David Geffen Lends a Hand

In early May 2002, entertainment industry mogul David Geffen made some waves when he donated US$200 million to the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Medicine (now the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine). The grant is the largest gift of its kind ever to be made to a school of medicine in the United States.

Geffen, who has a history of finding big talent in both music (he discovered the Eagles) and film (he made Tom Cruise a star in Risky Business), has made a name for himself not only in entertainment but also in the fight against HIV/AIDS. He has made substantial contributions to HIV/AIDS organizations over the past ten years, the most significant of which include AIDS Project Los Angeles, AIDS Action Foundation, and Gay Men's Health Crisis.

As his recent gift to UCLA demonstrates, Geffen's charitable donations in the realm of healthcare are not limited to HIV/AIDS. Geffen has also supported programs at the Mayo Clinic (in Rochester, Minnesota) and the St. Jude Hospital Foundation (Los Angeles, California), and has donated money to the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation International, and to the National Breast Cancer Coalition Fund. And while HIV/AIDS and healthcare remain central in Geffen's philanthropic activities, he also provides considerable support in the areas of civil liberties, the arts, and the Jewish community.

In a press release issued immediately following his grant to UCLA, Geffen stated his motivations for having made the generous gift: "The purpose of this donation is really twofold. One is to support one of the most innovative medical schools in the world, and the other is to inspire others to do the same. I believe each of us has a responsibility to give back in some way."

Geffen, who lives in Beverly Hills, California, co-founded Hollywood's newest major studio, DreamWorks SKG, in 1994 with Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg. Elaborating on his reasons for the UCLA donation, Geffen said: "Los Angeles is my home and I want to do my part in contributing to its future."

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