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Founders of Dreamworks Donate $90 Million to Motion Picture Fund

The Motion Picture & Television Fund got a much needed shot in the arm on Tuesday when Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen each committed $30 million to the industry’s charity organization in Woodland Hills. Actor George Clooney announced the donations as part of a campaign to raise $350 million to build the fund’s endowment. Steve Bing, the wealthy owner of Shangri-La Productions, also committed $30 million, and the Kirk and Anne Douglas Foundation has given $20 million. The fund operates a nursing home, hospital and assisted living facilities on its Woodland Hills campus, as well as other health clinics in the Los Angeles area. Three years ago the fund threatened to shutter its nursing home and hospital given losses the facilities were sustaining, but reversed course after an outcry. Since then, the charity has been on a fundraising campaign. Spielberg said giving money to the fund had deep emotional appeal to him. “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,” the director said in a statement. Fund President Bob Beitcher said in a statement that the entertainment industry’s aging population has put tremendous financial pressure on the charity and that the fundraising campaign is key to the organization’s survival. Spielberg, Katzenberg and Geffen are the co-founders of Dreamworks Animation SKG, a film production house in Glendale that owns the Shrek and Madagascar franchises. Katzenberg serves as chief executive of Dreamworks. Joel Russell

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