About Us

The release of George’s 1973 album entitled Living in the Material World coincided with the creation of his own charitable foundation. The royalties from that album - including the single “Give Me Love” - were donated by George in perpetuity, to the Material World Charitable Foundation.

George established the Foundation to encourage the exploration of alternate and diverse forms of artistic expression, life views and philosophies as well as a way to support established charities and people with special needs. In the autumn of 1973, the first project of the foundation was the Ravi Shankar Music Festival, which brought together renowned Indian classical musicians to perform and record compositions especially created by Ravi Shankar.

Since its inception, the Material World Charitable Foundation has supported hundreds of individuals and organizations many of which can be seen around this page. The Foundation in some cases has literally transformed people’s lives and in others has made life more bearable in the face of extreme suffering and adversity.

Even though George passed on from this material world in 2001, his charitable work has continued. In response to an outpouring of emotion by fans and friends, “My Sweet Lord” was re-released in 2002. The profits from that single benefited:
Médicins Sans Frontières, Great Ormond Street Hospital, Macmillan Nurses, National Deaf Children’s Society, NSPCC and others.

Proceeds from the sale of the Concert for George DVD and CD have been (and will continue to be) donated to the Foundation. It was George’s wish that his music and legacy should carry on supporting the Material World Foundation and in turn help others.

Charities We Support

• Alla Rakha Foundation
• Achievable Foundation
• Action on Addiction
• Adopt a Minefield
• American Ballet Theatre
• Amnesty International
• Anti Defamation League
• Barnardo’s
• Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan (Indian Cultural Center)
• Botanic Gardens Conversation International
• British Brain & Spine Foundation
• British Deaf Association
• British Heart Foundation
• British Kidney Patient Association
• British Lung Foundation
• British Sports Association for the Disabled
• Cancer Research
• Casa Hope
• Centrepoint Soho
• Children with Leukemia
• Children in Need
• Crisis
• Crossroads
• David Lynch Foundation
• Elton John Aids Foundation
• The Film Foundation
• Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital
• Jubilee Campaign
• Keep A Child Alive
• Kenton Theatre
• Leukaemia Research Fund
• Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts
• Lotus Outreach
• Lupus Foundation
• Macmillan Cancer Relief
• Maggies Centre
• Medecins Sans Frontieres
• MIND
• Musicares
• National Deaf Childrens Society
• National Missing Persons Helpline
• National Deaf Children's Society
• NCH Action for Children
• NoNordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Centre
• NSPCC Fullstop Campaign
• One Drop Foundation
• Operation Raleigh
• Oxfam
• Prince’s Trust Events
• The Ravi Shankar Institute of Music & Performing Arts
• Romanian Angel Appeal
• The Roundhouse Trust
• The Royal National Institute for the Blind
• The Royal Academy of Arts
• The Royal Liverpool Childrens’ NHS Trust
• The Royal Opera House
• The Royal School for Deaf Children
• The Royal School for the Blind
• RSPB
• Rwanda Emergency Appeal
• SANE
• Save the Children Fund
• Scientific Exploration Society
• Shelter
• Smile Train
• Starlight Childrens Foundation
• Steve Redgrave Trust
• Sue Ryder Care Centre
• Teenage Cancer Trust
• Thames Valley & Chiltern Air Ambulance Trust
• Tibet Foundation
• Tusk Trust
• UNICEF
• Victoria & Albert Museum
• Woodland Trust
• Women for Women
• World Food Foundation
• World Wildlife Fund