Rob and Michele Reiner
/SOURCE OF WEALTH: Director and Producer, Castle Rock Entertainment
FUNDING AREAS: Education, LGBT Rights, Health, Environment
OVERVIEW: Reiner uses his Hollywood status to speak out and raise money for issues he cares about. Though much of his time and effort has been directed toward political organizations rather than charitable ones, he has demonstrated the ability to successfully leverage both the entertainment industry and government to address a variety of social causes.
BACKGROUND: Reiner grew up just outside New York City. Both his parents were involved in the entertainment industry—his mother was an actress and singer, and his father is the legendary actor, writer, producer and director Carl Reiner. He attended UCLA, and then went to write for The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. He then gained national recognition as an actor, playing Michael Stivic, better known as “Meathead,” on the TV show All in the Family. Later, he produced or directed such movies as When Harry Met Sally..., and A Few Good Men.
ISSUES:
EDUCATION: Reiner has long been a staunch advocate for early childhood education. In 1997, he and his wife Michele helped co-found the I Am Your Child Foundation. Continuing his work in this arena, he chaired the California Children and Families Initiative in the late 1990s, a California ballot measure that Created First 5 California, a program that provides early childhood development services. He then served as chairman of First 5 California, later resigning due to a perceived conflict caused by his chairmanship of another ballot initiative, this time to fund state-run preschools, which ultimately failed. In an effort to revamp the I Am Your Child Foundation, he rebranded it Parents’ Action for Children in 2011, which continues to produce and distribute resources for parents, early childhood professionals, child advocates, health care providers, policymakers and the media to raise awareness about the importance of early childhood development and school readiness. It is unclear how much the Reiners have personally contributed to these causes, but it is surely substantial, and has helped raise tens if not hundred of millions from other sources, and even leveraged government involvement.
LGBT: Reiner was a co-founder of the American Foundation for Equal Rights, which was responsible for the successful state and federal challenges to California’s Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage in the state.
HEALTH: Reiner has been an outspoken advocate against tobacco usage. He is a member of the Directors Guild of America’s Social Responsibility Task Force, which advocates moderating the use smoking, alcohol, drugs, and violence in film. "Knowing what we know about the impact and influence smoking in movies has on young people, we as directors have a responsibility to eliminate gratuitous smoking in films," he has said.
ENVIRONMENT: Reiner led the effort to establish California's Ahmanson Ranch as a state park and wildlife refuge, saving it from commercial development. He is also a supporter of the Alliance for Climate Protection and the American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign.
LOOKING FORWARD: Reiner is known as a strong supporter of a variety of progressive causes, but early childhood education seems to stand much taller than the rest.
CONTACT:
Parents Action for Children
info@parentsaction.org
