Quick Answer
When people search for the Angelina Jolie Foundation, they are usually referring to the Maddox Foundation, a Cambodia-based nonprofit founded by Angelina Jolie in 2003. The organization began with landmine clearance work and later expanded into conservation, sustainable livelihoods, healthcare, and education.
The Maddox Foundation now works with communities in Cambodia’s Samlaut region. Its current website says more than 40,000 hectares are protected in the Samlaut Multiple Use Area, and public health facilities supported by its work serve more than 10,000 residents each year. The organization says its staff is 100% local.
Jolie has also supported humanitarian causes through other organizations. Her former partnership with Brad Pitt included the Jolie-Pitt Foundation, while her two-decade relationship with UNHCR focused heavily on refugees and displaced people. These should be treated as separate parts of her philanthropic history.
Table of Contents
- What Is the Angelina Jolie Foundation?
- What Is the Maddox Foundation?
- When Was the Maddox Foundation Founded?
- What Does the Maddox Foundation Do?
- Angelina Jolie Foundation and Cambodia
- Conservation and Wildlife Protection
- Healthcare and Community Infrastructure
- Education Projects
- Sustainable Agriculture and Livelihoods
- Angelina Jolie and Beekeeping Projects
- Jolie-Pitt Foundation
- Angelina Jolie and UNHCR
- Is Angelina Jolie Still Involved in Charity?
- How Much Money Does Angelina Jolie Give to Charity?
- Key Takeaway
- FAQs
What Is the Angelina Jolie Foundation?
There is not one organization officially called the Angelina Jolie Foundation.
The name is often used online as a general search term for Jolie’s charitable and humanitarian activities. Her best-known personal foundation is the Maddox Foundation, which she founded in Cambodia.
The foundation takes its name from Jolie’s son Maddox, who was born in Cambodia.
The organization began with a specific goal: helping communities recover from landmine contamination. Over time, its work expanded as local needs changed.
Today, its main areas include:
- Conservation
- Sustainable agriculture
- Healthcare
- Education
- Community infrastructure
- Sustainable livelihoods
- Forest protection
- Local economic development
The organization describes itself as a locally led nonprofit.
What Is the Maddox Foundation?
The Maddox Foundation is a Cambodia-based nonprofit founded by Angelina Jolie.
Its work is centered in the Samlaut region of northwestern Cambodia.
The foundation says it has worked with communities in the area for more than 20 years. Its current programs focus on protecting forests while helping local residents build more sustainable livelihoods.
This is an important part of Jolie’s charitable work because the foundation does not operate only as a donor organization.
It works directly with local communities.
The foundation says its team is entirely Cambodian and that local staff lead its programs and decisions.
When Was the Maddox Foundation Founded?
The Maddox Foundation began in 2003.
Its first major objective was landmine clearance.
Cambodia had experienced decades of conflict, and large areas remained affected by landmines and other remnants of war.
According to the foundation’s history, the early work focused on making heavily mined land safer for people who lived and worked in the area.
Once land became safer, the foundation’s work expanded.
In 2006, it established a satellite office in Battambang and expanded into environmental conservation, livelihood programs, clinics, and schools.
The organization also became involved in protecting the Samlaut forest.
What Does the Maddox Foundation Do?
The foundation’s current work can be divided into several major areas.
1. Conservation
Forest protection is one of the foundation’s largest programs.
The organization works with local authorities and communities to protect the Samlaut Multiple Use Area.
The foundation says the protected area covers more than 40,000 hectares and extends across Battambang and Pailin provinces.
Its conservation activities include:
- Forest patrols
- Wildlife protection
- Reforestation
- Community awareness
- Environmental education
- Law enforcement support
- Protection against illegal logging and hunting
The goal is not simply to protect trees.
The foundation connects environmental protection with the economic needs of local communities.
Angelina Jolie Foundation and Cambodia
Cambodia has a particularly important place in Angelina Jolie’s life.
She first became closely connected with the country through the filming of Lara Croft: Tomb Raider.
Her relationship with Cambodia later grew into long-term humanitarian and conservation work.
The Maddox Foundation is one of the strongest examples of that relationship.
Instead of focusing on short-term donations, the foundation has developed long-term programs in rural areas.
Its work now covers conservation, farming, healthcare, and education.
This makes Cambodia central to understanding Jolie’s charitable activities.
Conservation and Wildlife Protection
The Samlaut region has important forests and wildlife.
The Maddox Foundation works with local authorities and community members to protect these natural resources.
The organization says the forest is threatened by activities such as illegal logging, hunting, and land encroachment. Its rangers work to identify and stop these activities while supporting conservation awareness.
Reforestation is another part of the program.
The foundation has supported tree nurseries and the planting of trees to restore damaged landscapes.
The work also aims to make the environment more useful to local communities.
A healthy forest can support agriculture, water systems, biodiversity, and income opportunities.
Healthcare and Community Infrastructure
Healthcare is another important part of the foundation’s work.
The Maddox Foundation says it has established infrastructure and supported public health facilities serving more than 10,000 rural residents annually.
Its earlier work included building the Boeng Ron Health Center in a remote area of Samlaut.
The facility later expanded to include maternity and eye-care services.
The foundation also supported outreach programs focused on mothers and young children.
Clean water and sanitation are another part of the organization’s infrastructure work.
The foundation has built wells and supported facilities designed to improve access to clean water and hygiene.
These projects show how Jolie’s foundation connects environmental work with everyday community needs.
Education Projects
Education is another long-term focus.
The foundation has helped build schools and supported education programs for students and teachers.
In 2018, it established student dormitories at Samlaut High School.
The dormitories were intended to help students from remote villages continue their education. The foundation says hundreds of students benefit from the dormitory each year.
Education is especially important in rural areas where distance can make regular school attendance difficult.
By supporting accommodation and educational infrastructure, the foundation aims to remove some of those barriers.
Sustainable Agriculture and Livelihoods
The Maddox Foundation also works with farmers.
Its agricultural programs teach local farmers sustainable methods designed to improve crop yields and food security.
The goal is to help families earn income without placing unnecessary pressure on natural resources.
The foundation also supports livestock and other agricultural activities.
This approach connects economic development with conservation.
If communities can earn reliable income from sustainable activities, they may have fewer reasons to depend on destructive practices such as illegal logging.
Angelina Jolie Foundation and Beekeeping
Beekeeping has become an interesting part of the Maddox Foundation’s work.
The foundation trains local beekeepers around the Samlaut forests.
It reports that local beekeepers produced 1,392 liters of honey in 2025. The number of hives also increased from 40 in September 2025 to 90 by January 2026.
The program has another environmental benefit.
Beekeeping works best when forests remain healthy because bees depend on flowering plants.
This creates a practical connection between income and conservation.
The foundation also says it has encouraged farmers near its beekeeping projects to reduce pesticide use.
Women have also been encouraged to participate in the program.
Jolie-Pitt Foundation
The Jolie-Pitt Foundation is different from the Maddox Foundation.
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt established the Jolie-Pitt Foundation during their relationship.
The organization supported humanitarian and conservation causes.
One major example came in 2007 when the foundation donated $1 million toward organizations working with people affected by the Darfur crisis. UNHCR reported that the donation supported three organizations, including UNHCR, the International Rescue Committee, and SOS Children’s Villages.
The foundation also donated $1 million to UNHCR operations supporting displaced people in Pakistan in 2009. At that time, millions of people had been displaced by conflict in northwestern Pakistan.
These historical donations are important when discussing Jolie’s philanthropic record.
However, they should not be confused with the current Maddox Foundation.
Angelina Jolie and UNHCR
Angelina Jolie’s humanitarian work also included a long relationship with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.
She became a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador in 2001.
She later became a Special Envoy in 2012.
During more than 20 years with the organization, Jolie completed more than 60 field missions and visited communities affected by displacement and conflict.
She left her formal Special Envoy position in December 2022.
UNHCR says Jolie continues to engage with refugee and forced-displacement issues even after leaving the formal role.
This distinction matters because some articles incorrectly describe UNHCR as Angelina Jolie’s foundation.
It is not.
UNHCR is a United Nations organization, while the Maddox Foundation is Jolie’s Cambodia-based nonprofit.
Is Angelina Jolie Still Involved in Charity?
Yes.
Her formal role with UNHCR ended in 2022, but her philanthropic work has continued through her own projects and organizations.
The Maddox Foundation remains active in Cambodia.
Its current work includes conservation, healthcare, education and sustainable livelihoods. The foundation’s website says it continues to work with communities through a locally led model.
Jolie has also continued to speak about humanitarian and human rights issues.
Her charitable work today is therefore broader than her former UN position.
How Much Money Does Angelina Jolie Give to Charity?
There is no reliable public figure showing how much Angelina Jolie personally donates to charity every year.
Some large historical donations are publicly documented.
For example, the Jolie-Pitt Foundation donated $1 million to organizations working in Darfur in 2007 and another $1 million to UNHCR operations in Pakistan in 2009.
However, these figures should not be used to calculate a current annual donation amount.
The Maddox Foundation also receives support from donors and partners. Its programs involve more than Jolie’s personal financial contributions.
Therefore, it is more accurate to discuss the documented work and funding of individual organizations rather than claim that Jolie gives a specific amount every year.
Angelina Jolie Foundation vs Jolie-Pitt Foundation
| Organization | Connection to Jolie | Main Focus | Status |
| Maddox Foundation | Founded by Angelina Jolie | Cambodia conservation, health, education and livelihoods | Active |
| Jolie-Pitt Foundation | Founded with Brad Pitt | Humanitarian and conservation donations | Historical |
| UNHCR | Jolie served as ambassador and Special Envoy | Refugees and displaced people | Jolie’s formal role ended in 2022 |
This distinction makes it easier to understand Jolie’s philanthropic history.
Why the Maddox Foundation Is Important
The Maddox Foundation stands out because it has developed over more than two decades.
Its work began with landmine clearance but gradually moved toward long-term community development.
Today, its programs connect several issues:
Conservation: protecting forests and wildlife.
Healthcare: improving rural health services.
Education: supporting schools, teachers and students.
Agriculture: helping farmers use sustainable practices.
Livelihoods: creating income opportunities such as beekeeping.
This model treats environmental protection and community development as connected goals.
Key Takeaway
The Angelina Jolie Foundation is commonly used as a search term for Jolie’s philanthropic work, but her main active personal foundation is the Maddox Foundation.
Founded in Cambodia in 2003, it began with landmine clearance and expanded into conservation, healthcare, education, agriculture and sustainable livelihoods.
In 2026, the foundation reports that it protects more than 40,000 hectares in the Samlaut region and supports public health facilities serving more than 10,000 residents each year. Its staff is entirely local.
Jolie’s broader philanthropic history also includes the Jolie-Pitt Foundation and more than two decades of work with UNHCR.
Rather than one single charity, her humanitarian record consists of several organizations and long-term projects with different purposes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Angelina Jolie’s foundation called?
Angelina Jolie’s main active personal foundation is the Maddox Foundation, a Cambodia-based nonprofit she founded in 2003.
What does the Maddox Foundation do?
The foundation works on conservation, sustainable agriculture, healthcare, education and community livelihoods in Cambodia.
Why is it called the Maddox Foundation?
The organization is named after Maddox Jolie, Angelina Jolie’s son from Cambodia.
Is the Maddox Foundation still active?
Yes. The foundation continues to operate in Cambodia and says it has worked with local communities for more than 20 years.
How much land does the Maddox Foundation protect?
The foundation currently reports protecting more than 40,000 hectares in the Samlaut Multiple Use Area.
Does Angelina Jolie still work with UNHCR?
Jolie left her formal Special Envoy position in 2022 after more than 20 years with UNHCR. The organization says she continues to engage on refugee and forced-displacement issues.
What was the Jolie-Pitt Foundation?
The Jolie-Pitt Foundation was a philanthropic organization established by Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. It supported humanitarian and conservation causes, including major donations related to Darfur and displaced people in Pakistan.
Does Angelina Jolie donate money to charity?
Yes, Jolie has made and supported major charitable donations, but there is no reliable public figure for a fixed annual amount that she personally gives to charity.
What countries does Angelina Jolie’s foundation work in?
The Maddox Foundation is focused on Cambodia, particularly the Samlaut region.
What is Angelina Jolie’s biggest charity project?
The Maddox Foundation is one of her most significant long-term personal philanthropic projects because it has operated in Cambodia for more than 20 years and now covers conservation, healthcare, education and sustainable livelihoods.
