Comparison · 6 material differences
The California Club vs Jonathan Club
This comparison was generated on request from the records. It carries no editorial verdict and is not indexed. The published comparisons are listed on the compare page.
Read down each column for one organization, across a row for the difference. A bronze mark at the left of a cell means the organizations differ on that row. A dash or “not published” means the organization does not disclose the fact — it is not a zero.
What the records say
- Gender — The California Club: No published gender; Jonathan Club: Open to men and women since a 1987 vote to admit women as full members.
- Annual dues — The California Club: Not publicly disclosed; Jonathan Club: The club publishes no fee information. The only figure in circulation is a reported initiation fee of about $50,000 from a 2024 secondary source..
Side by side
| The California Club | Jonathan Club | |
|---|---|---|
| Profile | ||
| Type | Private club | Private club |
| Founded | 1888 (The club's own site says only that it has been "a Los Angeles icon for more than a century" and does not print a founding year; 1888 comes from Wikipedia's sourced article.) | 1895 (Two dates appear at the downtown clubhouse entrance: 1894, when the club was formed as a political club, and 1895, when it was chartered in California as a non-political social club. The club bases its anniversaries on 8 June 1895.) |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles, United States | Los Angeles, United States |
| Geographic footprint | Single clubhouse at 538 South Flower Street in downtown Los Angeles | Two clubhouses: the Town Club at 545 South Figueroa Street in downtown Los Angeles, open since 1924, and the Beach Club on the sand in Santa Monica, operating since 1927 |
| Members | Not publicly disclosed | Not publicly disclosed. Wikipedia reports more than 650 female members but gives no total. |
| Chapters | Single clubhouse; no chapters | 2 |
| Primary audience | The club says its members "represent L.A.'s most diverse trailblazers and influencers, who are defining today's city and shaping its future", and describes itself as the city's premier private social club; it publishes no occupational or financial test. | Not publicly disclosed. The club does not publish eligibility criteria; secondary sources describe membership as by invitation only. |
| Typical member | Not publicly disclosed. The club describes members in general terms as Los Angeles innovators and influencers and publishes no data on professions, ages or numbers. | Not publicly disclosed. Wikipedia reports more than 650 female members; no total membership, occupational or age profile is published. |
| Qualification | ||
| Gender | No published gender | Open to men and women since a 1987 vote to admit women as full membersWomen guests had been limited to certain floors, dining rooms and entrances as recently as 1975; Wikipedia reports more than 650 female membersverified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Invitation required | Yes | Yes |
| Sponsor required | Yes | Not documented |
| Application process | There is no public application process. The club states that membership is by invitation from current members and that the membership office is not open to the public. The site lists a membership email address but no form, criteria or timetable. | Not publicly disclosed. Secondary sources describe membership as by invitation only; no application form, sponsorship rule or committee process could be verified, and the club's own site could not be retrieved. |
| Selectivity | Not publicly disclosed. The club publishes no acceptance data, waiting-list information or member cap. | Not publicly disclosed |
| Cost | ||
| Annual dues | Not publicly disclosedverified September 2026 · source ↗ | The club publishes no fee information. The only figure in circulation is a reported initiation fee of about $50,000 from a 2024 secondary source. |
| Monthly dues | No initiation fee or dues figure is published anywhere on the club's site, and no reliable published reporting of a figure was located. | Not publicly disclosed. Secondary reporting states that monthly dues are payable in addition to the initiation fee to remain in good standing, but gives no amount.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Initiation fee | Not publicly disclosedverified September 2026 · source ↗ | Not publicly disclosed by the club. Reported at approximately $50,000 as of 2024 in a Thrillist survey of Los Angeles members-only clubs, cited by Wikipedia. The club neither publishes nor confirms the figure, and the underlying source is a lifestyle publication rather than a business title, so the number should be treated as indicative only.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Membership term | Not documented | Not documented |
| Structure | ||
| Meeting frequency | No published meeting schedule; the clubhouse operates on weekdays for breakfast, lunch, dinner and bar service, with signature and family events through the year | Not documented |
| Peer forums | Not documented | Not documented |
| Confidentiality | Not publicly disclosed. The club publishes a technology policy rather than a confidentiality rule: electronics must be silent, and voice and video calls are confined to telephone alcoves and private meeting and dining rooms. | Not publicly disclosed |
| Time commitment | Not documented | Not documented |
| Organized as | Clubhouse premises, Event-focused | Clubhouse premises, Event-focused |
| Confidential peer forums | No | No |
| Local chapters | No | No |
| Virtual membership | No | No |
| Online community | No | No |
| Member directory | Not documented | Not documented |
| Events | Yes | Not documented |
| Programming | ||
| Educational programming | Not documented | Not documented |
| Leadership development | No | No |
| Retreats | No | No |
| Travel | Partial | Not documented |
| Family programming | Yes | Not documented |
| Spouse and partner programming | Not documented | Not documented |
| Next-generation programming | Not documented | Not documented |
| Investment discussions | No | No |
| Investment opportunities | No | No |
| Philanthropic component | Not documented | Not documented |
| Networking emphasis | Medium | Not documented |
| Social emphasis | High | High |
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Sources
Drawn from the sources listed on each page: The California Club · Jonathan Club