SOURCE OF WEALTH: Leonard Green & Partners
FUNDING AREAS: Education & Youth, Medical Research, Arts & Culture
OVERVIEW: John Danhakl and his wife Katherine conduct their philanthropy through the Danhakl Family Foundation. According to available tax filings, the foundation gave away around $1.3 million in 2018. The couple support schools with which they have a personal connection. Other interests include medical research and the arts.
BACKGROUND: John G. Danhakl earned a bachelor’s degree in economics UC Berkeley and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He was a vice president in corporate finance at Drexel from 1985 to 1990, and a managing director in the Los Angeles office of DLJ, which he joined in 1990. Danhakl joined Leonard Green & Partners in 1995 and is a managing partner.
ISSUES:
EDUCATION & YOUTH: Danhakl supports his graduate school, Harvard University. The couple also supports their daughter Elizabeth’s alma mater, Williams College. Other grantees include UPenn (the couple have been UPenn parents), Pepperdine University, and New Day for Children Foundation.
MEDICAL RESEARCH: Grantees include Faster Cures and American Cancer Society.
ARTS & CULTURE: The Danhakls have directed funds to Museum of the City of New York and New York Historical Society.
OTHER: The couple has given to Common Sense Media, San Francisco SPCA, San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, and Grand Canyon Trust.
LOOKING FORWARD: While his giving has touched several different cities, it is worth noting that Danhakl has strong ties to the Bay Area and is an eighth-generation Californian. Expect the family’s giving to track with personal connections for now.
CONTACT:
Danhakl Family Foundation
1111 Santa Monica Blvd, Suite 2000
Los Angeles, CA 90025
