 | |
| Founded | 1973 |
|---|---|
| Founder | George Harrison |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Website | https://www.materialworldfoundation.com/ |
The Material World Charitable Foundation, also known as the Material World Foundation (MWF), is a charitable organisation founded by English musician George Harrison in April 1973. Its launch coincided with the release of Harrison's album Living in the Material World and came about in reaction to the taxation issues that had hindered his 1971–72 aid project for refugees of the Bangladesh Liberation War. Harrison assigned his publishing royalties from nine of the eleven songs on Living in the Material World, including the hit single "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)", to the foundation, in perpetuity.
The MWF's purpose is to donate to various causes and promote diverse artistic endeavours and philosophies. Its first project in the latter regard was sponsoring a 1974 revue of Indian classical music – the Music Festival from India – led by Ravi Shankar and featuring world music pioneers such as Shivkumar Sharma, Hariprasad Chaurasia, L. Subramaniam and Sultan Khan. A year after Harrison's death, proceeds from the 2002 Concert for George, along with accompanying album and film releases, went to the foundation for dispersal to appropriate charities. The Material World Charitable Foundation continues to operate under the objectives outlined by Harrison in 1974, funded by income from his donated copyrights.