They’re the three talented powerhouses who created DreamWorks SKG, but these Malibu locals do more than just entertain. Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen are each donating $30 million to the Motion Picture and Television Fund Campaign. The announcement came from gorgeous George Clooney. The celebrated actor is an MPTF board member and co-chairman of the campaign. The total commitment of $90 million is a major shot in the arm for the $350 million campaign, announced earlier this year to build the endowment and support the vital operations of the industry’s charity.
“Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen are each legendary for their philanthropy and individually have made immeasurable impact on charities and organizations ranging from arts and culture, health care, education, film preservation and social services in our Hollywood community and around the nation,” Clooney said. “And now for them to make this unified commitment to MPTF only adds to that incredible record of generosity.”
Katzenberg, chairman of the MPTF Foundation, indicated that the MPTF Campaign was initiated by the board to make sure that funding for the charitable programs and services that have been aiding the industry for more than 90 years would be secure in the future.
“My wife and I are so happy to join together with my partners and friends, Steven Spielberg and David Geffen, to support our industry’s most important and valuable charitable organization,” Katzenberg said. “Hopefully, with this gift, MPTF will get even closer to reaching its ambitious goal for its endowment campaign.”
“I can think of no better way to support the industry than by uniting with my two esteemed partners to ensure that the fund is able to continue to provide essential services to those in need,” Geffen said. “I couldn’t be happier to contribute to such an important, impactful cause.”
“It becomes very personal when someone you know or have worked with is cared for at ‘the Home’ or a crew member is helped financially by MPTF,” Spielberg said. “The mission ‘we take care of our own’ is suddenly very real and tangible, and so this new donation is an extension of what we have been doing for a number of years to support that mission.”
In acknowledging the three donations totaling $90 million, MPTF President and CEO Bob Beitcher expressed MPTF’s deep appreciation to Spielberg, Katzenberg and Geffen for their generosity and leadership.
“Our dedication to supporting the needs of the workforce as well as the growing needs of our industry’s senior population continues to put incredible pressure on our philanthropic needs,” Beitcher said. “Along with our annual giving programs, the MPTF Campaign is key to our long-term survival. Ultimately, the endowment will secure our ability to adapt and grow to meet whatever comes our way thanks to everyone who has so generously supported the campaign to date.”