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Broadcast acts as fund-raiser for film charities
Assn.'s donations go to art education, restoration
Appeared in VARIETY - January 13, 2003
When viewers tune in to watch the Golden Globes, few will know they're helping arts nonprofits worldwide. Yet the revenues from the event go almost entirely to worthy causes.
Each year, the awards' host, the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn., uses the event's receipts to fund its charitable giving. The nonprofit uses the event as its chief fund-raiser, all the while TV audiences remain oblivious to this fact. Each year, the HFPA distributes its one-night earnings -- hundreds of thousands of dollars -- to other arts nonprofits.
Determining whom they give money to isn't as hard as it may seem. Early on, the HFPA adopted a cardinal rule of grant giving.
According to current HFPA prexy Dagmar Dunlevy, "We don't do anything that is political or medical. When I was on the board of directors, we had to decide on some guidelines. How do you determine which health or political organization needs the funding? The best thing was to take the politics and the medical off the table."
Celluloid recipients
By eliminating those options, the HFPA concentrated on giving back to the industry it covered. In 2002, it funded organizations such as the Film Foundation, the Sundance Institute, Film Aid Intl. and many university film schools. According to Dunlevy, the HFPA has centered its grant giving on specific targets.
"We focused on education -- nurturing minds that are studying the art -- and art restoration," she says.
That topic seemed a natural fit and grant recipients certainly aren't complaining.
According to Margaret Bodde, co-executive director of the Film Foundation, it makes sense that the HFPA fund a film protection group.
"These are people passionate about films. They know film history. It's entirely logical that they'd be in the position to support film preservation. They've been incredibly helpful," says Bodde.
Spirit of giving
The HFPA grants a large amount of money each year, including $493,900 in 2002. And of the HFPA's sum, it gives significant contributions to both the Film Foundation ($200,000) and the Sundance Institute ($75,000).
According to Bodde, the HFPA grant provides about 12% of their annual funding.
"The HFPA grant is typically among the very important and high end of donations we receive. It started at $50,000. It doubled the next year, and it's increased from there, luckily for us," says Bodde.
Sundance executive director Ken Brecher also appreciates the financial aid HFPA gives to the Utah institute.
"The HFPA's ongoing support has helped ensure that international filmmakers have been able to participate in a wide range of Institute programs," says Brecher.
Of course, none of this would be possible without the HFPA's cash cow. As the group's only fund-raiser, the HFPA relies extemely heavily on the show.
Coin collectors
"I call the Golden Globes our night to raise funds. It's not officially termed that, but that's the mission behind the show. The show is an enormous success because not only does it entertain people, but the bigger picture is that we have more funds to give away," explains Dunlevy.
Yet, for all their good deeds, few people know about the substance behind the Golden Globes' sizzle. Even within Hollywood, many think the only subtext to the awards is how its results will affect the Oscars.
"Within the industry, I don't think their charitable giving is that widely known. I think for the general public, it's off the radar," says the Film Foundation's Bodde.
Not that the HFPA is trying to keep the Globes' fund-raising status a secret. In fact, it is trying to publicize their giving, and that's starting to work.
Public recognition
"People don't really know how much we give back, but they're starting to. The word is getting out more and more," says Dunlevy.
If the HFPA continues to rake in money from the Golden Globes, president Dunlevy's vision for the future just may come true.
"Eventually I'd like to build a Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. school of journalism and filmmaking. I don't know what it's going to be titled yet, but the more success we have the better off everyone's going to be. So let's hope the ratings are good, we raise more money, and we start building," says Dunlevy.
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