Our 22-Year Philanthropic History

Participating Paul Mitchell Schools have raised over $27 million to benefit a wide variety of causes that our team members and students are passionate about. Our primary recipient is the nonprofit Andrew Gomez Dream Foundation, which provides advanced education opportunities and support for cosmetology students, professionals, and cosmetology-related enterprises such as:

• Professional Beauty Association Disaster Relief Fund ($316,000) – helps cosmetologists and cosmetology students in the wake of hurricanes, wildfires, and other natural disasters
• Beauty Changes Lives ($125,000) – provides scholarships for future beauty professionals 
• Franciscan Haircuts from the Heart ($285,000) – provides free hair care to those who might not otherwise be able to access these services. 
• Maggie’s Wigs 4 Kids – provides free wigs and support services to children and young adults experiencing hair loss
• Hair Aid – teaches the skill of haircutting to people living in poverty in developing countries
• EBeauty ($125,000) – provides free refurbished wigs and community support programs to women undergoing cancer treatment

The FUNraising campaign also supports other charitable purposes, such as:

• Nearly $2.5 million to help cancer-related charities such as Fran Drescher’s Cancer Schmancer, Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, City of Hope, Bright Pink, Eyes on Cancer, and the American Cancer Society
• Over $1.8 million to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, over $1.82 million to No Limits for Deaf Children and Families, and over $1.4 million to Food 4 Africa, providing more than 40 million meals for orphaned children
• Over $1.2 million to help the Gary Sinise Foundation support our nation’s defenders, veterans, first responders, and their families
• Over $1.5 million to support memory loss caregivers and families through Leeza Gibbons’ Leeza’s Care Connection
• Over $975,000 in support of animal health and rescue through Morris Animal Foundation, American Humane Association, and Best Friends Animal Society
• $255,000 in support of organizations that empower the Black community, including $225,000 to United Negro College Fund (UNCF); $15,000 to 501cTHREE, which provides safe water to communities in crisis; and $15,000 to Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation, founded by Taraji P. Henson to improve access to mental health services for Black communities
• $843,000 to the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking (Cast) and other organizations helping trafficking victims in Cambodia, India, and Honduras
• $825,000 to Legacy Youth Leadership and Thirst Project, to help them provide safe, clean water for hundreds of thousands of people for the rest of their lives, and $350,000 to Habitat for Humanity

In addition to raising money for our national charities, many franchised Paul Mitchell Schools choose to include local charities in their FUNraising campaigns. Participating schools have raised over $1.3 million to date for local animal rescue shelters, clubs for boys and girls, mental health organizations, crisis centers, rescue missions (such as Fred Jordan Mission in Los Angeles’ skid row), children’s clubs and camps, shelters for victims of domestic violence, Homeboy Industries (Los Angeles-based gang rehabilitation and re-entry program), Make-A-Wish, Ronald McDonald House, and hundreds of other local causes that our school leaders and students are passionate about.

Along with the millions of dollars donated, participating students and team members volunteer thousands of hours each year in support of hundreds of local and national charitable organizations. Examples include offering beauty services to senior centers, nursing homes, women’s shelters, caregivers, and veterans and their families; organizing charity runs; and countless other activities and events.