The main knock on celebrity charity is that it's essentially a brand-building tool -- good for image and not much else. The tax savings don't hurt, either. But not all charitable connections are about image-burnishing and tax savings. (God, we sure hope not.) The number-crunchers at Forbes love making lists of celebrity charities with history of shady activities, so check those reports from time to time before pledging your hard-earned dollars.

With that out the way, let's see who's out doing good in the hood these days. Here's a small sampling of some celebrity charities worth cheering for this holiday.

6. Alicia Keys Charity: Frum Tha Ground Up, Keep a Child Alive, etc

Keys is a spokesperson for Frum Tha Ground Up, a charity that inspires American youth to achieve success on all levels. Keys is also an ambassador for Keep A Child Alive, which funds AIDs care in Africa and India. Her most recent event raised $3 million. The November 3rd gala doubled as a tribute to George Harrison, marking the 40th anniversary (albeit belated) of the late Beatle's Concert for Bangladesh with a star-studded concert of its own. That is: A concert celebrating a concert by a concert icon. It was a massive vortex of concertdom.

5. Fabolous Charity: A Fabolous Way, 3 Kings Coat Drive

Charity, they say, starts at home. Brooklyn rapper Fabolous is starting there, passing out coats to the cold and needy in the New York/New Jersey area. The newly bearded MC joined forces with buddies Ahmad Bradshaw (NY Giants) and Robinson Cano (NY Yankees) for the first annual 3 Kings Coat Drive this year. If you're reading this from the Big Apple, you can still drop off those used coats, hats, and scarves at Dr. Jay's from now till December 1.

4. Stevie Wonder Charity: The Wonder Foundation

After changing lives through music, the inimitable Stevie Wonder is also devoted to making an impact in the community through the Wonder Foundation. He's been quietly running this little monster since 1999. The Wonder Foundation played a pivotal role in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, when Wonder wrote "Shelter in the Rain" and donated proceeds to hurricane relief. Also, Wonder's We Are You Foundation routinely makes generous contributions to the Junior Blind of America.