What Entertainment Industry Foundation does

The Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF) is a California nonprofit public benefit corporation and 501(c)(3) charitable organization founded in 1942, headquartered at 10880 Wilshire Blvd in Los Angeles with 51-100 employees. EIF functions as the entertainment industry's philanthropic infrastructure and a fiscal-sponsorship platform for high-profile artist and athlete-initiated funds, including Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C), Defy:Disaster, the EIF Careers Program, and more than a dozen celebrity-founded funds such as Know Your Rights Camp, She Is The Music, Live Free 999, Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project, the People's Fund of Maui, and the Roybal Film and Television Magnet.

Its core programmatic work spans cancer research funding (SU2C has supported 112 research teams including 27 Dream Teams), disaster relief (50+ natural disasters), entertainment-industry workforce pathways (1,400+ students reached via EEA), and global health and equity initiatives (3.3 million youth reached via CTAOP). EIF does not operate any proprietary technology platform; it runs standard web, email, and SMS infrastructure for donor engagement, event-based fundraising (telecasts, benefit concerts), and grantmaking.

EIF's revenue model is donations-and-contributions based, drawing from individual donors, corporate partners (e.g., City National Bank as Defy:Disaster title sponsor), and event-driven pass-through fundraising. Signature telecasts such as Hope for Haiti Now ($66M), the People's Fund of Maui ($60M), and One Love Manchester (broadcast in 50+ countries) demonstrate the scale of episodic giving. EIF monetizes no products or services commercially and relies on trust signals including Charity Navigator 4-Star, BBB Wise Giving 20 Standards, and the Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency.

Name

Entertainment Industry Foundation

Legal name

The Entertainment Industry Foundation

Website

https://eifoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1942

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF) is a Los Angeles-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1942 that serves as the entertainment industry's philanthropic infrastructure: it administers signature programs like Stand Up To Cancer and Defy:Disaster, while acting as a fiscal sponsor for celebrity- and athlete-founded charitable funds, raising money through roadblock telecasts, benefit concerts, and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Foundation Services

NAICS

Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries (713), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events without Facilities (711320)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Gala Dinners & Fundraising Events (Nonprofit/CSR) (MPAGAHAE)

Keywords

• Charitable foundation services
• Fiscal sponsorship programs
• Disaster relief fundraising
• Cancer research funding
• Entertainment philanthropy

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Others, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Public Donations and Charitable Contributions: EIF raises funds from individual donors, celebrity supporters, corporate partners, and the general public through its website, event-based fundraising, telecasts, and benefit concerts. Donations are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law for the 501(c)(3) organization.
2. Corporate Grants and Sponsored Programs: EIF receives grants and sponsored program contributions from corporate partners (e.g., City National Bank as title sponsor of Defy:Disaster) and co-funds initiatives with entertainment industry entities. These partnerships provide operational and programmatic funding for specific programs.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable foundation that operates as the entertainment industry's philanthropic platform. It provides fiscal sponsorship, administrative, and grantmaking infrastructure for celebrity-, athlete-, and entertainment-company-led funds, runs direct charitable programs such as Stand Up To Cancer (cancer research), Defy:Disaster (natural disaster relief), and the EIF Careers Program (workforce access), and produces roadblock television telecasts and benefit concerts that drive mass-scale public fundraising.

Product overview

The Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF) is a multifaceted philanthropy organization occupying a unique place in entertainment-based charitable work. The organization operates primarily through three main program types: (1) EIF Programs including Stand Up To Cancer, EIF Careers Program, Defy:Disaster, Public Service Campaigns, and Telecasts; (2) Fiscally Sponsored Funds supporting individual artists' and organizations' philanthropic initiatives such as She Is The Music, Know Your Rights Camp, Live Free 999, Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project, Kate McGarrigle Fund, Oscar's Kids, Music For Relief, People's Fund of Maui, Roybal Film and Television Magnet, THR Women in Entertainment Mentorship Program, and NAMIC Next; and (3) Fiscally Sponsored Funds providing financial/administrative services to extend partners' philanthropic footprint.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C): A program that funds research to develop the newest and most promising cancer treatments to help patients today.
• DEFY:DISASTER
• EIF Careers Program

Products and services

• Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C)
• EIF Careers Program
• Defy:Disaster
• EIF Telecasts
• EIF Public Service Campaigns
• She Is The Music
• Know Your Rights Camp
• Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project (CTAOP)
• People's Fund of Maui
• Music For Relief
• Juice WRLD Live Free 999
• Roybal School of Film and Television Production
• THR Women in Entertainment Mentorship Program
• NAMIC Next
• Kate McGarrigle Fund
• Oscar's Kids with Melissa Rauch

Quantifiable outcome

• SU2C has awarded grants to 112 research teams, including 27 Dream Teams, advancing cancer treatments for patients today.
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

35 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Oprah WinfreyflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Oprah Winfrey co-created the People's Fund of Maui with Dwayne Johnson to provide direct financial assistance to residents of Lahaina and Kula who lost their homes in the Maui wildfires. EIF administered the fund, distributing $60 million to more than 8,100 residents.
• Dwayne JohnsonflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Dwayne Johnson co-created the People's Fund of Maui with Oprah Winfrey, providing $1,200 monthly disbursements to Maui wildfire survivors. EIF administered the fund, including operating an in-person support center in West Maui and a seven-day-a-week call center.
• Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021LAUSD partnered with George Clooney, Grant Heslov, and Bryan Lourd to establish The Roybal Film and Television Magnet on the Edward G. Roybal Learning Complex in downtown Los Angeles, launching in summer 2022. EIF serves as the fiscal sponsor and administrator of this initiative.
• George Clooney, Grant Heslov, and Bryan LourdcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Academy Award-winning actor George Clooney, producer Grant Heslov, and talent agent Bryan Lourd partnered with LAUSD to found The Roybal Film and Television Magnet, a career pathway school for underrepresented students in the film and television industries.
• The Hollywood Reporter (THR)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010The Hollywood Reporter Women in Entertainment Mentorship Program is a partnership between THR, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles, and EIF, pairing young women from under-resourced high schools with women executives in entertainment.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los AngelescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles serves as the operational partner for the Women in Entertainment Mentorship Program, providing mentorship matching and program delivery infrastructure alongside THR and EIF.
• American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008AACR serves as SU2C's Scientific Partner, supporting management of grants across the SU2C research portfolio. AACR provides scientific oversight and administrative support for the peer-review and grantmaking process for SU2C-funded cancer research teams.
• Linkin Park (Music for Relief)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2005Linkin Park founded Music for Relief in 2005, joining forces with EIF in 2018 as part of EIF's DEFY:DISASTER program. Music for Relief has responded to over 35 natural disasters across six continents, bringing together the music community for disaster response.
• City National BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity National Bank serves as the title sponsor of Defy:Disaster, EIF's disaster relief program. Their sponsorship supports EIF's ability to mobilize rapid and sustained disaster response across the entertainment community.
• Nobel laureate Phillip A. Sharp, Ph.D. (SAC Chair)coreOthersPhillip A. Sharp, Institute professor at MIT and the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT, chairs SU2C's Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC), a blue ribbon panel of approximately 25 highly accomplished senior researchers and physician-scientists providing guidance on the SU2C research portfolio.
• Katie Couric, Sherry Lansing, Kathleen Lobb, Lisa Paulsen, Rusty Robertson, Sue Schwartz, Pamela Oas Williams, and Ellen Ziffren (SU2C Council of Founders and Advisors)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe nine founding women of SU2C, including Katie Couric, Sherry Lansing, Kathleen Lobb, Lisa Paulsen, Rusty Robertson, Sue Schwartz, Pamela Oas Williams, and Ellen Ziffren (with late co-founders Laura Ziskin and Noreen Fraser), established SU2C in 2008 and continue to serve on its Council of Founders and Advisors.
• Julian Adams, Ph.D. (SU2C CEO)coreOthersJulian Adams, Ph.D., serves as SU2C's CEO, leading the organization's strategic direction and fundraising operations.
• Colin Kaepernick (Know Your Rights Camp)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerColin Kaepernick founded Know Your Rights Camp, a fiscally sponsored fund of EIF advancing the liberation and well-being of Black and Brown communities through education, empowerment, and mass mobilization. The fund includes a Legal Defense Initiative and COVID-19 Relief Fund.
• Alicia Keys (She Is The Music)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlicia Keys founded She Is The Music, a global network and EIF fiscally sponsored fund that increases the number of women working in music across songwriting, engineering, producing, and industry roles. SITM operates as a unifying organization for women across the industry.
• Ariana Grande (One Love Manchester)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerAriana Grande organized the One Love Manchester benefit concert and television special to benefit victims and families of the Manchester Arena bombing. The event was attended by 55,000 people, broadcast in 50+ countries, and aired on 65+ British radio stations.
• Hope for Haiti Now Partners (Wyclef Jean, George Clooney, Anderson Cooper)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerHope for Haiti Now was hosted by Wyclef Jean in New York, George Clooney in Los Angeles, and Anderson Cooper in Haiti, featuring performances by Madonna, Bruce Springsteen, Shakira, Sting, Alicia Keys, Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake, Taylor Swift, Beyonce, and Rihanna. The telecast aired on 35+ networks and raised $66 million.
• Olivia Newton-John (Fire Fight Australia)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOlivia Newton-John hosted Fire Fight Australia, a benefit concert at ANZ Stadium in Sydney raising $9.85 million for communities affected by the 2019-2020 Australian bushfires (The Black Summer), with performances by Queen + Adam Lambert, Michael Bublé, and Alice Cooper.
• Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez (Somos Una Voz)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerMarc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez co-hosted the Somos Live! telethon concert broadcast simultaneously on Telemundo, Univision, and NBC in October 2017, raising funds for disaster relief with proceeds benefiting the American Red Cross, Feeding America, Habitat for Humanity, Save the Children, US Fund for UNICEF, and United Way.
• Entertainment Equity Alliance (EEA) PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEEA is a coalition of industry-connected workforce, advocacy, government, and labor partners including Warner Bros. Discovery, The Walt Disney Company, Paramount Pictures, California Film Commission, IATSE Local 80, LA County Arts & Culture, and the Department of Economic Opportunity, committed to equity and access to entertainment careers.
• Nickelodeon (Careers Program)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNickelodeon partnered with EIF to host an Introduction to Careers in Animation event for 6th-12th grade educators from multiple school districts at Nickelodeon's campus, providing studio tours and Q&A sessions on the animation production pipeline.
• Netflix (Careers Program)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetflix hosted EIF's 2023 Educator Roundtable at Netflix headquarters, bringing together 50+ middle and high school educators from LAUSD to discuss barriers to sustainable creative careers and supports needed by students.
• K Period MediaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerK Period Media provided seed funding for Swans for Relief, an EIF Defy:Disaster partner response initiative launched by Misty Copeland and Joseph Phillips to support ballet dancers struggling financially during COVID-19.
• Misty Copeland and Joseph Phillips (Swans for Relief)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmerican Ballet Theatre Principal Dancer Misty Copeland and Joseph Phillips joined forces with EIF to launch Swans for Relief, raising funds to help ballet dancers worldwide maintain living expenses during COVID-19.
• LeBron James Family FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe LeBron James Family Foundation co-hosted Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020 alongside EIF and XQ Institute, a Peabody-nominated primetime special celebrating the Class of 2020.
• XQ InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerXQ Institute co-hosted Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020 alongside EIF and the LeBron James Family Foundation, contributing to the redesign of the American high school experience.
• Cher (CherCares Pandemic Resource and Response Fund)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCher partnered with Dr. Irwin Redlener, Founding Director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University, to form the CherCares Pandemic Resource and Response Fund, providing PPE, treatment, and testing to underserved communities through existing healthcare facilities.
• Stevie Wonder (House Full of Hope)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStevie Wonder transformed his annual House Full of Toys concert into a House Full of Hope benefit event with EIF/Defy:Disaster to raise funds and awareness for California firefighters and first responders affected by 2018 wildfires.
• Jameis Winston and Cam Jordan (#ForNola)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNFL players Jameis Winston and Cam Jordan of the New Orleans Saints initiated #ForNola, an EIF Defy:Disaster partner response to champion communities in New Orleans during the 2021 NFL season, working with the Greater New Orleans Foundation for sustainable rebuilding after Hurricane Ida.
• Kevin Love Fund + HeadspaceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKevin Love Fund and Headspace partnered with EIF/Defy:Disaster to offer free mindfulness tools, meditations, sleep, and movement exercises to help Americans manage COVID-19-related anxiety, including free access for healthcare professionals and K-12 educators.
• Ryan Seacrest FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Ryan Seacrest Foundation partnered with EIF for the 2023-2024 Defy:Disaster response, contributing to EIF's disaster relief efforts through the entertainment community's collective giving platform.
• Carmela Wallace (Juice WRLD Live Free 999)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCarmela Wallace, mother of Jarad 'Juice WRLD' Higgins, founded Live Free 999 as an EIF fiscally sponsored fund to support young people battling addiction, anxiety, and depression, with additional support from Grade A and Interscope Records.
• Melissa Rauch and Winston Rauch (Oscar's Kids)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerActress Melissa Rauch and her husband Winston Rauch co-founded Oscar's Kids with Oscar's parents, Yavanna and Lar Keogh, as an EIF fiscally sponsored fund dedicated to defeating pediatric cancer and supporting families affected by DIPG.
• Rufus Wainwright and Martha Wainwright (Kate McGarrigle Fund)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRufus and Martha Wainwright created the Kate McGarrigle Fund in honor of their mother, folk singer Kate McGarrigle, providing sarcoma research funding and music therapy resources to cancer patients. The fund is partnered with SU2C Canada.
• Charlize Theron (Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademy Award-winning actor and UN Messenger of Peace Charlize Theron founded CTAOP in 2007, now an EIF fiscally sponsored fund working with program partners across Southern Africa on sexual and reproductive health, HIV prevention, and gender-based violence prevention. Programs have reached 3.3 million youth.
• Emma and Bruce Willis Fund for Dementia Research and Caregiver SupportcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Emma & Bruce Willis Fund, launched by Emma Heming Willis, is an EIF fiscally sponsored fund that works to confront frontotemporal dementia by raising awareness, funding promising research, and supporting caregivers.

Scale indicators19 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• MusiCares (Recording Academy): MusiCares is the Recording Academy's charitable arm serving the music industry with emergency financial assistance, health programs, and addiction recovery — directly comparable as an entertainment-industry-segment-specific 501(c)(3) providing health and crisis support to music professionals.
• SAG-AFTRA Foundation: The SAG-AFTRA Foundation operates charitable and educational programs serving performers and entertainment workers, including the Actors Fund-style emergency assistance, children's literacy, and disaster relief — directly comparable as an entertainment-industry-union-affiliated charity.
• The Actors Fund: The Actors Fund is a national human services organization supporting performing arts and entertainment professionals through social services, health care, housing, and emergency financial assistance — directly comparable mission and beneficiary base to EIF's programs.
• Motion Picture & Television Fund: MPTF provides health and human services to entertainment industry workers and retirees, including the Wasserman campus and entertainment industry charitable programs — comparable as an industry-affiliated charity serving entertainment workers.
• Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation: This foundation supports entertainment industry professionals in financial crisis with grants and emergency aid, closely comparable as an entertainment-industry-specific charitable foundation providing direct assistance to workers.

Broad incumbents

• UNICEF USA: UNICEF USA is a global humanitarian nonprofit that extensively uses celebrity ambassadors and high-profile PSAs to drive fundraising and awareness — comparable as a major nonprofit leveraging entertainment talent and mass-media distribution to drive donations.
• Global Citizen: Global Citizen runs massive celebrity-driven benefit concerts and campaigns targeting poverty and global health — comparable as a high-profile entertainment-tied philanthropy that mobilizes celebrity talent and mass-media events for fundraising at scale.
• Robin Hood Foundation: Robin Hood Foundation is a major New York-based poverty-fighting charity that depends on Wall Street and entertainment industry board members for fundraising galas and large-scale donor events — comparable as a celebrity/board-driven high-touch fundraising charity.
• American Red Cross: American Red Cross is the largest U.S. disaster relief and humanitarian charity, frequently partnering with celebrity ambassadors and entertainment events for fundraising — comparable as a major disaster-relief nonprofit that receives proceeds from EIF-affiliated benefit concerts (e.g., Somos Una Voz).

Emerging players

• City of Hope: City of Hope is a research and treatment organization for cancer and diabetes that runs entertainment-industry-supported fundraising events including the Music, Film & Entertainment Industry Spirit of Life Award — comparable as a cancer-research organization leveraging entertainment industry fundraising events similar to SU2C.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/EIFoundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/EIFoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/entertainment-industry-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/eifoundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Entertainment Industry Foundation