"Ready to Make Our Mark." An Immigrant Group Becomes a Powerful Force in Philanthropy
By Mike Scutari
A few years back, we predicted that the "golden age" of Southern California philanthropy was imminent. Recent developments suggest that the stars have finally aligned.
While entertainment fortunes are larger than ever, big money has also been made in real estate, healthcare, tech, and finance. Thanks to a surge in arts philanthropy, the city has become, to quote Eli Broad, one of the "four major cultural capitals of the world." And the region's universities are rolling in cash—USC easily met a $6 billion campaign goal under its soon to be ex-president C. L. Max Nikias, while UCLA raised over a half-billion dollars last year. San Diego, meanwhile, has been the scene of large-scale giving by big donors like Qualcomm founder Irwin Jacobs and credit card mogul Denny Sanford.
