The David Geffen Foundation
Invitation OnlyLos Angeles, California · EIN 95-4085811 · Private foundation
Grants paid (2024)$112.5M
Organizations funded93
Typical grant$10,000
Total assets$418.8M
Half of its grants to organizations were between $5,000 and $25,000.
From the return
How to apply
On its return for tax year 2024 the foundation checked the box saying it only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
What it funds
Share of grant lines on the latest return, classified from the purpose each grant states.
Where it gives
46% of grants went outside California.
Grants paid in tax year 2024
| Recipient | Location | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| LA County Museum of Art | Los Angeles, CA | General support | $50,000,000 |
| Yale University | New Haven, CT | General support | $15,000,000 |
| UCLA Foundation | Los Angeles, CA | General support | $10,049,100 |
| Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center | New York, NY | General support | $10,000,000 |
| Columbia University | New York, NY | General support | $8,333,333 |
| Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream | Santa Monica, CA | General support | $6,000,000 |
| Academy Foundation | Los Angeles, CA | General support | $5,000,000 |
| 92Nd Street Y | New York, NY | General support | $3,000,000 |
| Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration | Radnor, PA | General support | $1,000,000 |
| Elton John AIDS Foundation | New York, NY | General support | $1,000,000 |
| Motion Picture & Television Fund | Woodland Hills, CA | General support | $1,000,000 |
| National Library of Israel USA | New York, NY | General support | $700,000 |
| UCLA Foundation (Geffen Playhouse) | Los Angeles, CA | General support | $300,000 |
| Harlem School of the Arts | New York, NY | General support | $100,000 |
| Simon Wiesenthal Center | Los Angeles, CA | General support | $100,000 |
| Skirball Cultural Center | Los Angeles, CA | General support | $100,000 |
| Anti-Defamation League | Washington, DC | General support | $50,000 |
| Lambda Legal Defenseeduc Fnd | New York, NY | General support | $50,000 |
| Encorps STEM Teachers Program | Redondo Beach, CA | General support | $25,000 |
| Glaad | Los Angeles, CA | General support | $25,000 |
| Hammer Museum | Los Angeles, CA | General support | $25,000 |
| Hetrick-Martin Institute | New York, NY | General support | $25,000 |
| Jazz Foundation of America | New York, NY | General support | $25,000 |
| One Campaig | Washington, DC | General support | $25,000 |
| Bucks Rock Camp | New Milford, CT | General support | $24,000 |
| American Friends of the Israel Sports Center for the Disabled | Northfield, IL | General support | $20,000 |
| Jenkins Penn Haitian Relief Organization | Los Angeles, CA | General support | $20,000 |
| Jewish Healing and Hospice Center of Los Angeles | Los Angeles, CA | General support | $20,000 |
| People for the American Way Foundation | Washington, DC | General support | $20,000 |
| Safe Horizon | New York, NY | General support | $20,000 |
| Sage | New York, NY | General support | $20,000 |
| World Jewish Congress American Section | New York, NY | General support | $20,000 |
| Music Center | Los Angeles, CA | General support | $15,000 |
| Ali Forney Center | New York, NY | General support | $10,000 |
| Angels at Risk | Los Angeles, CA | General support | $10,000 |
| Angels at Risk | Los Angeles, CA | General support | $10,000 |
| Baby 2 Baby | Los Angeles, CA | General support | $10,000 |
| Breast Cancer Research Foundation | New York, NY | General support | $10,000 |
| Creative Time | New York, NY | General support | $10,000 |
| Downtown Women's Center | Los Angeles, CA | General support | $10,000 |
| Equality California Institute | Sacramento, CA | General support | $10,000 |
| Food Forward | North Hollywood, CA | General support | $10,000 |
| Guild Hall of East Hampton | East Hampton, NY | General support | $10,000 |
| Homeless Not Toothless | Brentwood, CA | General support | $10,000 |
| National September 11 Memorial and Museum at the World Trade Center | New York, NY | General support | $10,000 |
| Rape Foundation | Santa Monica, CA | General support | $10,000 |
| Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum | Cleveland, OH | General support | $10,000 |
| Sansum Clinic | Santa Barbara, CA | General support | $10,000 |
| St Jude Children's Research Hospital | Memphis, TN | General support | $10,000 |
| Students Run Americastudents Run LA | Tarzana, CA | General support | $10,000 |
| United States Holocaust Memorial Museum | Los Angeles, CA | General support | $10,000 |
| West Hollywood Community Housing Corporation | West Hollywood, CA | General support | $10,000 |
| Municipal Art Society of New York | Katonah, NY | General support | $7,500 |
| Museum of Television & Radio | New York, NY | General support | $7,500 |
| The Meserve-Kunhardt Foundation the Gordon Parks Foundation | Pleasantville, NY | General support | $7,500 |
| American Cinematheque | Los Angeles, CA | General support | $6,000 |
| Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation | Los Angeles, CA | General support | $6,000 |
| Algemeiner Inc | New York, NY | General support | $5,000 |
| Bet Tzedek | Los Angeles, CA | General support | $5,000 |
| Beverly Hills Fireman's Relief Fund | Beverly Hills, CA | General support | $5,000 |
Showing the 60 largest of 93 grants to organizations.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants paid | Grant lines |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $112,492,683 | 93 |
| 2023 | $129,741,899 | 86 |
Sources
- IRS Form 990-PF, tax year 2024, filed Nov 14, 2025 - IRS e-file batch, object ID 202533189349102648
- IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search for EIN 95-4085811
- Profile updated Nov 5, 2026
Facts on this page come from the foundation's own IRS Form 990-PF filings as published by the IRS. Grantvello does not know whether a foundation is accepting proposals right now: a past grant is not an open opportunity. Always confirm current guidelines with the funder before applying.