Leonardo DiCaprio Donates $15M To Save Planet Earth

When we think of Leonardo DiCaprio, we think of his good looks, his blockbuster movies and the number of girlfriends he's had. But there is more to DiCaprio than his Hollywood actor persona, as the actor is using his celebrity status for a good cause -- to help save the planet.

DiCaprio’s self-titled foundation has donated $15 million in grants to more than 30 environmental groups so that they could "preserve and protect the future of the planet," according to the actor's personal website. The groups will utilize the grant to implement innovative conservation projects around the world.

"The destruction of our planet continues at a pace we can no longer afford to ignore," DiCaprio said of his recent donation. "We have a responsibility to innovate a future where the habitability of our planet does not come at the expense of those who inhabit it.” For the “Titanic” actor, the preservation of planet earth is “humankind’s greatest challenge.”

The beneficiaries of the foundation include the World Wildlife Fund, Virunga Fund, Save the Elephants, the Conservation Land Trust, Tree People, Oceans 5, and National Geographic: Pristine Seas, the website added. Money was also allotted to individual winners of the Goldman Environmental Prize: Fatima Jibrell of Adeso, Rudi Putra of Forest, Nature and Environment of Aceh (HAkA) & Leuser Conservation Forum (FKL) and Dimitry Lisitsyn of Sakhalin Environment Watch

The money will be used to devise "concrete and early-phase solutions to protect key species and threatened marine and terrestrial ecosystems.” The organizations will also use the funds to help native communities protect their natural resources.