How Martha Stewart Uses Her Wealth For Good

Martha Stewart built a brand that turned her into a billionaire businesswoman. Beginning in 1976, she turned a catering business into a multimedia empire with numerous branded lines of homeware — all while living a lavish life. While Stewart eventually fell off the Forbes list of billionaires, Forbes reported in 2015 that her net worth clocked in at an astounding $220 million. Stewart has undergone a stunning transformation over the years, from renovating houses to becoming a business mogul. Overcoming plenty of challenges, both in business and her personal life, she's used her wealth to help others through several philanthropic avenues. 

"Giving back is just part of a good life, and it makes me feel good," she told WebMD in 2014. In that case, Stewart should be feeling really good! In total, Martha Stewart has been involved with a whopping 20 different charities supporting 17 different causes, including the ASPCA, Breast Cancer Research Foundation, and Make-a-Wish. 

Perhaps the most notable charity work of Stewart's career has been founding the Martha Stewart Center for Living at Mount Sinai Hospital. Stewart told Forbes in 2012 that the center's mission is to foster "successful aging" and works to prioritize the aging populations while also providing a new way for them to obtain healthcare. "I see people in their 90's that are smiling and happy that they finally have a place to go where someone cares for them. It is very important to me that people feel cared for, feel nurtured," she said about the center.

In addition to the huge impact of her Center for Living, Stewart has made big splashes with other various charities. Her company Martha Stewart Kitchen partnered with Feeding America to assist in their mission to fight hunger in the United States and helped provide over a million meals to families in need. Her media empire also gives her a massive reach when it comes to bringing about awareness for issues that she holds near and dear. It also has a philanthropic arm, The Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Foundation, with thousands of grants available to members in the fields of home arts, domestic sciences, nutrition, and horticulture. Despite the tragic details of Stewart's life, she has never stopped making a difference in the lives of others.