1 million bonus from Speedo. Rather than spending the money foolishly, he invested it in founding the Michael Phelps Foundation, which promotes active lifestyles in children and currently offers three programs (im, Level Field Fund-Swimming, and Caps-for-a-Cause). Phelps has also supported organizations such as the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center and Bid 2 Beat AIDS.

10 10. Brett Favre

In 2010, Favre combined his Brett Favre Fourward Foundation with his wife Deanna’s charity and created the Favre 4 Hope Foundation. The foundation has donated over $3 million to charities in Wisconsin and Favre’s native Mississippi.

9 9. Roger Federer

Federer has supported a wide range of charities including the Elton John AIDS Foundation, the Mines Advisory Group, the Small Steps Project, and the Humpty Dumpty Foundation. Not content to merely give generously to charities other individuals were running, he also established his own – the Roger Federer Foundation. Taking a cue from Federer’s own athletic life, his foundation seeks to foster education, leisure activities, and sports in locations where little funding is available. He is also a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.

8 8. Jeff Gordon

Perhaps the most charitable guy in Nascar, Gordon established his own Jeff Gordon Foundation, which seeks to help programs supporting children with cancer find funding. Due to his passion for helping cure pediatric cancer, he also established a Children’s Hospital in North Carolina. Gordon has also shown his support for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Partners in Health, Soles4Souls, Athletes for Hope, and the American Association of Retired Persons.

7 7. Andre Agassi

Agassi is a charitable superstar who has supported or helped found a variety of charities. The one most closely linked to him is the Andre Agassi Foundation for Education, which seeks to provide educational and recreational opportunities for at-risk youths, and the Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation, which . He also helped found Athletes for Hope alongside several fellow athletes. He has also contributed to Hearts of Gold, Jeff Gordon Children’s Foundation, the Small Steps Project, The Miami Project, the Tony Hawk Foundation, Education Africa, and more.

6 6. Tom Brady

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has supported charities such as the Entertainment Industry Foundation, KaBOOM!, the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and perhaps the charity he’s most known for supporting, Best Buddies International.