Major gifts reflect commitments that support the construction of new university buildings, hospital wings and support for endowments
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Hundreds of Millions in Charitable Giving Support Southern California’s Core Institutions
The largest charitable gift was surgeon and inventor Dr. Gary Michelson and his wife Alya’s $120-million commitment to UCLA’s California Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy. The institute is housed at the UCLA Research Park, on the site of the former Westside Pavilion shopping mall. The gift, distributed via the Michelson Medical Research Foundation, designates $100 million to establish two research entities within the institute, each funded by $50 million. One will focus on rapid vaccine development and the other on harnessing the microbiome to advance human health. An additional $20 million endowment will be funded to provide research grants to young scientists using novel processes to advance immunotherapy research, human immunology and vaccine discovery.
At Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, which was the recipient of five commitments, the support is key, especially in the wake of the recent wildfires, which have led to increased demand for emergency care, mental health services and community outreach. At the same time, reductions in healthcare funding and social programs have made philanthropic partnerships more vital than ever.
“Cedars-Sinai is deeply grateful to all of our donors, many of whom not only entrust us with their care but also with their philanthropic support,” said Dr. Peter Slavin, chief executive and president of Cedars-Sinai. “That trust is both an honor and a responsibility, and it inspires us to ensure every gift is thoughtfully and carefully handled to advance innovation, healing and hope for the communities we serve.”
Top Philanthropic Gifts in Southern California
LA Times Studios presents the 40 largest gifts made to charitable organizations in Southern California. The list includes gifts made from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025. Gifts were committed during that time period but could be contributed over a longer period. Gifts were made primarily to universities and hospitals. Other organizations include Orange County United Way and Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County. Notably, two gifts were made that were for wildfire relief and recovery. There were 19 different Southern California institutions that received major gifts, which totaled $845.7 million in commitments.
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