The evolution of donor David Bohnett from an early, cautious arts funder to a full-blown, big-money LA philanthropist is now complete.
Bohnett, who made his millions after selling his GeoCities to Yahoo in the late 1990s, recently pledged $20 million to his beloved LA Philharmonic. Bohnett is the former Board Chair of Philharmonic Association and currently serves on the board and the executive committee.
His trajectory underscores how effective and innovative arts programming can create converts out of donors who might otherwise dismiss arts giving as elitist. As we noted in a previous post, Bohnett’s first forays into philanthropy addressed LGBT and social justice causes. But soon he expanded to the arts, thanks in no small part his burgeoning love of the LA Phil.