GOOD WORK: Donatella Versace has been recognized for her philanthropic work by The Galileo Foundation, an organization that supports international charitable initiatives by the Catholic Church.
Versace and others, including Sharon Stone, received the Prophet of Philanthropy award at Galileo’s second Faith and Philanthropy Summit, which was held at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, England on Friday.
Versace, who won the award for her work to support the marginalized, and the rights of the LGBTQ+ community, said she was humbled by the accolade.
“It inspires me to continue to give a voice to the LGBTQ+ community globally. I am a proud ally, and our support has never been more important. We must do everything we can to make this world a fairer and more equitable place,” said the designer, who accepted the award from Edward Enninful, the former editor in chief of British Vogue.
Donatella Versace and Sharon Stone at Blenheim Palace during The Galileo Foundation’s second Faith and Philanthropy summit.
Stone received the award for her humanitarian work, AIDS-related fundraising, and support for the Talitha Kum religious sisters, who are fighting human trafficking around the world. Other recipients were the former President of Ireland Mary Robinson, and Daniel Barenboim, maestro of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra.
John McCaffrey, president of The Galileo Foundation, said it is “fitting that those who have worked tirelessly to promote equality and human rights are honored at this critical time.”
Robinson described the summit as “unique. It is one of the few gatherings bringing together philanthropists from the three major faiths to share [their] experience and explore ways in which they can collaborate. At this critical time in the world, that is more needed than ever before.”
During the summit, there were moderated panel discussions around the topics of peace, protecting the oceans, and creating a safe world for children. The first summit was held at the Vatican in October 2022 under the auspices of Pope Francis.