writing

Write to Give: 7 Charitable Authors

One of the only things better than sitting down with a good book is knowing that the author who penned it cares deeply about giving back to his or her fanbase and communities. There are many authors who have learned the value of generosity and selflessness, and they exercise it on a regular basis. Did your favorite novelist make the list of authors who are giving back? Here are seven charitable authors we love.

1. Sylvia Day’s Day It Forward

Sylvia Day

Aside from being a #1 New York Times and #1 international best-selling author, Day also connects with her fans to bring attention to a new charity every month. Readers have the option to submit a one-paragraph essay on their favorite charity. Day reviews each submission and picks one to personally contribute to. Each selection is featured in the monthly installment of Day It Forward. Thus far, charities have included Alexandra’s House, the National Association for Colitis and Crohn’s Disease, and Gentle Barn.

2. The Dean and Gerda Koontz Foundation

Suspense-thriller author Dean Koontz and his wife Gerda have generously donated in the past to Canine Companions for Independence — an organization that trains and provides assistance dogs — as well as Saint Michael’s Abbey in California. The Koontzes frequently focus their donations on people with disabilities and severely ill children.

3. J.K. Rowling

Aside from her ridiculously popular series, J.K. Rowling is also known for her generosity. In fact, she wrote Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them as part of a two-book pair of Harry Potter schoolbooks. Proceeds have gone to Comic Relief, a charity that uses entertainment to help eliminate poverty.

4. Romance Novelist Nora Roberts

This bestselling author’s foundation, created in 1991, supports not only literacy but also the arts, children’s programs, and humanitarian efforts. The foundation donated time, money, and energy to working with libraries, museums, and theaters.

5. The Jonathan and Faye Kellerman Foundation

Jonathan Kellerman is not just a gifted suspense novelist; together, he and his wife have also formed a foundation that’s given grants to the Children’s Hospital of LA, the Boston Institute of Music, and the University of Southern California.

6. Dave Eggers

Known for his best-selling memoir A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, Eggers wrote What Is The What: The Autobiography of Valentino Achak Deng, with proceeds going to the Valentino Achak Deng Foundation. This foundation works to build schools, libraries, and community centers to create educational opportunities in South Sudan.

7. Isabel Allende

Allende seeks to empower women and created her foundation in honor of her daughter, who passed on at a young age. In remembrance of her daughter, who volunteered in Venezuela and Spain, Allende donates to organizations like the Global Fund for Women, in addition to Oritel, which offers human services to low income families.

Does an author you’re a fan of give back to charity? We’d love to hear about it! And don’t forget to contact us if you have a charity you’d like to be considered for Day It Forward. You can reach us at editorial@beyondwords.life with “Day it Forward” as the subject line.