Is Madonna a Cheapskate?

Madonna has often been heralded as a superstar with a big heart—she’s worked on behalf of a committee to help orphans in poverty-stricken Malawi, where she has adopted two children—but could she be doing more? That’s the question being raised by the tax filing for her Ray of Light Foundation, which reveals the singer gave away $459,000 last year despite the fact that Forbes recently reported in June that she makes $110 million annually. And don’t forget to tack on the additional $280 million she grossed from her Sticky & Sweet tour. According to the filing, much of the money went to organizations associated with Kabbalah—$150,000 to Kabbalah’s Spirituality for Kids, for example. She also donated smaller chunks of change to the Jewish Big Brothers/Sisters of Los Angeles ($10,000) and a cancer research institution ($15,000). As Showbiz 411 notes, Madonna’s foundation put more money toward “investment fees”—$37,000—than toward some of the philanthropies she supports.