“If I take this job then I will have more money to invest in this..”: Why Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen faced questions over their donations despite their $700 million fortune

Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen built huge fortunes during their marriage, but their charitable work also faced scrutiny. In Nov. 2022, public records showed that the Luz Foundation had given $640,402 to various organisations between 2007 and 2019. That figure drew attention because the former couple’s combined wealth was estimated at more than $700 million at the time. Their foundation’s spending soon became a talking point around their philanthropy.The criticism did not mean the couple made no charitable contributions. Brady and Bündchen had supported hunger relief, environmental causes and other organisations for years. Bündchen also continued developing her own philanthropic work, and the Luz Alliance Fund later became involved in much larger fundraising campaigns across Brazil.Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen faced scrutiny over the Luz Foundation’s donationsThe Luz Foundation began in 2007 after Bündchen created it to support educational, environmental and humanitarian causes. Brady later shared leadership of the organisation with Peter Mattoon, who also worked with Brady on his investments and business activities.According to the financial records reported by EL PAÍS on Nov. 23, 2022, the foundation donated $640,402 between 2007 and 2019. Some of the individual payments attracted attention because of their size. The foundation gave $300 to an environmental organisation in Costa Rica in 2018. It also donated $1,000 to the Challenged Athletes Foundation and $900 to the World Wildlife Fund.Several larger donations went to organisations focused on meditation and yoga. The Luz Foundation gave $80,000 to the Pointing Out the Great Way Foundation in 2019. It also donated $25,000 to the David Lynch Foundation and another $25,000 to the You Go Girl Yoga Foundation.The foundation also supported environmental work connected to Bündchen’s interests. It gave $48,000 to the Alliance for Forests in 2014 and $25,000 the following year. The organisation works on forests, biodiversity, climate and rural communities.Bündchen had already spoken about the link between her career and philanthropy. In a 2015 interview with the “Sydney Morning Herald”, she explained why she continued working as a model while putting money into causes she supported.“I know what people think: ‘This girl is only posing for the pictures’,” Bündchen said in the interview.She then explained her reasoning: “If I take this job then I will have more money to invest in this project. So that’s what I’m doing.”The comments gave some context to how Bündchen viewed her modelling income. Her charitable work also extended beyond the Luz Foundation. She had supported environmental programmes, humanitarian projects and disaster relief through different partnerships over the years. Gisele Bündchen’s Luz Alliance Fund grew after the criticismIn 2020, Bündchen created the Luz Alliance Fund with BrazilFoundation. The fund initially focused on helping Brazilian families affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. It later expanded into environmental protection, regeneration and emergency relief.Bündchen and Brady also stepped up during the pandemic in the United States. In 2020, the couple donated 750,000 meals through a partnership with Feeding Tampa Bay. Brady separately joined the broader Meals Up campaign, which helped raise millions of meals for Feeding America. Recent reporting says Brady’s wider efforts helped unlock significant funding for hunger-relief organisations during the pandemic.Bündchen’s biggest recent fundraising effort came after the devastating floods in Rio Grande do Sul in May 2024. The Brazilian state suffered widespread destruction, and Bündchen used the Luz Alliance Fund to encourage donations and support relief organisations.BrazilFoundation later reported that the campaign raised close to $3 million through thousands of individual and corporate donations. The money supported emergency relief and rebuilding work. The organisation’s 2024 annual report says the Luz Alliance Fund supported 21 organisations responding to the disaster.The campaign also showed how Bündchen’s charitable platform had expanded beyond the smaller foundation payments that attracted criticism. Her public profile helped bring international attention to the disaster and encouraged people to contribute to relief efforts.Brady has continued his own charitable work separately through the Change the World Foundation. Public nonprofit records show that the foundation reported charitable disbursements in its latest available filings.For Brady and Bündchen, philanthropy now covers several different initiatives rather than one foundation alone. Bündchen has focused heavily on Brazil, environmental protection and disaster relief through the Luz Alliance Fund, while Brady continues to support charitable causes through his own foundation and wider partnerships.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.