The Hollywood Reporter is dedicating a special issue to Philanthropy. The issue takes an in-depth look at how the entertainment industry – everyone from stars, managers, producers, directors and recording artists – fuel a huge part of American, as well as global, philanthropy.
One of the more touching personal stories the issue presents comes from Haim and Cheryl Saban. The Saban’s have come full circle by making a $10 million donation to the free clinic that once treated a not fully insured Cheryl in 1983. The clinic has since been renamed in their honor, Saban Free Clinic in Los Angeles.
Saban says he wants his giving to be “narrow and deep,” with a focus on health care in the U.S. and Israel. He tries to split his giving evenly between the countries. Saban, who made his fortune via Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and Fox Family Channel, says the execution of his philanthropy goes this way: “Cheryl makes the plans, and I show up.”
The issue also features Disney president and CEO Robert Iger, whose real heft in the philanthropy world is with the business he leads. Iger says the company focuses on “guaranteeing and promoting the well-being of kids and families. That’s a sweet spot for Disney.” But corporate donations, which run about $200 million annually in cash, products and in-kind support, are only part of the equation. “It’s not just about Disney’s money; it’s our time and talent,” he says. “We can send Imagineers into a children’s hospital to help design an experience for kids that makes it better for them and their parents.”
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