How Dolly Parton helped the world through her philanthropy

Dolly Parton's contribution to the world extends far beyond the recording studio. Through decades of charitable work, she has touched millions of lives in tangible, lasting ways.

Most celebrated is her Imagination Library, a programme that sends free books to children from birth until they start school. Launched in her home county in Tennessee, the programme has expanded globally and donated over 200 million books to children worldwide, helping foster a love of reading and early literacy in some of the world's most underserved communities.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Parton made headlines by donating one million dollars to help fund the research that led to the Moderna vaccine, later describing the moment with characteristic modesty.

She has also supported disaster relief, education funds and local community initiatives across her home state of Tennessee and beyond.

For many, her legacy as a philanthropist is inseparable from her musical legacy — together they paint the picture of an artist who genuinely wanted to give back to the world that made her a star.