Celebrities who sponsor charitable events and philanthropic organizations often end up drawing more attention than the causes they support, reports the Chicago Tribune.

Over all, charities benefit from increased awareness of their causes. But, to take a recent example, the Tribune reports that while millions of people heard about Madonna adopting a child from Malawi, few knew she also founded Raising Malawi, a nonprofit group that assists other orphans in the country.

Debate also stirred over Madonna’s intentions, specifically whether she adopted an African child because it was fashionable. She did bring the plight of African orphans to the public’s attention, but that attention seems likely to wane, the article concluded.