Judd Apatow and Leslie Mann
/SOURCE OF WEALTH: Screenwriter, Producer
FUNDING AREAS: Health & Human Services, Education & Youth, Individual Rights, Emergency Services, Arts & Culture, Environment, Gun Violence
OVERVIEW: Judd Apatow and his wife, actress Leslie Mann, move their philanthropy through the Apatow-Mann Family Foundation, which gave away a little over $600,000 in grants in a recent year. Their grantmaking prioritizes New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. Funding interests include health, education, and the arts.
BACKGROUND: Raised on Long Island, Judd Apatow attended USC and studied screenwriting. He worked as a stand-up comedian and later earned an Emmy for his writing on The Ben Stiller Show. After creating the critically acclaimed series Freaks and Geeks, he went on to direct, write and produce the hit film, The 40-Year-Old Virgin. He followed with Knocked Up, and other films. Apatow has worked as a producer and screenwriter for other big-screen comedies and was an executive producer for HBO's series, Girls.
ISSUES:
HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES: Apatow and Mann, via their foundation, have supported Los Angeles Men’s Place, Children's Hospital of Los Angeles, Cedars Sinai, Project ALS, Venice Family Clinic, City of Hope, Prostate Cancer Foundation, Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services, and Memorial Sloan-Kettering. The couple's health grantmaking runs the gamut, but cancer research appears to be a priority.
EDUCATION & YOUTH: Apatow and Mann are longtime supporters of 826LA, which encourages and develops the writing skills of disadvantaged youth. Apatow is passionate about literacy, as he put it, "I realized learning how to write was something that helped me survive. I think it's a good thing to provide that assistance to kids who don't have the money to pay for tutors." The couple has supported UCLA Fund, Save the Children, City Year Los Angeles, LA Leadership Academy, Children’s Defense Fund, Crossroads School, and Marquette University, and Fulfillment Fund, and other programs.
INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS & EMERGENCY SERVICES: Grantees include ACLU of Southern California, U.N. Foundation, Water.org, World Food Program, Eastern Congo Initiative, and Musicares Foundation, which "provides support and community services to musicians in need of medical, personal & financial assistance."
ARTS & CULTURE: Apatow and Mann have supported Inner-City Arts, American Film Institute, KCRW Foundation, and Labyrinth Theater in New York.
OTHER: The couple has steadily supported The Rape Foundation. They support gun violence prevention and have funded the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence. The couple has supported environmental organizations NRDC and Oceana. They have given between $10,000 and $100,000 to the Obama Foundation. Apatow is an investor in CrowdRise, "a fundraising site to raise money for personal causes and get instant access to the funds."
LOOKING FORWARD: Apatow and Mann donate to a variety of causes, with modest grants supporting a range of organizations. They do not appear to be racking up board memberships as yet. Perhaps grantmaking will deepen down the line.
CONTACT:
Apatow-Mann Family Foundation
8383 Wilshire Blvd, Ste 400
Beverly Hills, CA 90211
