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Anonymous Donor Matches $250,000 for a $500,000 Total Gift for the Fund
New York, NY (September 13, 2023) – The Entertainment Community Fund—formerly known as The Actors Fund—has received a generous $250,000 matching gift challenge donation from iconic trumpeter, A&M Records co-founder and philanthropist Herb Alpert, via the Herb Alpert Foundation. The donation was immediately matched by an anonymous donor, bringing the total gift to $500,000. If people are inspired to donate in celebration of the matching gift challenge, they can do so at entertainmentcommunity.org/alpert.
“When artists are in need, it is important for society to offer support. The reason is simple: our society is poorer when artists aren’t able to share their work with us. My hope is that our matching grant to the Entertainment Community Fund will keep inspiring others to support our artists in need,” shared Alpert.
“The Herb Alpert Foundation is thrilled to provide essential funding to support the talented writers, actors and dedicated industry professionals during this challenging work stoppage period. Our support is a testament to our belief in the power of words and the profound impact of storytelling to challenge perspectives, spark conversations and inspire a brighter future. It is our hope that this challenge grant will motivate others to support the creative voices in our community. Now more than ever, it is crucial to stand together and uplift those whose creative contributions shape our world. Together, we can ensure that industry professionals, including those in the Los Angeles community, have the resources they need during this pivotal time,” added Rona Sebastian, President of the Herb Alpert Foundation.
“The Entertainment Community Fund is so thankful for the Herb Alpert Foundation’s generous donation and for inspiring others to continue to give to the Fund during such an important time,” said Chair of the Board Annette Bening. “These gifts will immediately assist film and television workers, and so many in our industry who are still struggling to recover after the pandemic.”
The Herb Alpert Foundation envisions a world in which all young people are blessed with opportunities that allow them to reach their potential and lead productive and fulfilling lives. Since its inception, the Foundation has been dedicated to championing and investing in the Arts, primarily arts education, a focus on jazz, and support to professionals. This includes programs that see access to arts education as an issue of social justice, as well as programs that celebrate artists as change-makers that foster understanding, challenge convention and inspire progress.
Since May 1, the Fund has raised over $9.1 million from more than 10,500 donors to support film and television workers. As previously announced, Seth MacFarlane recently donated $1 million directly to the Fund, and Steven Spielberg & Kate Capshaw donated $1.5 million to be dispersed between the Fund as well as the SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s Emergency Financial Assistance Program.
Additional notable donors include The Katie McGrath & JJ Abrams Family Foundation, Stacey Abrams, Annette Bening, Tom Bergeron, Greg Berlanti, Rachel Bloom, Rosanne Cash in memory of Johnny Cash, Suzanne Collins & Cap Pryor, Minnie Driver, Vince Gilligan, Lynn Nottage, Michelle Pfeiffer & David E. Kelley, Daniel Radcliffe, Shonda Rhimes, and Chandra Wilson.
As of September 8, the Fund has distributed more than $6.5 Million to more than 3,100 film and television workers.
For an image of Herb Alpert and Lani Hall, click HERE.
If people need help or can give help, please visit entertainmentcommunity.org/workstoppage2023.
ABOUT THE ENTERTAINMENT COMMUNITY FUND
The Entertainment Community Fund, formerly The Actors Fund, is a national human services organization that addresses the unique needs of people who work in performing arts and entertainment with services focused on health and wellness, career and life, and housing. Since 1882, the Fund has sought to ensure stability, encourage resiliency and be a safety net for those who shape our country’s cultural vibrancy. Learn more at entertainmentcommunity.org.
ABOUT HERB ALPERT AND LANI HALL
Herb Alpert is a musician, record producer, artist and philanthropist. His albums have sold over 72 million copies, with Billboard listing Alpert as #7 on their “Greatest Of All Time Billboard 200 Artists.” A legendary trumpet player, Alpert’s extraordinary musicianship has earned him five #1 hits, nine GRAMMY Awards, fifteen Gold albums, and fourteen Platinum albums. Along with Taylor Swift, Alpert has the distinction of being one of only two artists to have four albums in the Top 10; Alpert also has five albums in the Top 20 and is the only artist who has had a #1 instrumental and vocal single. He co-founded A&M Records with Jerry Moss in 1962 turning it into one of the most successful independent record labels in history. In 2012, Alpert was awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Barack Obama; he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006.
Lani Hall, Herb Alpert’s wife of 49 years, is a two-time Grammy-winning vocalist, lyricist and author who rose to international fame as the lead vocalist with Sergio Mendez & Brazil ’66. In 1983, Lani performed the title track for the Bond film Never Say Never Again. Since her first solo album Sun Down Lady in 1972, Lani has recorded 22 albums. As an author, Lani gained literary praise for her semi-autobiographical novel Emotional Memoirs & Short Stories. For the past 14 years, Lani and Herb have toured North America and Europe together with their band.
In the early 1980s, Herb and Lani established the Herb Alpert Foundation which has, to date, given over $200 million in grants to organizations dedicated to arts education and artist support as well as organizations focused on compassion and well-being. The Foundation also sponsors the annual Herb Alpert Award in the Arts.
ABOUT THE HERB ALPERT FOUNDATION
The Herb Alpert Foundation envisions a world in which all young people are blessed with opportunities that allow them to reach their potential and lead productive and fulfilling lives. Since its inception, the Foundation has been dedicated to championing and investing in the Arts, primarily arts education, a focus on jazz, and support to professionals. This includes programs that see access to arts education as an issue of social justice, as well as programs that celebrate artists as change-makers that foster understanding, challenge convention and inspire progress.
This work often dovetails with the Foundation’s support in the area of Compassion and Well-Being, which invests in organizations that understand the importance of empathy and cooperation in our daily interactions with others and the positive effects inherent in restoring individuals’ and families’ abilities to stand independently. Please note: the Foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals.
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