The Marilyn and Jeffrey Katzenberg Foundation (MJKF) is a Los Angeles-based private grantmaking foundation established by Hollywood movie executive Jeffrey Katzenberg and his wife, Marilyn. The foundation supports higher education, the arts and culture, Jewish charities, environmentalist causes, and general human services. ¹ The MJKF also exhibits a left-leaning orientation; Katzenberg is a notable donor to left-of-center nonprofits and Democratic Party candidates for public office.

The MJKF had assets of $19,716,240 in 2017 and donates about $1 million annually to various charitable and ideological causes. ² Donations to left-leaning causes include the Tides Center, People for the American Way Foundation, Feminist Majority Foundation, the American Civil Liberties Union, and numerous LGBT-interest organizations such as GLSEN (formerly the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network). ³⁴⁵

History

The Katzenberg Foundation was established in California in 1994 by Marilyn and Jeffrey Katzenberg. Jeffrey Katzenberg is the former C.E.O. of DreamWorks Animation, a studio which has produced some of the most successful computer-animated films, including “Shrek,” “Kung Fu Panda,” Madagascar,” and “How to Train Your Dragon.” Mr. Katzenberg is also the former Chairman of The Walt Disney Company. ⁶

In 2009, Katzenberg revealed that the MJKF was among the victims of former NASDAQ chair and prominent fund manager Bernie Madoff’s theft of investor funds. Madoff was charged by the FBI with securities fraud and convicted. Jeffry Katzenberg stated that Madoff’s crime had done “extraordinary damage” to his philanthropic activities. ⁷⁸

People

Jeffrey Katzenberg

Jeffrey Katzenberg is one of the most prominent film executives. He is active in many political and civic causes and has described his left-of-center political views as, “I’m not a socialist, but I do believe in socialism”⁹ and stating, ““Every dollar I’ve made in my career has been in this industry, and I have a very strong socialist point of view about society”. ¹⁰ Katzenberg’s political donations to left-leaning causes and political candidates have been reported to exceed those of better-known ideological donors. ¹¹

Katzenberg has donated to at least 13 candidates who sought the 2020 Democratic Party presidential nomination, including former Vice President Joe Biden; U.S. Senators Kamala Harris (D-CA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Michael Bennet (D-CO); South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg, former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper (D); former U.S. Representative Beto O’Rourke (D-TX); U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA); Obama administration Housing Secretary Julian Castro; and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee. ¹²

Katzenberg has donated millions to Democratic Party candidates for many state and federal offices, Democratic Party campaign organizations, and political action committees that support Democratic Party political campaigns. ¹³

The Washington Post in 2015 identified Jeffrey and Marilyn Katzenberg as the fifth-biggest funders of Bill and Hillary Clinton’s political activities. ¹⁴ In 2016, the Katzenberg’s hosted a fundraiser at their home with then-President Barack Obama that raised funds for Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign and the Democratic National Committee. Tickets cost $100,000. ¹⁵ Also in 2016, the Katzenbergs co-hosted a separate Hillary Clinton fundraiser with actor George Clooney with a ticket price of $353,000 for a seat at the table with Clooney. ¹⁶ The event raised $15 million, reportedly the highest-grossing campaign dinner in history. ¹⁷

The Katzenbergs were identified by The Center for Responsive Politics (CRP) as the top bundlers of campaign funds for former President Barack Obama. ¹⁸ According to the CRP, bundlers are, “people with friends in high places who, after bumping against personal contribution limits, turn to those friends, associates, and, well, anyone who’s willing to give, and deliver the checks to the candidate in one big ‘bundle’.” ¹⁹

Katzenberg was the Chief Executive for DreamWorks Animation in 2012 when the company was reportedly the subject of a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission investigation.  The investigation centered on possible violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act involving illegal bribes to government officials in China to gain the right to film and show movies there. Despite multiple news reports about the SEC investigation, Katzenberg denied being investigated and information regarding resolution of the matter appears unavailable. ^{20 21 22 23}

Mr. Katzenberg is active in causes outside the MJKF, including donating $500,000 to a gun control event;²⁴ serving as chair for the Motion Picture and Television Fund Foundation; and sitting as a trustee of AIDS Project Los Angeles, American Museum of the Moving Image, California Institute of the Arts, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Geffen Playhouse, Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts and The Simon Wiesenthal Center. ²⁵

Marilyn Kazenberg

Marilyn Katzenberg is the spouse of Jeffery Katzenberg for over 40 years. ²⁶  She lists herself on Federal Elections Commission documents as a homemaker or actress and has donated hundreds of thousands to Democratic Party candidates for state and federal offices and Democratic Party campaign organizations. ²⁷

Marilyn Katzenberg, like her husband, has been recognized for her support for LGBT causes. ²⁸

Andy Spahn

Spahn is listed as the MJKF paid grant administrator in its 2013 IRS filing. ²⁹ Spahn is president of Gonring, Spahn & Associates, a public relations, lobbying, and government consulting firm with offices in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. The firm’s clients include Jeffrey Katzenberg and movie producer Steven Spielberg. ³⁰ Prior to opening his firm, Spahn worked with Katzenberg at DreamWorks Studio. ³¹

Spahn has a long history in partisan politics. He has worked for former Democratic U.S. Senator Gary Hart’s 1988 presidential campaign, for former Democratic California State Controller Gray Davis, and for the Democratic Senatorial and Congressional Campaign Committees. Spahn was appointed by President Barack Obama to the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities in 2009. He has also worked for the Democratic National Committee. ³²

Gonring, Spahn & Associates’ website states Spahn has been a longtime advocate for normalization of U.S. relations with the communist regime in Cuba, where he has travelled frequently. ³³

A prolific fundraiser for high-level Democratic candidates, Spahn is credited with helping raise over $50 million for President Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign and was an early supporter of Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign. ³⁴ Spahn has contributed to pro-abortion political causes and tens of thousands to various Democratic Party candidates. ³⁵

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