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Miley Cyrus set up The Pappy Cyrus Family Foundation to help raise money for children who need it.

Posted August 19, 2008 by Tommi Lewis Tilden

Since their daughter Miley first burst on the scene, country crooner Billy Ray and wife Tish Cyrus made sure their little girl used her celebrity to give back. "I said, 'Honey, if you're going to do this, it would really make sense to use it to bring awareness to kids your age that you can really help,'" mom Tish told People.

So the pop sensation made sure to visit kids' hospitals while on tour, and most recently she set up The Pappy Cyrus Family Foundation (named after her beloved grandpa) to raise money for children's causes.

Hollywood's blessed know that "giving back" is a divine lesson to teach their children.

If Apple (Martin) does not fall far from her "tree," she should turn out to be one charitable kid. Both her parents -- Coldplay front man Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow have been devoted givers and doers for a multitude of charities and causes, since long before Apple and brother Moses arrived on the scene.

This past April the couple donated $75,000 to the Food Bank of New York City. "I've been thinking about all the crap my children have and how much food we throw away," Paltrow said at the event's gala. "We have to do better."  Martin and Paltrow were also nominated for the Greenest Stars in Playhouse Disney's Playing for the Planet Awards. Martin was one of the first musicians to carbon offset and to adopt eco-friendly practices for his band's tours.

Activist Don Cheadle's partnership with George Clooney, Matt Damon, and Brad Pitt for Not on our Watch, which raises funds for areas experiencing atrocities, is already rubbing off on his two young daughters. They both attend a Los Angeles school known for its activism, volunteerism, and humanitarianism.

Last year Nicole Kidman, a UNICEF goodwill ambassador, received her native land's highest civil honor, The Companion of the Order of Australia, for her charity work and contribution to the arts. "It's a pat on the back," the actress told the BBC, "which as a little girl is something I think you dream of."

Chances are good that her kids Isabella, Connor, and baby Sunday will be inspired by Kidman's work to promote women's and children's health and cancer research. According to the Growing Up Wealthy report, today's entitled "gen rich" (kids with loaded parents) are willing to work and don't think anything is owed to them. Only one out of five surveyed agree with the statement: "I deserve to be rich because my parents are rich."

Even more encouraging, more than three-quarters of "gen rich" believe it's important to get a job in which they can help others. This group would not call Paris Hilton their poster child: her post-jail promise to open a women's shelter in Los Angeles and later to build a shelter in Rwanda after an African trip with boyfriend Benji Madden have yet to be realized.

It's about action, not talk, and Jackie Chan makes that point by being actively involved in The Dragon's Heart Charity and Jackie Chan Charitable Foundation, both aimed at helping children. "Sometimes I feel that I just can't do enough for them," Chan, a dad to a grown son, told looktothestars.org. "As soon as I solve the problem of one group, I notice that another group is suffering. I try, but it's never enough."

One kid benefiting is David Banda Richie, Madonna's adopted son, and the inspiration behind mom's pet project, Raising Malawi, which helps assist Africa's one million orphans. These days the organization is building a girl's school in Malawi.

And instead of baby gifts for little Harlow, parents Nicole Richie and Joel Madden asked for donations to their Richie-Madden Children's Foundation. Richie is also developing a special website where low-income women list what they need for their babies and others can help provide the items.

Do you think celebrities are obligated to give back and to teach their children to do the same? Tell us what you think!