Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds Will Donate $1 Million to ACLU and NAACP Legal Defense Fund

Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds are leveraging their means again to support civil rights.

Yesterday, Reynolds announced via Instagram Story that he and his wife are donating upward of $1 million to the American Civil Liberties Union and NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund for a fundraiser running through October 8. The two are splitting funds evenly between the organizations and pledging to match donations, committing to the fight for social equity.

"Honoured and excited to launch this. THANK YOU ACLU and NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund for your tireless work defending rights and protecting civil liberties," Reynolds wrote on his story. Reynolds additionally shared the news on Twitter: "We still believe in you, 2021. Let's help @ACLU and @naacp_ldf change it together."

"LDF is hugely grateful to Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds for matching all gifts up to $1,000,000 split between LDF and @ACLU through October 8," the LDF tweeted. "Their generosity comes at a critical time for our democracy."

Lively and Reynolds are active supporters of NAACP's LDF; last year, they donated $200,000 to the organization following George Floyd's death on May 25, 2020. They've also donated more than $1 million to homeless charities and various food banks and organizations, including Feeding America and Food Banks Canada, to combat the impact of the pandemic. "COVID-19 has brutally impacted older adults and low income families," Reynolds wrote on his Instagram Story. "If you can give, these orgs need our help."

Following the earthquake in Haiti last month, the two also each donated $10,000 to four separate charity organizations, including Hope for Haiti, a nonprofit dedicated to leveraging education, health care, water, infrastructure, and economy. In August, Hope for Haiti shared its public thanks to the two actors on Twitter. "Our entire organization would like to thank @vancityreynolds and @blakelively for their generous donation to our #HaitiEarthquake Response & Recovery efforts," the foundation wrote. "This donation will help empower our team to continue to respond in the hardest-hit areas of southern Haiti."

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