When people think of Jonathan Bailey in 2026, they picture blockbuster posters, global premieres, and a career that seems to be accelerating by the minute. But long before the Hollywood frenzy reached full speed, Jonathan Bailey was quietly building something far more lasting than a film franchise.
Back in 2024 — before Fellow Travelers, before Wicked, before the dinosaurs and the dizzying rise — Bailey launched The Shameless Fund, an LGBTQ+ charity created in collaboration with LOEWE and its then creative director Jonathan Anderson.
At the time, his career was at a turning point. The spotlight was getting brighter. The audience was getting bigger. And instead of simply enjoying the glow, Bailey asked himself a question many public figures never do: What can I actually do with this?
Turning Visibility Into Value
Speaking to Vogue in 2024, Bailey reflected on the early spark behind The Shameless Fund. He acknowledged that frontline activists and grassroots organizers are the real heroes — the ones doing daily, unglamorous, essential work. But he also recognized that visibility carries power.
Rather than launching a traditional fundraising campaign that simply asked people to donate, Bailey imagined something more creative. He wanted to invite people into art, beauty, and collaboration — experiences that feel inspiring and celebratory while still channeling funds toward LGBTQ+ initiatives.
the cast of ‘WICKED’ for the shameless fund pic.twitter.com/c6j8m6Qp86
— Ariana Grande Today (@ArianaToday) August 21, 2025
It wasn’t just about raising money. It was about raising energy.
That mindset — joyful, collaborative, unapologetic — is at the heart of The Shameless Fund.
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The Statistic That Lit a Fire
Fast forward to 2025. Bailey’s face is everywhere. Movie posters. Interviews. International press tours. In times, it was all happening at the same time. But in the middle of that momentum, he deliberately carved out time to refocus on the charity.
Why? Because of one number that refuses to sit quietly. In the UK, for every £100 raised for charitable causes, only 1p goes toward the LGBTQ+ community. For Bailey, that imbalance isn’t abstract. It’s urgent. It’s personal. It’s unacceptable.
He has spoken about how that gap demands deeper solutions — how you have to actively dig to find ways to shift the landscape. The Shameless Fund exists to do exactly that: redirect attention, resources, and long-term support toward communities that are too often overlooked.
And not just the most visible parts of the community — but the most vulnerable.
Honouring the Generations Who Came Before
One of the most recent and meaningful collaborations for The Shameless Fund is with Out Together, a Yorkshire-based charity focused on reducing isolation among LGBTQ+ people, particularly older individuals who may feel excluded or left behind.
Out Together works through local hubs and partnerships to create welcoming spaces where people can connect, build confidence, and feel a true sense of belonging. For older LGBTQ+ people — especially those who lived through decades of stigma — that sense of belonging can be life-changing.
Bailey has spoken openly about why this partnership matters. He emphasized pride in supporting those who paved the way for his generation to live more openly.
That intergenerational respect is powerful. It acknowledges that today’s red carpets were built on yesterday’s protests. Today’s visibility stands on decades of courage.
The Shameless Fund’s contribution to Out Together is also helping the organization recruit permanent staff — a milestone that strengthens long-term stability rather than offering short bursts of support.
And that’s the key: sustainability.
Building a Network of Care
Out Together isn’t the only partner. The Shameless Fund also collaborates with organizations such as The Clare Project, Say It Loud Club, SAGE, and Mosaic Trust. Each partnership focuses on different needs within the LGBTQ+ community — from trans advocacy to youth empowerment to elder care.
The strategy isn’t scattered. It’s intentional. It recognizes that “LGBTQ+” is not a single story. It’s a spectrum of ages, identities, and lived experiences.
And Bailey’s role isn’t to dominate that space. It’s to amplify it.
Fame With a Purpose
There’s something deeply affirming about watching someone rise to global fame and choose to tether that success to community impact. Bailey could easily be consumed by premieres and press tours. Instead, he’s using that momentum to funnel resources where they’re desperately needed.
The Shameless Fund isn’t performative. It’s structured. It’s collaborative. It’s ongoing. And for LGBTQ+ audiences, that kind of consistency matters. Because representation is powerful. But representation paired with redistribution? That’s transformative.
Bailey’s career may be in its blockbuster era, but this work feels like his most meaningful role yet — not as a character, not as a headline, but as a community member who understands that shining brightly means nothing if you don’t light the way for others too.