John and Ellen Drew
/SOURCE OF WEALTH: Lucent Technologies, TCV
FUNDING AREAS: Education, diseases, housing, veterans causes, media
OVERVIEW: John Drew and his wife Ellen do their grantmaking through the Drew Family Foundation, which made around $3.7 million in grants in a recent year. The Drew family, via their foundation, supports education, health, human services and media, including faith-based Christian organizations.
BACKGROUND: John Drew holds a B.S. in engineering from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and an M.S. from Columbia University. Drew began his business career at CF Software Corporation after serving as a captain in the army. He was vice president and general manager at Unisys Corporation and worked at International Network Services, and Lucent Technologies, where he was a CEO. Drew serves as a general partner of TCV, an investor in growth-stage private and public companies in the technology industry.
ISSUES:
EDUCATION: Education has been the Drew Family Foundation’s largest area of giving in recent years. Ellen Drew is a graduate of Salem College in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and the couple has provided ongoing support to the college and its affiliated secondary school, Salem Academy. In Vermont, the Drews support Norwich University’s Todd Lecture Series, which is named in Ellen’s parents. John Drew is a former member of the board of trustees at Norwich. Other recent education grantees include the West Point Association of Graduates, California College of the Arts and Columbia University in New York.
DISEASES: The Drews do not name specific goals for their disease-related grantmaking, but their foundation’s tax filings indicate an interest in this area. In recent years, the couple has supported the Prostate Cancer Foundation, the Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Association, the Simmons Cancer Institute and the Canary Foundation, which supports early detection and treatment of various forms of cancer.
VETERANS AND MILITARY: Given Drew’s military service, it is no surprise that a component of the family’s giving focuses on veterans. Grantees include the Veterans Health Research Institute, the Army Historical Foundation and the Sentinels of Freedom Scholarship Foundation, which aims to “assist severely wounded and injured, post-9/11 veterans in their efforts to become productive and self-sufficient members of their communities as they transition back into civilian life.”
HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS: Via their foundation, the Drews have given regularly to Austin’s Rework Project, a nonprofit that helps homeless people secure work and housing. The Drew Foundation also supports the Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties.
ARTS AND MEDIA: Arts and media represent a smaller area of giving fo rthe Drews. Northern California Public Broadcasting has enjoyed ongoing support from the foundation. Other grantees include Narrative Magazine, an online literary publication and the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C.
OTHER: The Drews have also supported the Law Foundation of Silicon Valley which “uses the law as a tool for change to address programs linked to social injustices” and POST, which aims to shape “a vibrant ecosystem for Silicon Valley.”
LOOKING FORWARD: The Drews’ grantmaking has more than doubled in recent years. It is likely that the couple will continue to support education adn cancer nonprofits, as well as a few smaller areas of interest.
CONTACT:
Drew Foundation
528 Ramona St.
Palo Alto, CA 94301
(650) 614-8219
