Tech entrepreneurs have created some of the biggest foundations in the U.S., and we can expect more money to flood into nonprofits from these leaders in coming years. We are closely tracking the most important players in tech philanthropy; however, they give in a variety of areas, not just those related to tech, as our research shows. Explore the profiles below to see what we're learning. An important note: while this landing page lists the wealth creators below, who are often male, their spouses often drive and lead family philanthropy, as the profiles explore. 

All these profiles are updated regularly, so if you have an update, please share it with us. Make sure to visit IP's Tech Philanthropy blog for the latest news and developments that we're writing about.

TOP DONORS

BRIAN AND TEGAN ACTON

Brian and Tegan Acton support basic needs of low-income families with young children, education, youth, Bay Area community, human and civil rights, and more.

RICK AND DONNALYN ADAMS

Rick and Donnalyn Adams back digital rights and policy, and arts and culture.

STEVE AND LISA ALTMAN

Steve and Lisa Altman conduct philanthropy through the The Lisa & Steve Altman Family Foundation, which gave away around $945,000 in a recent year. The Altmans prioritize grantmaking to health projects. Diabetes research is a top priority, driven by personal forces.

LAURA ARRILLAGA-ANDREESSEN

Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen doesn't just practice philanthropy. She teaches classes on the subject at Stanford. She also founded the Silicon Valley Social Venture Fund (SV2), where she continues as chairperson emeritus, and launched the Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen Foundation (LAAF), which helps philanthropists give more effectively.

MARC AND LAURA ARRILLAGA-ANDREESSEN

Marc, a tech entrepreneur and venture capitalist, maintains a foundation with his wife, Laura Andreessen.

BRIAN ARMSTRONG

Brian Armstrong recently launched GiveCrypto, whose mission is to financially empower people by distributing cryptocurrency globally. He is a recent Giving Pledge signatory.

C. MICHAEL AND ANNE ARMSTRONG

Funding areas include education and youth, health and human services, and religious causes. Connecticut, Colorado, and Florida are focuses. 

JAMES W. BAGLEY

Bagley and family support health and human services, and education and youth.

RICH AND SARAH BARTON

Philanthropic causes include education and youth, health, arts and culture, and the Seattle community. 

BUDDY AND CHARLOTTE BECK

Buddy and Charlotte Beck fund military and veterans causes, and education. 

C. GORDON AND GWEN BELL

Former exec at Digital Equipment Corp. and Microsoft, C. Gordon Bell and his wife Gwen support education, digital history and rights, arts and culture, health and human services. Regional giving in Bay Area, New Jersey and Colorado. 

GARY AND CYNTHIA BENGIER

Funding areas include education and youth.

JAMES AND JUDY BERGMAN

Funding causes include education and youth, religious, and global and humanitarian work. Interests include helping women and children in cities and the developing world through innovative ideas in social work. 

JEFF BEZOS

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has engaged in limited philanthropy so far, although major gifts have supported education, arts & culture, immigrants, medical research, and climate change.

MICHAEL AND XOCHI BIRCH

Bebo founder Birch and his wife Xochi have given significant support for charity:water and other causes.

NATHAN AND ELIZABETH BLECHARCZYK

The Airbnb co-founder and wife Elizabeth, a physician, are Giving Pledge signatories, and have said they're interested in funding education, scientific research, medicine, space exploration, conservation and governance. 

JABE BLUMENTHAL AND JULIE EDSFORTH

The former Microsoft executive and his wife fund education and youth (particularly adolescent girls’ causes,) the environment, and social change.

JAMES BOCHNOWSKI

The founder of Delphi Ventures and family give to global policy issues, veterans and Bay Area community causes.

CHRISTOPHER AND ANDREA BORCH

The founder of Micro-Mechanics and wife give to education and youth, human services/humanitarian, environmental and animal causes. 

LEONARD BOSACK

Co-founder of Cisco. Donates mainly to animal welfare through a foundation he created with his ex-wife, Sandy Lerner. 

PAUL BRAINERD

The founder of the Aldus software company runs the Brainerd Foundation with his sister, Sherry. Funds have mainly gone to environmental organizations, particularly in the Northwest. The foundation has given about $66 million so far and will sunset in 2020.

KEN AND CHERYL BRANSON

Funding areas include disaster relief, humanitarian aid, economic development and the environment.

LINDA BRENEMAN AND ERIC STRAND

Funding interests include the arts—particularly literature—education, social programs, and medical research. Seattle organizations have received numerous grants.

DANIEL AND CINDY BRETTLER

Daniel Brettler and his wife Cindy conduct their philanthropy through the Brettler Family Foundation, which focuses on helping others secure shelter, food and education.

SERGEY BRIN

Sergey Brin does his grantmaking through the Sergey Brin Family Foundation, which held more than $2.79 billion in assets in a recent year and gives away over $100 million annually. The foundation does not have a website.

JIM BREYER AND ANGELA CHAO

Jim Breyer and Angela Chao family move philanthropy through the Breyer Family Foundation, which gave away around $1.5 million in a recent year. The family support schools with which they have a personal connection. Angela has ties to the east coast.

SERGEY BRIN AND NICOLE SHANAHAN

Co-founder of Google. Brin and Shanahan are strong supporters of medical research, especially Parkinson's disease, poverty, support for Russian immigrants, fighting anti-Semitism, reproductive longevity and equality, and criminal justice reform.

PAUL AND APRIL BUCHHEIT

Early Google employee and founder of Friendfeed. Publicly solicited ideas for grantmaking and supports health, but otherwise keeps his giving private.

ANEEL AND ALLISON BHUSRI

Aneel and Allison Bhusri do not appear to yet have a formal family foundation. They’ve given gifts for youth and human services, with an eye towards the San Francisco area.

STEVE AND JEAN CASE

The founder of AOL and his wife are big believers in the power of entrepreneurship and are also keen to reinvent how philanthropy operates.

DEVINDRA AND MANISHA CHAINANI

The Chainani couple support global causes, particularly in India; also education and the arts. Devindra is a veteran engineering manager at Microsoft, and some giving has been in the Seattle area.

JOHN AND ELAINE CHAMBERS

The former CEO and chairman of Cisco and his wife give to education and youth, health and human services, and to various international NGOs. 

FUSEN CHEN

The tech executive gives to education and youth, religious, global and human services causes. 

WINSTON H. CHEN AND PHYLLIS HUANG

The tech executive and investor and wife give to education and youth, community, global and religious causes. 

BRIAN CHESKY

The Airbnb co-founder and CEO has funded humanitarian and disaster relief, and has said he wants to encourage young people to be entrepreneurs. 

BEN AND TERESA CHESTNUT

Ben and Teresa Chestnut launched the Chestnut Family Foundation, which invests in the lives of children through access to the arts.

JAMES H. CLARK

Tech entrepreneur and venture capitalist James Clark gives to higher education, mostly at Stanford University, as well as nature, the environment, performing arts, and youth services programs.

ANDREW CONRU

The founder of FriendFinder Networks and internet company investor has funded education and youth, the environment, and arts and culture.

RON CONWAY

The biggest gifts by this angel investor have been for healthcare, but Conway has also supported gun control and local causes in San Francisco.

SCOTT COOK AND SIGNE OSTBY

Founder of Intuit. The bulk of his giving has been in the field of education, although he also supports environmental and human services causes and programs that help the poor in Africa.

TIM COOK

While the Apple CEO's record of public giving is pretty sparse so far, Cook has pledged that all his wealth will eventually go to charity. He has also dramatically increased Apple's giving. 

DICK AND BARBARA COUCH

Dick and Barbara Couch move philanthropy through the Couch Family Foundation, which focuses its grantmaking on supporting organizations and programs that serve communities in the Upper Valley of New Hampshire and Vermont and Martha’s Vineyard.

MARK CUBAN

Mark Cuban has been an outspoken supporter of veterans and their families, and has also donated to causes such as cancer research and patent law reform.

MATT AND CINDY CUTTS

Former Google executive and software engineer. Cutts has supported policy and civic action, digital rights, education, and health and human services.  

JACK AND LAURA DANGERMOND

The mapping billionaire's company provides in-kind services to K-12 schools, and the Dangermonds have given large sums to UC Santa Barbara.

DENNIS AND GRETCHEN DEANDRE

Funding interests include education and youth, charitable research, health, and the Bay area community.

DARWIN DEASON

Founder of Affiliated Computer Services, later sold to Xerox. The Deason family funds education, health and human services, and arts and culture. Son Doug is interested in criminal justice reform.

JOHN DELO

While John Delo does not appear to have a formal charitable vehicle, he has supported various institutions based in the Seattle area, particularly in the performing arts.

BHARAT DESAI AND NEERJA SETHI

Bharat Desai and his wife Neerja Sethi move philanthropy through the Ds Foundation. The couple direct millions annually to a donor advised fund, obscuring the full scope of their philanthropy. They also move philanthropy through the Desai Sethi Foundation (DSF), which focuses on underprivileged youth in Florida and Michigan.

SAMIR DESAI

The Desai Foundation aims to empower and elevate the health and wellbeing of women and children in India and the U.S.

GURURAJ “DESH” AND JAISHREE DESHPANDE

Funding interests include education and entrepreneurship. Their Deshpande Foundation works to build and accelerate the development of new enterprises.

DAVID DESJARDINS AND NANCY BLACHMAN

Early Google employee turned investor. David and wife Nancy Blachman support film and media, policy and civic action, STEM education, and San Francisco Bay Area causes.

JACK DORSEY

Dorsey’s record of charitable contributions is still brief, but he has used his social media power to raise funds for charity:water, and to auction time with himself to support entrepreneurship and education.

JOHN AND ELLEN DREW

The Drews fund health, human services and veterans, arts and media, education and youth causes.

DAVID AND CHERYL DUFFIELD

Founder of Peoplesoft. Virtually all of his giving goes toward animal rights issues. Strong supporter of no-kill shelters.

BOB AND TRISH DUGGAN

The biotech billionaire supports higher education, as well as health causes, particularly around drug rehabilitation.

JERRY DUNIETZ AND LAURIE MINSK

Giving focuses on Jewish causes and human services. Dunietz is an engineer at Microsoft and some grantees are in the Seattle area.

KEVIN AND MOLLY EFRUSY

Founder of Corio; Accel Partners investor. Has given to youth leadership and education, public health, global development, and women's empowerment. 

PAUL AND JOANNE EGERMAN

Founder of IDX, Egerman and wife Joanne are interested in policy and civic action, education, health and Jewish causes. 

LARRY ELLISON

Founder and CEO of Oracle. Was a strong supporter of cutting-edge medical research, but has recently shifted philanthropic priorities to animals and wildlife.

ALAN EUSTACE AND KATHY KWAN

Veteran microprocessor engineer and retired Google exec and wife Kathy Kwan direct their giving to educational equity at the K-12 level, jobs, and professional development.

BRUCE AND BRIDGITT EVANS

Summit Partners tech investor and wife Bridgett provide a scholarship at Harvard Business School and support artists and the arts.

MARTIN AND ANDREW FARACH-COLTON

Funding areas include arts and culture, medical research, and LGBTQ causes.

NOEL AND SALLY FENTON

Fenton, a tech company founder and venture capitalist, focuses on the Bay Area. Causes include environment, education & youth, arts. Fenton's son Peter, also a tech guy, is a trustee of the family foundation.

ARASH FERDOWSI

The Dropbox cofounder's recently-launched Dropbox Foundation is concentrating initially on human rights, but Ferdowsi and the foundation may broaden their focus in coming years.  

DAVID AND ANGELA FILO

Co-founder of Yahoo. Most of his giving goes to his alma maters, Stanford and Tulane, education reform, and environmental causes.

CARLY AND FRANK FIORINA

Carly Fiorina launched Unlocking Potential Foundation to help community-based organizations develop leadership and problem-solving skills so they can maximize their social impact.

JESSE AND BETSY FINK

Founder of Priceline and MissionPoint Capital. Has backed sustainable food systems, and resilient habitats and communities.

KEITH AND PAMELA FOX

The founder of Brandsoft and family fund children's health, education and youth, human services, and religious causes. 

PHILIP AND ROSA FRIEDMAN

The Friedman’s giving focuses on Jewish causes.

ERNIE AND JOANNE GARCIA

The Garcias move their philanthropy through the Garcia Family Foundation, which centers on education, including parochial schools, and human services, with an eye towards Arizona.

BILL AND MELINDA GATES

The Microsoft co-founder and his wife are among the world's leading philanthropists. Much of their giving focuses on improving life in developing countries.  

JOE GEBBIA

The Airbnb co-founder is a Giving Pledge signatory (like his co-founders). Funding areas include education and humanitarian causes. Encouraging future creatives and entrepreneurs is an interest.

GREG AND SUSAN GIANFORTE

Founder of RightNow Technologies. Issues include jobs, education, family, Christian outreach, local arts and culture, and protecting the vulnerable.

STEPHEN AND MARGARET GILL

The Gills fund environmental and civil rights, arts and culture, global, education and youth causes. 

TIM GILL

An early tech winner with Quark, Gill is a philanthropist of LBGTQ causes and founder of the Gill Foundation.

DAVID AND PATRICIA GIULIANI

The Giuliani family funds education and youth, health, human services, the environment, and community causes.

ROB GLASER

Founder of RealNetworks. Strong supporter of independent progressive media, global health, and animal rights causes.

JAMES GOODNIGHT

Co-founder of the SAS Institute. Most of his giving goes toward improving education and reforming the current educational system.

MARK GORTON

Mark Gorton launched the Open Planning Project to address civic space issues.

ANDREW GROVE

The late Intel co-founder's legacy continues to grow with contributions through the Grove Foundation to several health causes, including prostate cancer and Parkinson's disease research, to which he's given millions.

RAMANATHAN AND ASHA GUHA

Funding areas include education and youth, and the Indian community.

DAVID AND CATHY HABIB

Funding areas include Jewish causes, education and youth, human services, and the environment. Regular grants have gone to University of Washington among other Seattle-area organizations.

KEVIN HAFER

Hafer is a steady supporter of Hopelink, a community action agency in Seattle. The Hafer family has given to other causes as well as human services but keeps a low profile in philanthropy.

BRIAN HAMILTON

Brian Hamilton launched Inmates to Entrepreneurs, which seeks to assist people with criminal backgrounds in starting their own business by providing resources and mentorship. He recently started the Brian Hamilton Foundation to continue his work empowering entrepreneurs.

OMAR HAMOUI

Funding interests include the Muslim community, and education.

NICK AND LESLIE HANAUER

Seattle-based tech investor and venture capitalist and wife Leslie support environmental, education and gun control causes.

MIKE AND MOLLY HANLON

Mike Hanlon and his wife Molly conduct their philanthropy through the Hanlon Foundation, which funds organizations that add value to the communities to which they belong.

ERIC HARSLEM AND RANI CLASQUIN

Funding focuses on education and community development.

LLOYD AND ABBE HASCOE

Lloyd and Abbe Hascoe conduct philanthropy through the Hascoe Charitable Foundation, which gave away around $141,000. One interest is health, particularly cancer research. The Hascoes also support Jewish organizations, education, and the arts.

REED HASTINGS AND PATTY QUILLIN

Netflix founder is active in education and immigration reform. Hastings and wife Patty Quillin are Giving Pledge signatories.

GARDNER C. HENDRIE

Co-founder of Stratus Computer and venture capitalist with Sigma + Partners. Funding areas include education, health and science research, arts and culture, and the Boston community.  

ROBERT AND PATRICIA HERBOLD

The Herbolds award scholarships to students majoring in STEM subjects at several top schools. Support has gone to Case Western Reserve University, and the University of Washington and Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle.

ROBERT HERJAVEC

Not much is known about his philanthropy, except that he supports several charities dedicated to funding cancer research and other health-related causes.

PETE AND LESLIE MAGID HIGGINS

Funding areas for the Microsoft veteran and tech investor include education and youth, health, and the environment.

DAVE HITZ

Hitz and family support the arts, environment, science, education and community. 

JAY AND MICHAELA HOAG

The venture capitalist and wife fund education and youth, Bay Area community causes, and health, particularly Alzheimer's research.

REID HOFFMAN AND MICHELLE YEE

The founder of LinkedIn and his wife support a range of organizations, including those that support entrepreneurs, economic development, entrepreneurship, youth activism, education, and public policy.  

JEFFREY DEAN AND HEIDI HOPPER

Dean, a Google senior fellow, and wife Heidi Hopper are developing philanthropic interests in education, including STEM diversity and global health, among other areas. 

DAVID HOUSE

Longtime Intel executive, now chairman of Brocade Communications Systems. Funding areas include education and youth, arts and culture, the Michigan community, and the Bay Area community.

DREW HOUSTON

The Dropbox cofounder's funding interests include human rights, criminal justice reform, and immigration. He recently launched Dropbox Foundation with Dropbox cofounder Arash Ferdowsi, which will focus initially on human rights. 

JEN-HSUN AND LORI HUANG

The founder of Nvidia and his wife support education and youth and STEM education. They support Stanford University, and efforts to boost diversity in artificial intelligence. 

MING HSIEH

Funding interests include higher education, health and science research, and the Chinese community. Tens of millions have gone to his alma mater, USC. 

CHRIS HUGHES

Co-founder of Facebook and current publisher and executive chairman of the New Republic. Hughes prioritizes economic development, LGBTQ rights and global health in his giving.

MUHAMMAD RAGHIB HUSSAIN

The co-founder of Cavium supports the Pakistani community, and global, education and youth causes. 

FRANK ISLAM AND DEBBIE DRIESMAN

Funding areas include education, arts and culture, and peace and conflict resolution.

NAVEEN AND ANU JAIN

Naveen and Anu Jain conduct philanthropy through the Naveen and Anu Jain Foundation, which gave away around $221,000 in a recent year. They are strongly involved with the XPrize Foundation, interested in finding entrepreneurial solutions to address the global challenges. Other interests include Indian causes and human services.

IRWIN AND JOAN JACOBS

Tech entrepreneur and executive. Strong supporter of education, health, arts, and culture, mostly in his hometown of San Diego.

RAJESH JHA AND SUDHA MISHRA

Funding interests include Indian and global causes, health and human services, and education.

LAURENE POWELL JOBS

Steve Jobs's widow has strong interests in education, immigration and the environment.

JEFF AND KAREN JORDAN

The Jordans support health, education and youth, animals and the environment, human services and humanitarian causes. Jeff Jordan is a tech executive and venture capitalist.

DAVID AND ANNETTE JORGENSEN

Funding interests include education, social improvement, arts, public media, and medical causes. 

BREWSTER KAHLE & MARY K. AUSTIN

Internet technology innovator and wife Mary K. Austin are big supporters of the Internet Archive online library, and have interests in arts, education and affordable housing.

TRAVIS KALANICK

Travis Kalanick recently launched 10100fund, which engages in nonprofit and for-profit work. Its initial nonprofit work will work on education and the future of cities.

SHEL KAPHAN

Amazon's first employee. His low-profile foundation supports policy and civic action, education and youth, digital rights, and health and human services.

JIM AND DIANE KAVANAUGH

Jim and Diane Kavanaugh do not appear to have a formal family foundation. Kavanaugh has supported his alma mater St. Louis University. St. Louis serves as an important region of giving.

MITCH KAPOR AND FREADA KAPOR KLEIN

Lotus co-founder mainly focuses his philanthropy on social and racial equity, STEM education and the environment.

RICHARD A. KARP

Karp’s recent giving has focused on schools and education causes with which he has a personal connection, including Cal Tech, Stanford, and University of the Philippines Alumni in Minnesota.

JAWAD AND KANIZ KHAKI

A Microsoft Corporation veteran, Jawad Khaki and his wife Kaniz established the Khaki Foundation in December 2003 to fund essential needs and educational endeavors that alleviate poverty and suffering. 

VINOD AND NEERU KHOSLA

Co-founder of Sun Microsystems. His giving is concentrated on microloans to entrepreneurs, primarily in his native India, and on supporting his wife Neeru's education nonprofit.

JAMES AND AGNES KIM

James and Agnes Kim move philanthropy through the James and Agnes Kim Foundation, which gave away around $2.2 million in a recent year. Philadelphia, including its Main Line suburbs, serve as an important region of giving. Kim has also strongly supported schools with which he has a personal connection — particularly University of Pennsylvania and Villanova.

KARL AND LISA KLEISSNER

Exec at Ariba, RightPoint, NeXT, DEC, HP. An impact investor with wife Lisa through their KL Felicitas Foundation.

CHASE KOCH

Chase Koch recently launched the Chase and Annie Koch Foundation with Annie Breitenbach. Koch funds a private school located on the Wichita State University campus.

LEO KOGUAN

Koguan conducts philanthropy through the Leo Koguan Foundation, which focuses on Asian educational institutions.

JOSH AND RENA KOPELMAN

Founder of online retailer Half.com; with wife Rena has given to education and youth, cancer and celiac disease, and Jewish causes.

JAN KOUM

Koum is still relatively new to philanthropy, so it's difficult to say what causes he'll support. However, he's put close to $556 million into a donor-advised fund.

MICHAEL AND JANET KRASNY

The founder of Computer Discount Warehouse and his wife support education, the Jewish community, medical research, and community services. 

BILL AND GAY KRAUSE

The Krauses fund education and youth, health, and arts and culture. Much of their giving involves the Bay Area.

MIKE AND KAITLYN KRIEGER

Instagram co-founder and wife Kaitlyn are particularly interested in criminal justice reform, as well as U.S. policy, science and global health and development.

SCOTT AND JOANIE KRIENS

The Juniper Networks chairman and wife Joanie channel much of their philanthropy through the 1440 Foundation, which is concerned with various aspects of wellness.

AJAY AND LATA KRISHNAN-SHAH

Successful memory-chip entrepreneurs Ajay and Lata Krishnan-Shah focus philanthropy on education, at-risk youth and economic empowerment for Indians.

GARY KUNIS

Funding areas include arts and culture, education and youth, human services and humanitarian causes, the environment and animals.

FLOYD AND JEAN KVAMME

The co-founder of National Semiconductor and his wife fund work in religious, policy, education, medical and social improvement causes. 

FIROZ AND NAJMA LALJI

Firoz Lalji was born in Uganda and studied in the UK before building a successful chain of photo stores in Canada and the U.S. The couple funds education, the Seattle community, and global development—particularly work relating to Africa.

PIERRE AND CHRISTINE LAMOND

The venture capitalist and wife fund health, arts and culture, and education and youth. 

GARY AND LAURA LAUDER

Gary and Laura Lauder co-founded the Laura and Gary Lauder Family Venture Philanthropy Fund, which invests in visionary leaders and projects that have the potential to create lasting impact. It focuses on social justice and educational entrepreneurial programs locally and nationally; national programs that utilize innovative methods to inspire Jewish life; Jewish community institutions in the San Francisco Bay Area; and leadership development programs via the Aspen Institute.

JEFF AND ERICA LAWSON

Jeff and Erica Lawson do not appear to yet have a charitable vehicle. They are recent Giving Pledge signatories. Human services and aiding the poor appears to be an interest.

THAI LEE

Thai Lee moves philanthropy through the Thai Lee Foundation, which supports schools with which she has a personal connection. Philanthropy through her foundation has been very modest and even negligible of late.

RICHARD LEEDS AND ANNE KROEKER

Through their Kaleidoscope Foundation, Leeds and Kroeker are big supporters of conservation and education, with a focus on the Pacific Northwest.

SANDY LERNER

Along with her ex-husband and Cisco co-founder, Lerner has donated more than 70 percent of the wealth she made at Cisco to charitable causes, focusing mainly on animal welfare.

LEWIS LEVIN

A top interest for the veteran Microsoft executive and his family is tolerance in ethnic conflicts. Levin’s Winter Cove Foundation supports work toward tolerance among diverse religions, ethnic, or other communities.

KENNETH AND GLORIA LEVY

Kenneth and Gloria Levy support various Jewish causes in the San Francisco Bay Area. Other funding has gone to education and youth, art and health.

CHRIS AND MELODY MALACHOWSKY

NVIDIA Corp. co-founder. Funding areas include environment and animals, education and youth, human services, and humanitarian causes.

PAUL AND YAFFA MARITZ

Funding areas include Jewish causes and child mental health. Paul worked at Microsoft and Dell; Yaffa is a trained social worker with a particular interest in infant mental health.

CRAIG AND SUSAN MCCAW

Education, global economic development, education, and the environment are top causes for McCaw, who made his fortune in the cell phone industry. 

JIM AND ANNA MCKELVEY

Jim and Anna McKelvey do not appear to have a formal family foundation; however, they’ve supported institutions in the St. Louis area, including McKelvey’s alma mater Washington University. He founded LaunchCode in order to teach people how to program.

ROGER AND ANN MCNAMEE

Funding interests include animals and the arts. The McNamees are developing a sanctuary for retired zoo elephants in Northern California.

SCOTT AND SUSAN MCNEALY

McNealy has used the open source philosophy he embraced at Sun Microsystems to tackle education through a nonprofit he founded called Curriki. His family foundation also supports health and a variety of Bay Area organizations.

JEFF AND KAREN MILLER

The entrepreneur and investor has given big to support social entrepreneurship, and for environmental and local Bay Area causes. 

BENJAMIN AND CAROL TURCHIN MONDERER

Funding areas include efforts to expand opportunities for people with disabilities, health, education and youth.

MARK AND BRENDA MOORE

The Moores support healthcare, education, arts, and Christian evangelism.

JAMES C. AND BECKY MORGAN

Former CEO and chairman of Applied Materials. Funding interests include youth and children, education, environment, and community stewardship.

MICHAEL MORITZ AND HARRIET HEYMAN

Tech venture capitalist. Much of his giving is focused on education, especially his alma mater, Oxford University, and supporting the San Francisco community.

KEN AND LINDA MORRIS

PeopleSoft co-founder, Workday executive. Morris and wife Linda have long supported his alma mater SMU. Interests include animals, education and youth, human services.  

DUSTIN MOSKOVITZ AND CARI TUNA

Facebook co-founder has pledged to give away his entire fortune during his lifetime. The couple has a foundation making grants for global health, among other issues. 

BOB AND LAURA ELLEN MUGLIA

Bob Muglia and his wife Laura conduct their philanthropy through the Laura Ellen & Robert Muglia Family Foundation Foundation. The couple strives to improve global health and development.

MATT MULLENWEG

Matt Mullenweg does not appear to have a charitable vehicle. He’s given gifts in his local Bay Area community.

BOBBY MURPHY

The Snapchat co-founder has committed millions of dollars of the company's shares to philanthropy, with youth as one focus. But Murphy is only just starting out in philanthropy, so his interests will probably come into greater focus in coming years.  

MICHAEL AND JOYCE MURRAY

The Murrays’ main philanthropic interest is global development/poverty. Michael is a former tech executive who worked at both Apple and Microsoft.

CATHERINE MUTHER

Catherine S. Muther founded the Three Guineas Fund, which promotes social equity by expanding access to opportunity for women and girls. 

ELON MUSK

Tech serial entrepreneur, co-founder of PayPal and Tesla Motors. His giving is focused on renewable energy, science and engineering education, and pediatric health.

HARVEY NAJIM

Founder of IT systems integrator and wife Nancy are big supporters of San Antonio-area charities, with a focus on children's needs and health in the region and throughout Texas. 

STEVE NASIRI

The InvenSense founder focuses giving on education, poverty, healthcare, non-violence and diplomacy.

WILIAM NEUKOM

Microsoft's longtime principal legal counsel, former managing general partner of the San Francisco Giants baseball team ownership group. Gives to advanced science, higher education and world justice by advancing the rule of law.

PETER AND SHERYL NEUPERT

Funding areas include health, human services, veterans causes, and youth. Peter worked at Microsoft and served as CEO and president of drugstore.com.

RICHARD AND CHRISTINE NEWMAN

Funding interests include education and youth, health and human services, and arts and culture. Los Angeles is a region of giving. 

CRAIG NEWMARK

Much of Newmark’s philanthropy backs using the Internet to leverage his donations. He gives towards veterans and military causes, journalism and digital media, women in technology, civic and democracy and cybersecurity.

HENRY T. NICHOLAS III

Co-founder of Broadcom. Gives mostly to education and causes related to the Episcopal Church.

EILEEN HARRIS NORTON

Eileen Harris Norton launched the Eileen Harris Norton Foundation, which seeks to achieve social and environmental justice through supporting organizations dedicated to education, families, and the environment. She also helped found Art + Practice, which is committed to supporting the needs of local foster youth while also providing free access to museum-curated contemporary art.

PETER AND GWEN NORTON

Peter Norton once ran a charitable vehicle with a former wife Eileen, which gave financial support to visual and contemporary non-profit arts organizations, as well as human social services organizations. More recently, he’s given several large individual donations with his wife Gwen.

ADAM AND REBEKAH NEUMANN

Adam and Rebekah Neumann do not appear to have a formal family foundation. They’ve given sums to health and have shown an interest in the environment. Prior to a rescinded IPO, the couple pledged to give at least $1 billion to charity over the next decade.

ALEXIS OHANIAN

Co-founder of Reddit. Interested in digital rights, community funding. Ohanian is in his 30s, so giving may evolve and expand in the future.

KEVIN O'LEARY

O’Leary has supported causes including education and climate change, but his work has been almost entirely about what he can do through capitalism and entrepreneurship.

PIERRE AND PAM OMIDYAR

Founder of eBay has a longstanding focus on global issues, such as health, education, and economic development, but he also supports property rights, government transparency, and technology. He has committed $250 million to advance stronger media.

PAUL ORFALEA

The Kinko's founder gives primarily in the Santa Barbara area, focusing on early childhood education, higher education, and learning programs.

LARRY AND LUCINDA PAGE

Google co-founder Page seems to channel most of his philanthropic interests through the company's giving.

SAMUEL AND MISSY PALMISANO

Samuel and Missy Palmisano conduct philanthropy through the Inglesea Charitable Trust, which gave away around $1.4 million in a recent year. The Palmisanos support schools with which they have a personal connection. Other interests include the health and global causes. Unfortunately, their foundation lacks transparency, limiting information about grantmaking guidelines.

SEAN AND ALEXANDRA PARKER

First president of Facebook. Has given big for science, global health, civic engagement, and allergy and cancer research. 

BOB AND RENEE PARSONS

Founder of GoDaddy. Gives to traditional causes, mostly veterans and the poor, and mostly in the Phoenix metropolitan area.

SUJAL AND MEERA PATEL

Grantmaking focuses on education and youth, and health, including cancer research.

ROBERT PERA

Through Ubiquiti Networks, Pera donates resources and equipment to bring wireless access and upgraded technology to schools, community centers, apartments and more across the Memphis area.

ROSS AND MARGOT PEROT

Computer systems and software entrepreneur. Former presidential candidate. Supports veterans causes, healthcare, and arts and culture.

CURTIS PRIEM

The co-founder of Nvidia Corp. funds education and youth, health, and Bay Area community causes. 

PHILLIP AND SUSAN RAGON

Aside from a major donation for AIDS research, Ragon and his wife Susan have mainly given small gifts to organizations in the Boston area, many to faith-based groups. 

SURI AND MALA RAMAN

Suri is a former VP and distinguished engineer at Amazon, and is currently a corporate VP at Microsoft. The Ramans support education and youth, human services, arts and culture, the environment, and education. Some of their funding goes to work in India.

RAO AND SATYA REMALA

Funding areas include human services and health, Indian causes and global health, education, the environment, and arts and culture. The couple’s daughters, Srilata and Srilakshmi, have important and growing roles in the family’s giving.

ARTHUR ROCK AND TONI REMBE ROCK

Key Silicon Valley venture capitalist. Giving areas include education, legal rights, arts and culture, San Francisco community. 

LOU AND MAURA ROSSO

Lou and Maura Rosso move philanthropy through the Rosso Family Foundation, which gave away around $500,000 in a recent year. Grantmaking focuses on San Diego county.

MARTINE AND BINA ROTHBLATT

Martine Rothblatt, who founded Sirius XM and United Therapeutics, and her wife Bina fund nanotechnology research and policy for human life extension, and scientific and medical research.

GARY AND JENNIFER RUBENS

Tech entrepreneur and angel investor runs a foundation with his wife that has focused heavily on youth and education. Animals are another interest.

JOHN AND NANCY SABOL

The Sabols conduct their philanthropy through the John and Nancy Sabol Foundation, which works to foster empathy, especially from an early age. The foundation also prioritizes the Northwest in its giving.

CHRIS AND CRYSTAL SACCA

Chris and Crystal Sacca recently signed the Giving Pledge. They don’t yet appear to have a formal charitable vehicle but state in their letter that they have an interest in “bold and ambitious efforts to ensure health, justice, and opportunity for all of humanity and the planet we share.”

BRUCE AND KIM SACHS

The Sachs move philanthropy through Water Cove Foundation, which largely focuses on the Boston area.

KENAN AND ANDREA SAHIN

Kenan founded TIAX. Known for his $100 million pledge to alma mater MIT. Also supports arts and culture, with a focus in Boston.

JOHN AND GINGER SALL

Co-founder of SAS Institute. Gives a lot of money and support to education, but is also a strong supporter of conservation and the environment.

JOSEPH N. SANBERG

The investor and entrepreneur funds work for economic opportunity in California, education, and more. 

SHERYL SANDBERG

Executive with Facebook, bestselling author and co-founder of Lean In. Has thus far been private with her personal philanthropy, but is a strong supporter of women's issues.

GRANT AND DORRIT SAVIERS

Funding interests for the veteran computer industry executive include education and youth, arts and culture, and policy.

MICHAEL SAYLOR

Founder of MicroStrategy enterprise software company. His Saylor.org nonprofit provides free online courses. Philanthropy goes to education and youth, arts and culture, health and human services.

BERNARD SCHWARTZ

Funding interests include U.S. economic policy and think tanks, higher education, medical research, and cultural organizations. Schwartz is chairman emeritus of Third Way, a non-partisan strategy center for progressives, and is vice chair at The New School.

ED SCOTT

Co-founder BEA Systems. Funding areas include global poverty and health, health, especially autism.

MACKENZIE SCOTT

Since splitting from Bezos, Scott’s giving has eclipsed that of her ex in millions of dollars worth of unrestricted grants. Scott signed the Giving Pledge in May of 2019, just months after news of her divorce from the world’s richest person became known. In her comments on the pledge, she nodded heavily toward her identity as a fiction author, quoting a passage from Annie Dillard’s “The Writing Life.” In 2020, Scott announced 1.7 billion in grants to a wide and growing range of progressive causes. Signs suggest that this progressive funder is only warming up.

EVAN AND TRACY SEGAL

The Segals move their philanthropy through the Evan and Tracy Segal Family Foundation, which supports selected civic and community organizations in Social Justice and Human Kindness.

VICTOR F. SELLIER

Funding areas include education and youth, health, and religious causes.

ANDREW AND JOANN SENYEI

Andrew and JoAnn Senyei move philanthropy through the The Senyei Family Foundation, which gave away around $164,000 in a recent year. Senyei strongly supports his alma mater Northwestern University.

NICOLE SHANAHAN

Nicole Shanahan does her grantmaking through the Bia-Echo Foundation, which she launched in 2019, and via which she intends to give $100 million to philanthropy by 2024.

KAVITARK "RAM" AND VIJAY SHRIRAM

Early investor in Google and former exec at Netscape and Amazon; major focus on education, both in the U.S. and in India, where he grew up.

LEN SHUSTEK AND DONNA DUBINSKY

Computer networking technology innovator and wife Donna Dubinsky support tech-related causes in education and culture, Jewish causes, the environment, and health.

THOMAS AND STACEY SIEBEL

Business software entrepreneur, founder of Siebel Systems. Engages in what he calls "catalytic philanthropy." Gives to energy research, education, fighting drug abuse, and stem cell research.

BRAD AND JANICE SILVERBERG

Funding interests include education and youth, health, the environment, and Jewish causes. Brad is a former Microsoft executive and some of the couple’s giving goes to Seattle organizations.

CRAIG SILVERSTEIN AND MARY OBELNICKI

Google's "first employee," now at the Khan Academy, is focusing most of his giving on global development and women's education. 

CHARLES AND LISA SIMONYI

In the Seattle area, Simonyi’s giving runs the gamut, but on a national scale, this Microsoft billionaire is mostly interested in arts and culture, and the occasional educational organization.

DANIEL SMITH AND ELIZABETH RILEY

Funding areas include education, youth, arts and culture, and health.

STEPHEN AND PAULA SMITH

The Smiths focus philanthropy on the Bay Area. Interests include arts and museums, community, conservation, education, human rights, health.  

JAMES LEE AND KRISTA SORENSON

Founder of Sorenson Media and co-founder Sorenson Capital. Funding areas are social impact, education and entrepreneurial training, global health and development.

EVAN SPIEGEL

The Snapchat co-founder has committed millions worth of the company's shares to the Snap Foundation, created with co-founder Bobby Murphy. They say Snap will benefit primarily youth, education and nonprofit arts programs.  

LAURENCE SPITTERS

The Spitters family has funded education and youth, international relief, medical research, and arts and culture.

JOHN STANTON AND THERESA GILLESPIE

The wireless industry veterans are focused on the Pacific Northwest in their philanthropy. Funds go to education and youth, human services, humanitarian, and health causes.

CHARLES AND DELPHINE STEVENS

Funding areas include education, health, the arts, public welfare, the environment, and religious life.

MARK AND MARY STEVENS

Former Sequoia partner has given heavily to his alma mater USC, with a focus on neuroscience, and is interested in select other causes as well. 

DAVID AND THELMA STEWARD

Funding areas include arts and culture, health, human services, education and youth, and religious causes. Missouri captures a good portion of giving.

CHRIS AND HEIDI STOLTE

Funding areas for the Seattle-based couple include education and youth, environmental policy and practice, advocacy and engagement—much of it in the Pacific Northwest.

WILLIAM AND MARY STONE

The Stones fund education and youth, arts and culture, health and human services, and religious causes. Organizations in Stone’s home state of Indiana are often funded.

DANIEL AND KATHRYN SULLIVAN

Daniel and Kathryn Sullivan conduct philanthropy through the Kathryn and Daniel Sullivan Foundation, which enables education, conservation and health though volunteerism and philanthropy. Grantmaking has touched a handful of organizations of late.

DAVID SUN

Co-founder of Kingston Technologies, gives away millions of dollars to education and healthcare programs in Taiwan. Sun is also a strong supporter of the Chinese community in California.

PANTAS SUTARDJA AND TING CHUK

Pantas Sutardja and his wife Ting Chuk oversee the Pantas and Ting Sutardja Foundation, which prioritizes educational and medical causes. Foundation giving has focused on a handful of institutions of late.

JIM AND SUSAN SWARTZ

Venture capitalist and wife Susan have given millions to education. They're  also interested in activist media.

HEMANT AND JESSICA TANEJA

Taneja family giving interests include education and youth, religious, and global causes. The couple support and are involved with Khan Academy.

PETER THIEL

PayPal founder and investor is interested in science, technology, and alternatives to college.

MORT TOPFER

Mort Topfer and family conduct philanthropy through the Topfer Family Foundation (TFF), which is committed to helping people connect to the tools and resources needed to build self-sufficient and fulfilling lives. It focuses on Central Texas and the Greater Chicago area, giving away more than $70 million through the years.

ALAN AND PAM TREFLER

Founder of Pegasystems. Funding areas include community health and wellness, education and youth development, particularly in Boston.

RANVIR TREHAN

Funding areas include education and youth, policy and global issues, causes in India, and arts and culture.

JOHN AND MARY TU

Co-founder of Kingston Technologies, major benefactor of the Freedom Writers Foundation and education.

CARI TUNA

The wife of Facebook cofounder Dustin Moskovitz, Cari leads the couple’s philanthropy as President of their Good Ventures Foundation.

JAYSHREE AND VIJAY ULLAL

Jayshree and Vijay Ullal reportedly launched a foundation to support cancer research, social services projects, and hunger relief programs in India. Other giving has touched education and community causes.

MARK VADON

Mark Vadon moves philanthropy through the Vadon Foundation, which supports innovative community-based initiatives that sustain healthy thriving indigenous nations in perpetuity. The foundation recently distributed half of its assets while foundation co-founder and director Mattie Vadon resigned from the board.

ANDREW VITERBI

Qualcomm co-founder. Funding areas include education, health, Jewish causes, San Diego community.

ROMESH WADHWANI

Software entrepreneur turned investor. Strong proponent of philanthrocapitalism, focusing his philanthropy in his home country of India as well as East Africa and Latin America to promote economic growth.

TODD WAGNER

Scored big with Broadcast.com in the 1990s and has been giving away money ever since, mostly for education initiatives in Dallas. Now putting funds into a new project to help nonprofits raise money. 

MICHAEL AND MICHELLE WALRATH

Walrath made his fortune in Internet advertising, and he and his wife Michelle give mostly to schools, environmental organizations, arts and culture, and humanitarian causes.

MAYNARD AND IRENE WEBB

The tech executive and investor and his wife support education and youth causes.

DAVID AND ALISA WEISE

Funding areas include the environment, and teen pregnancy education.

DAVID AND HEIDI WELCH

Infinera co-founder. Funding interests include education and the environment.

JOSH AND JUDY WESTON

Josh Weston is the former CEO of Automatic Data Processing. Funding interests include education, culture, health and public policy.

LYNDA WEINMAN AND BRUCE HEAVIN

Lynda Weinman was a faculty member at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, and worked as an animator and motion graphics director in the special effects film industry. In 1995, she cofounded pioneering online learning platform Lynda.com with her husband Bruce. They don’t have a formal giving vehicle, but have given to education, youth, arts, and culture.

MEG WHITMAN AND GRIFFITH HARSH

CEO of Hewlett Packard and former CEO at eBay. Seems to give substantial amounts to charity, but it's difficult to tell where it goes, as she has yet to establish a pattern in her giving.

RONALD WHITTIER

Philanthropy by the retired Intel executive and family largely focuses on education and cancer care and research. They established the FamiliesCAN program to help cancer patients, and the Whittier Educational Foundation to assist underserved students in the West Contra Costa school district.   

EVAN AND SARA WILLIAMS

Evan Williams and his wife Sara give mostly in California, but also back issues including education and the environment.

FRED AND JOANNE WILSON

Wilson is a proponent of education, particularly when it comes to giving kids access to computers and teaching them basic programming skills, and his limited public philanthropy has been in this area. 

ANNE WOJCICKI

Anne Wojcicki’s 23andMe brings genetic mapping to the masses. She gives grants in the areas of poverty, medical research and Parkinson's disease.

SUSAN WOJCICKI AND DENNIS TROPER

Funding areas include education and youth, Jewish causes, and the Bay Area community. Susan conducts philanthropy through a few channels, including the Troper Wojcicki Foundation, the Anne Wojcicki Foundation (named for her sister), and a donor-advised fund. 

JOHN WAKERLY

The Wakerly family focuses giving on social services, education, and economic development. 

DANIEL AND CHARMAINE WARMENHOVEN

Warmenhoven and wife Charmaine focus on the Bay Area. Key interests are human services, global issues,health, education and special needs education.

STEVE WESTLY AND ANITA YU

Funding areas include education and healthcare. California is a region of focus.

RONALD WHITTIER

The Whittier family supports education and youth, and health—particularly cancer research. The family established the FamiliesCAN program to help cancer patients.

JEFFREY AND LIESL WILKE

Amazon executive and wife Liesl back Lyme disease research, education and global literacy.

BRUCE AND SUSAN WORSTER

The retired tech exec and wife back education and youth causes, and art.

KEN AND MICHAEL XIE

The Xie brothers give to education and youth, and athletics, particularly tennis. 

JERRY YANG AND AKIKO YAMAZAKI

Yahoo co-founder/internet search engine innovator and wife Akiko Yamazaki gave $75 million to his alma mater Stanford, and millions to arts and culture in San Francisco.

JON YARBROUGH

Having launched Video Gaming Technologies, Inc. in 1991, Yarbrough sold it in 2014. He and his family conduct philanthropy through the Yarbrough Family Foundation, which maintains a low-profile and prioritizes organizations based in or benefitting Tennessee. Yarbrough also supports organizations that work globally.