From Culver City, Brentwood, UCLA, USC, and Downtown LA, Her Generosity was Legendary
Glorya Kaufman, a transformative benefactor to the arts and dance communities in Los Angeles and beyond, died Tuesday at age 95, the University of Southern California announced. USC, where she was a Life Trustee, said Kaufman “died peacefully surrounded by family and friends.”
Kaufman’s influence spanned decades, shaping cultural institutions across Southern California. She was the driving force behind the Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center series, created in 2009 through her $20 million gift — the largest single donation to dance in Los Angeles history. The endowment brought world-class companies, including the Joffrey Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, the Royal Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and Ballet Hispánico to the city.
Her support extended to higher education. She funded the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance, which opened in 2012, and the adjoining International Dance Center in 2013. The size of her gift was never disclosed, but USC called it one of the largest in American dance history. In 1999, she donated $18 million to UCLA to restore a women’s gym, now Glorya Kaufman Hall.
Kaufman’s community philanthropy was equally notable. She backed the Glorya Kaufman Community Center in Culver City — a 7,500-square-foot arts, education, and outreach hub offering free public programming — and most recently, the Glorya Kaufman Performing Arts Center at Vista Del Mar Child and Family Services, which opened in 2023.
Married to KB Home co-founder Donald Kaufman until his death in 1983, she is survived by her children, Laura, Gayl, Curtis, and Zuade, along with numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
The Brentwood Branch of the Los Angeles Public Library was named after her husband, Donald Bruce Kaufman, in 1994, after Glorya, her family members, and friends donated money to fund the construction of the library. Glorya continued to be involved and interested in the library as late as 2024.
Her contributions also supported St. John’s Health Center, Cedars-Sinai/USC Glorya Kaufman Dance Medicine Center, Jules Stein Eye Institute, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, City of Hope, American Jewish University, and the Venice Family Clinic, where she funded the Glorya Kaufman Eye Clinic.
