In addition to her decades of helping callers and listeners to her radio show, Dr. Joy Browne was deeply devoted to philanthropy and volunteerism. Dr. Joy believed in a "hand-up" not a "hand-out" and would personally volunteer and financially contribute to a number of organizations whose missions focused on helping people change their own lives and the lives of children for the better.

Dr. Joy supported arts, education, health and human services, food and housing shelters, resources for disaster relief, women's issues, and to counteract domestic violence. In 2000, she created the Dr. Joy to the World Foundation to support organizations and programs in New York City, New Orleans, Washington, D.C., Denver, and across the world.