Seth MacFarlane Donates $5M to Leisure Group Fund to Kickstart New $10M Initiative (Unique)

Seth MacFarlane is opening his pockets as soon as once more for the Leisure Group Fund.

The prolific creator, who donated $1 million to ECF in July for his or her efforts in supporting trade professionals amid Hollywood’s twin strikes, has dedicated one other $5 million. As a part of the present, ECF and MacFarlane have teamed to launch a $10 million initiative within the hopes of attracting extra donors throughout the work stoppage that has left hundreds unemployed.

ECF, beforehand often called the Actors Fund, spreads help past actors to supply packages and providers, monetary and in any other case, to those that work within the leisure trade. As of Sept. 19, the fund has distributed greater than $7.4 million to greater than 3,515 movie and TV employees together with writing assistants, manufacturing assistants, key grips, gaffers, lighting and sound designers, script supervisors, individuals working in craft providers, hair and make-up professionals, wardrobe insiders and others. The emergency monetary help is used to cowl fundamental dwelling bills like hire, groceries, medical insurance, medical payments, psychological well being help and extra.

Although the fund has obtained thousands and thousands of {dollars} from hundreds of donors — a few of them notable insiders like Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw, Herb Alpert, Katie McGrath and J.J. Abrams, Greg Berlanti, Steve and Nancy Carell, Vince Gilligan, Michelle Pfeiffer and David E. Kelley and Shonda Rhimes — the cash goes quick. Because of heightened requests, ECF is at the moment distributing about $400,000-$500,000 per week, in comparison with a mean of $75,000 per week within the first half of 2023.

It’s understood that MacFarlane heard of the excessive greenback quantity being distributed every week and felt compelled to offer more cash. Moreover, he was impressed by the work of ECF in serving to all kinds of trade professionals in all job classes. MacFarlane, who stays on strike as a member of each WGA and SAG-AFTRA, has been seen on the picket strains in Los Angeles.

“There aren’t sufficient phrases to specific our great gratitude to Seth as he continues to assist these in want, all whereas inspiring others with this name to motion to do the identical,” stated Annette Bening, who serves as ECF’s chair of the board and has donated to the trigger herself. “At this price, we’ll want no less than $10 million to proceed serving to individuals within the coming weeks. Seth’s present is an unimaginable contribution to assist us be capable of try this, and we hope others take part as nicely.”

Added ECF president and CEO Joe Benincasa: “We’re eternally grateful to Seth for this extraordinarily beneficiant donation. We all know that there will probably be long-term ramifications of the work stoppage that can proceed to impression individuals’s lives and well-being for months to return, and this transformative present will permit us to proceed to reply the inflow of requests for assist we get every day.”

The information comes on the heels of the Showrunner Fundraising Match, an initiative launched on Sept. 11 in an effort to help movie and TV employees who are usually not on strike however have been impacted by the work stoppage. It exceeded its preliminary objective of elevating $500,000 for ECF lower than per week.