Editing David Geffen (section)

== Philanthropy ==
[[File:David Geffen Hall (48047408511).jpg|thumb|alt=Exterior of David Geffen Hall|[[David Geffen Hall]] as seen from Lincoln Center Plaza]]
In 1995, he donated $5 million towards [[UCLA]]'s Westwood Playhouse.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shirley |first=Don |date=1995-04-21 |title=Geffen Gives $5 Million to UCLA Stage : Theater: His unusual donation to the Westwood Playhouse is unrestricted. The 498-seat, nonprofit venue will be renamed the Geffen Playhouse. |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-04-21-ca-57298-story.html |access-date=2024-07-24 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref> The theater was renamed the [[Geffen Playhouse]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/los-angeles/article/Geffen-Playhouse-Raises-More-Than-13-Million-At-Annual-Backstage-Fundraiser-20190521|title=Geffen Playhouse Raises More Than $1.3 Million At Annual Backstage Fundraiser|first=Stephi|last=Wild|website=Broadway World|access-date=September 3, 2021}}</ref>

According to ''[[Forbes (magazine)|Forbes]]'' ("The 400 Richest Americans of 2004") and other sources, Geffen has pledged to give whatever money he makes from now on to charity, although he has not specified which charities or the manner of his giving. In 2002, he announced a $200&nbsp;million unrestricted endowment for the School of Medicine at UCLA.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Feiwell |first=Jill |date=2002-05-08 |title=Geffen gives UCLA $200 mil |url=https://variety.com/2002/biz/news/geffen-gives-ucla-200-mil-1117866561/ |access-date=2024-07-24 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref> The School thereafter was named [[David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA]]. On December 13, 2012, UCLA announced that Geffen had donated another $100 million in addition to his 2002 donation of $200 million, making him the largest individual benefactor for the [[UC system]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/14/david-geffen-scholarship_n_2301741.html|title=David Geffen Donates $100 Million For Scholarships To UCLA Medical School|first=Tyler|last=Kingkade|date=December 14, 2012|via=Huff Post}}</ref> The latest donation funds the full cost of attendance for up to 30 students per year, beginning with the Class of 2017.

In 2015, Geffen pledged $100 million toward renovation of what was then called the Avery Fisher Hall, part of [[Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts]] in New York.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2015/film/news/david-geffen-100-million-ucla-academy-1201638711/|title=David Geffen Gives $100 Million for Academy at UCLA|first=Dave|last=McNary|website=Variety|date=November 12, 2015|access-date=September 3, 2021}}</ref> His gift, which amounted to about 20% of the hall's renovation costs, gave him naming rights in perpetuity over the building, now known as [[David Geffen Hall]].<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.wqxr.org/#!/story/avery-fisher-hall-be-renamed-david-geffen-hall/ | title=Avery Fisher Hall to Be Renamed David Geffen Hall | first=Brian | last=Wise | publisher=WQXR | date=March 4, 2015 | access-date=March 4, 2015}}</ref>

In December 2020, Geffen pledged to donate $46 million to the [[University of California, Los Angeles|UCLA]] [[David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA|medical school]], which is named after him.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Stoller|first=Kristin|title=Billionaire DreamWorks Cofounder David Geffen Donates $46 Million To UCLA Medical School|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/kristinstoller/2019/12/03/billionaire-dreamworks-cofounder-david-geffen-donates-46-million-to-ucla-medical-school/|access-date=2020-10-09|website=Forbes|language=en}}</ref>

In June 2021, Geffen gave $150 million to the [[David Geffen School of Drama at Yale University|Yale School of Drama]]. This gift allowed the drama school to eliminate tuition for all students enrolled in master's, doctoral, and certificate programs. The school was renamed the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale University.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Paulson|first=Michael|date=2021-06-30|title=Yale Drama Goes Tuition-Free With $150 Million Gift From David Geffen|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/30/theater/yale-drama-david-geffen-tuition.html|access-date=2021-06-30|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

In September 2021, [[Columbia Business School]] announced that David Geffen had made a gift of $75 million to support the school's new facilities in the [[Manhattanville, Manhattan|Manhattanville]] neighborhood, north of Columbia's main campus. In recognition of his donation, the East Building will be renamed David Geffen Hall when opened in 2022.<ref>{{Cite press release|publisher=Columbia Business School |date=2021-09-20 |title=David Geffen Joins Henry R. Kravis in Support of Columbia Business School |url=https://www8.gsb.columbia.edu/newsroom/newsn/11864/david-geffen-joins-henry-r-kravis-in-support-of-columbia-business-school |access-date=2022-04-30 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Columbia Business School's New Manhattanville Campus |url=https://giving.columbia.edu/columbia-business-schools-new-manhattanville-campus |access-date=2022-04-30 |website=giving.columbia.edu |language=en}}</ref>