Mindy Kaling celebrates 'wonderful, peaceful life' with baby Katherine as she turns 40

Mindy Kaling is ringing in her 40th birthday by giving back! The Late Night star announced on social media that she has pledged to give $1,000 to 40 different charities to celebrate the big 4-0. She asked her fans to help her choose different organizations across the country. “I’m so grateful to have my wonderful, peaceful life w/ my daughter Katherine," she wrote. "How lucky am I to turn 40? I would love to express my gratitude by donating $1000 to 40 different charitable orgs that help others. Pls suggest some! I will kick it off by giving $1000 to @RAICESTEXAS!”

Mindy Kaling is ringing in her 40th birthday by giving $1,000 to 40 different charities and organizations Photo: @mindykaling

After posting the exciting news and taking suggestions from her fans, The Office alum picked 40 different charities focusing on children and women's health, nature preservation, LGBTQ groups, the American Civil Liberties Union and homeless communities. "Thanks everyone who suggested all the worthy organizations for me to give to," she wrote. "I hope you were as inspired as I was! There’s so many more and I promise to keep giving." 

MORE: Why Mindy Kaling is keeping the identity of her baby's father a secret

Mindy, who is a mother to a 1-year-old bbay girl Katherine, shared her annual birthday routine before announcing that she would be donating $40,000 to celebrate. "Just doing what I do every birthday morning, listening to the Graceland album and weeping my eyes out, reflecting on the joys and heartbreaks of my life. Today I look back, tomorrow I look forward. Happy birthday to me - I worked hard these 40 years," she shared.

Although the 40-year-old star is open on social media with her fans, she's made it a point to keep her daughter private, never showing Katherine's face in pictures. She's also been private about the identity of her daughter's father, revealing that she won't disclose information until she's had a chance to talk about it with her daughter. “My feeling is that until I speak to my daughter about that, I’m not going to talk to anyone else about it,” she told The New York Times. 

The Late Night actress took suggestions from her fans and chose charities focusing on children's health, nature preservation and LGBTQ causes Photo: @mindykaling

In the past, Mindy has also been candid about motherhood, admitting that she didn't think she had a maternal instinct. “I’m very impatient, and having a baby requires an amount of patience that I was worried about," she confessed. "But they don’t tell you that the thing will look so much like you, and do things that are so sweet and adorable, that you’ll naturally not have the same impatience that you would have with a stranger or someone who works for you.”