The David Bohnett Foundation is a grant-making foundation supporting LGBT interests, technology, Los Angles-specific grants, gun control, animal liberation, and support for left-of-center programs in higher education. ¹

David Bohnett, the GeoCities  creator who endowed the foundation,  has stated that he believes one of the organization’s primary aims is to “create an environment which destigmatizes homosexuality.” ² The David Bohnett Foundation’s objective to create an environment which destigmatizes homosexuality has been spearheaded by pushing for LGBT youth to come out at an earlier age, and this objective has been supported by providing funding for LGBT youth centers throughout the country. ³

Background

The David Bohnett Foundation was created in 1999 by technology entrepreneur David Bohnett after selling his business, GeoCities, to Yahoo for $2.87 billion. ⁴

David Bohnett granted his foundation an initial endowment of $32 million in 1999,⁵ the very same year he gave the national Democratic Party $500,000, helping to finance Vice President Al Gore’s run for president. ⁶

Grantmaking

In 2017, The David Bohnett Foundation received $3,759,706 in grants, $32,184 in interest from assets, and issued a total of $3,203,557 in grants. The sole reported contributor was a trust associated with David Bohnett. ⁷

The David Bohnett Foundation issues grants in six areas: LGBT advocacy, technology, Los Angeles-specific grants, gun control, animal liberation, and support for left-of-center academic programs in higher education. David Bohnett, along with Tim Gill and Jon Stryker, were recognized as one of the top three leading donors with substantial influence over LGBT policy issues, especially after being identified as one of the leading donors seeking to defeat California’s Proposition 8 in 2008. ⁸

Organizations which have received funding from the David Bohnett Foundation include:⁹

• ACLU Foundation of Southern California
• Advancement Project California (left-of-center education non-profit)
• AIDS Project of Los Angeles
• The Ali Forner Center (LGBT Youth Center & Outreach)
• American Foundation for AIDS research
• Animal Grant Makers
• API – Equality LA (Asian and Pacific Islander LGBT Outreach)
• Appalachian Studies Association (Left-of-center program at Marshall University)
• Boston College Law School
• California State University – Northridge
• CASA of Los Angeles
• Equality Federation Institute
• Family Equality Council
• Funders for LGBT Issues
• Gay & Lesbian Victory Institute
• Gay & Lesbian Community Center of Nevada
• Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles
• George Washington University Center for Civic Engagement and Public Service
• Guns Down Resource Impact
• Immigration Equality
• LAMBDA Legal Defense and Educational Fund
• Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth – LIGALY
• Los Angeles LGBT Center
• Sacramento LGBT Community Center
• Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE)
• Stanford Graduate School of Business
• UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs
• University of Michigan Ford School of Public Policy

Cyber Centers

The David Bohnett Foundation has created independent and university-affiliated centers across the country which provide technology and computing resources to the LGBT community. These cyber centers work to compliment the foundation’s community center building efforts, and over 60 such centers have been supported. ¹⁰

Assets

Since 1999, the David Bohnett Foundation has issued over $100,000,000 in grants to left-of-center organizations. ¹¹

In 2017 The David Bohnett Foundation had a net $31,685,549 in assets¹² and issued $3,202,557 in grants to left-of-center organizations, with a strong preference for LGBT advocacy organizations and university programs which further the foundation’s objectives.

1. “Programs – Our Programs” David Bohnett Foundation. https://www.bohnettfoundation.org/programs/
2. Callahan, David. Fortunes of Change: The Rise of the Liberal Rich and the Remaking of America. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2010, 86–90.
3. Callahan, David. Fortunes of Change: The Rise of the Liberal Rich and the Remaking of America. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2010, 88-89.
4. Williams, Wayne. “The Geocities Archive Project will make you want to gouge your eyes out [Update]” betanews. August 7, 2019. Accessed August 10, 2019. https://betanews.com/2019/08/07/geocities-archive-project/
5. “Out in Business” The Harbus. October 14, 2003. Accessed August 10, 2019. http://www.harbus.org/2003/out-in-business-2315/
6. Callahan, David. Fortunes of Change: The Rise of the Liberal Rich and the Remaking of America. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2010, 96-97.
7. David Bohnett Foundation, Return of a Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2017, Schedule B
8. Callahan, David. “The Super Rich Have Found a New Way to Wield Political Power: Philanthropy” The Nation. August 5, 2016. Accessed August 10, 2019. https://www.thenation.com/article/the-superrich-have-found-a-new-way-to-wield-political-power-philanthropy/
9. “Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax.” Guidestar.org. Accessed August 10, 2019, Part XV.
10. “Programs – Cyber Centers” The David Bohnett Foundation. https://www.bohnettfoundation.org/programs/cybercenters/
11. “Grants – Grant Database” The David Bohnett Foundation. https://www.bohnettfoundation.org/grants/
12. David Bohnett Foundation, Return of a Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2017,, Part II, Line 31.