The David Geffen Foundation
The David Geffen Foundation is a private foundation based in Los Angeles, California. In 2024, it reported 93 grants totaling $112,492,683, including support for cultural institutions, universities, a cancer center, and other charitable organizations.
The David Geffen Foundation at a glance
In short: The David Geffen Foundation gave $112.5M across 93 grants in 2024 (avg $1.2M), mostly in California. 21% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $112,492,683
- -13.3% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 93
- +8.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $1,209,599
- -19.8% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $332,722,186
- -24.1% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 21% first-time grantees (19 of 91, 2024)
- Primary geography
- California (65% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The David Geffen Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 12011 San Vicente Blvd Suite 606, Los Angeles, CA 90049-4926
Phone: (310) 581-5900
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The David Geffen Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was La County Museum of Art ($50.0M). Together the top 10 received $109.4M.
Grant Size Distribution
529 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 420 grants of 529 (79%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, grant dollars went primarily to recipients in California (65%), New York (21%), and Connecticut (13%). Pennsylvania accounted for 1%, and the District of Columbia for 0%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 93 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The David Geffen Foundation open to new grantees?
21%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 19 of 91 grantees (21%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $908K; repeat grants $1.3M. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 59% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+4%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 516% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $67.0M (2020) to $129.7M (2023). In 2024 it made 93 grants totaling $112.5M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | 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 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $332,722,186 | $25,767,586 | $113,343,413 | $112,492,683 | 93 | $112,789,776 | $26,124,936 | $21,861,379 |
| 2023 | $438,590,219 | $72,825,471 | $131,554,319 | $129,741,899 | 86 | $130,054,828 | $42,588,723 | $22,219,848 |
| 2022 | $461,962,163 | $23,343,563 | $91,794,289 | $90,593,083 | 103 | $90,794,201 | $23,168,988 | $27,711,571 |
| 2021 | $481,191,890 | $36,420,193 | $108,574,064 | $107,843,612 | 98 | $108,310,234 | $36,089,613 | $35,544,934 |
| 2020 | $526,821,989 | $34,367,562 | $68,077,371 | $67,048,299 | 149 | — | $36,247,705 | $38,653,058 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The David Geffen Foundation reported a distributable amount of $21.9M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for organizations whose own missions span education and research, arts and culture, and health. For example, the UCLA Foundation describes itself as UCLA’s giving, receiving, and investing arm, supporting the university’s academic and research work. The Academy Foundation says it organizes educational and cultural activities related to the motion picture industry, while the Elton John AIDS Foundation says it funds local experts to provide care and supports governments working to end AIDS.
Other 2024 recipients include the Simon Wiesenthal Center, which describes its work as addressing antisemitism and hate and teaching the lessons of the Holocaust; Harlem School of the Arts, which provides arts training; and the Skirball Cultural Center, which hosts cultural experiences and promotes human connection and a more just society.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 93 grants totaling $112,492,683. Grant amounts ranged from $1,250 to $50,000,000, with a median grant of $10,000. The largest grants included $50,000,000 to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, $15,000,000 to Yale University, $10,049,100 to the UCLA Foundation, $10,000,000 to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and $8,333,333 to Columbia University. Each was listed for general support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists David Geffen as trustee and J Dallas Dishman as executive director.
The David Geffen Foundation is led by J. Dallas Dishman, Executive Director on every filing since 2020; 1 of 2 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
J. Dallas Dishman
Executive Director
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$173K (2020) → $409K (2024)
David Geffen
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $409K, to J Dallas Dishman (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about The David Geffen Foundation
How much does The David Geffen Foundation give each year?
The David Geffen Foundation gave $112.5M across 93 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $129.7M across 86 grants.
What is The David Geffen Foundation's typical grant size?
The David Geffen Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $1,209,599, across 93 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The David Geffen Foundation that year got $908K on average.
Where does The David Geffen Foundation give grants?
The David Geffen Foundation gives mostly in California: 65% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were New York (21%) and Connecticut (13%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (27 grants), Los Angeles, CA (26 grants), Santa Monica, CA (5 grants) and Washington, DC (5 grants).
Does The David Geffen Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The David Geffen Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (93 of 93) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The David Geffen Foundation's largest grantees?
The David Geffen Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include La County Museum of Art ($50,000,000), Yale University ($15,000,000) and UCLA Foundation ($10,049,100), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 67% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The David Geffen Foundation?
The David Geffen Foundation reported $332.7M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $112.8M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $21.9M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The David Geffen Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for organizations whose own missions span education and research, arts and culture, and health. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The David Geffen Foundation?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The David Geffen Foundation's EIN?
The David Geffen Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 95-4085811. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The David Geffen Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The David Geffen Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-david-geffen-foundation-morg_d2e2a89292b8439bb2b25ab1b7479f52
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_954085811_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The David Geffen Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-david-geffen-foundation-morg_d2e2a89292b8439bb2b25ab1b7479f52},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from The David Geffen Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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