Motion Picture & Television Fund

In 1993, the Motion Picture & Television Fund Foundation was established with Jeffrey Katzenberg as Founding Chairman. The Foundation, as it was formerly known, existed as the conduit to marshal the vision of its donors and their philanthropy to the growing human needs of the entertainment community it serves. The MPTF Foundation puts on annual events that help raise millions of dollars in funds to continue to assist those entertainment industry members in need. These events include the Michael Douglas and Friends Golf Tournament,[1] The Night Before and The Evening Before,[2] the Heartbeat of Hollywood golf tournament and its Heartbeat Lite companion event, and Reel Stories, Real Lives.[3]

In 2006, the groundbreaking for the Saban Center for Health and Wellness featuring the Jodie Foster Aquatic Pavilion was held on The Wasserman Campus. The center was named after donors Haim Saban and his wife Dr. Cheryl Saban.[4] It opened its doors on July 18, 2007, and features aquatic and land-based therapies as well as MPTF’s Center on Aging, a best practice model which provides a variety of programs that are geared toward improving the lives of the entertainment industry seniors throughout Southern California. A new and emerging need to address quality of life issues for older adults in their own homes was identified and led to the creation of such MPTF programs and initiatives as Palliative Care, Elder Connection, Rebuilding Together and the MPTF Age Well Program.[5] In 2014, MPTF opened the Samuel Goldwyn Jr. Center for Behavioral Health specializing in adults over 55 with acute mental health needs.[6]

There was a turbulent period starting in early 2009 when the MPTF announced that rising costs amid the recession would force it to shutter its long-term care unit, which had 136 patients at the time, as well as its acute-care hospital. That decision created a barrage of criticism with some questioning the fund’s commitment to its stated goal of “taking care of our own.[7] The MPTF restructured, brought in Bob Beitcher in 2010 and launched an aggressive $350 million fundraising campaign in 2012 headed by Jeffrey Katzenberg and George Clooney. Beitcher said the fundraising push was to provide a safety net for the 75,000 baby boomers who would be retiring from the industry over the next 20 years. At that point, $238 million had already been raised with key contributions from Clooney, Steve Bing, Tom Cruise, Barry Diller, Fox Entertainment Group, David Geffen, Michael Lewis, Jerry Perenchio, Joe Roth, Jeffrey and Marilyn Katzenberg, Todd Phillips, Patrick Soon-shiong, Thomas Tull and John Wells, among others. As of 2014, $325 million has been raised for this campaign.[8] For its health care centers, MPTF partnered with UCLA Health which today operates five MPTF health care centers in Los Angeles. These health centers are still exclusive to entertainment industry members.[9]

The brainchild of Jeffrey Katzenberg, the annual “Night Before the Oscars” launched in 2003, and remains one of the main MPTF fundraising events. The latest 14th annual "Night Before" party held February 27, 2016 raised a total of $5.2 million to benefit the MPTF More than $70 million has been raised since the event was launched 14 years ago.[10]

Through June 1, 2014, the MPTF’s operations include a 250-bed multilevel care hospital, seven primary care health centers, a 186 unit retirement community on The Wasserman Campus in Woodland Hills providing -independent and assisted living, and a free-standing child care facility.[11]

To date, the Samuel Goldwyn Foundation is the single largest donor in the foundation’s 93-year history, with the family’s total contributions to the MPTF upwards of $55 million.[12]

On October 1, 2016, MPTF commemorated its 95th anniversary with a live entertainment event on its campus hosted by Hugh Jackman. Among the highlights were live musical performances by resident Helen Reddy, Derek Hough, Jane Lynch, Johnny Mathis, and Norm Lewis, with speakers including Chris Pine, Loretta Devine, Bryan Cranston, and Matt Bomer. A 100th birthday cake was presented to actor Kirk Douglas, who was in attendance with wife Anne and son Michael Douglas.[13]

In 2020 and 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic, MPTF was the administrator or co-administrator for multiple relief funds including the DGA, IATSE, ViacomCBS, Cast & Crew, the cast and crew of Westworld, and The Comedy Store, as well as its own dedicated COVID-19 relief fund for industry members at large.[14] During the pandemic, MPTF Studios (the on-campus video production facility) began broadcasting live programming from its recently remodeled campus theater several days per week with residents and supporters video conferencing in to participate in a variety of shows and activities.[15]

On January 14, 2021, MPTF was announced as the recipient of the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, to be presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences at the 93rd Oscars ceremony on April 25.[16] This marked the first time in Academy history that an organization was chosen for the award, which was also presented that year to Tyler Perry. The award also coincided with the 100th anniversary of MPTF’s founding, to be celebrated in September of 2021.[17]

There are Board of Directors of the fund, Board of Governors for the Foundation.[18][19]

• Golden Boot Awards

• Official website