NET WORTH: Unknown
SOURCE OF WEALTH: Cofounder of NVIDIA Corp.
FUNDING AREAS: Environment, animals and wildlife, education, health, human services and human rights
OVERVIEW: Chris Malachowsky and his wife, Melody, do their grantmaking through the Chris and Melody Malachowsky Family Foundation, which was established in 2001. The foundation’s giving has increased steadily over the past several years. Its largest areas of giving include conservation, poverty relief, education and human rights. Grantmaking is global in scope. The Malachowsky Foundation does not maintain a website, limiting information about its specific grantmaking practices.
BACKGROUND: Chris Malachowsky received his B.S. in electrical engineering from the University of Florida and an M.S.C.S. degree from Santa Clara University. He's held engineering and technical leadership positions at Hewlett-Packard and Sun Microsystems. In 1993, he cofounded NVIDIA, which has grown to become a global Fortune 1000 company. NVIDIA manufactures graphics processing units for computers, among other products. The couple lives in Los Altos, California.
ISSUES:
ENVIRONMENT & ANIMALS: The Malachowsky Foundation does not articulate specific goals for its giving in these areas, but tax filings reveal a strong interest in conservation and wildlife habitat protection. Recent grants have supported large global and national organizations, as well as a few local organizations with concerns in the Bay Area. Grantees include the Environmental Defense Fund, the Monterrey Bay Aquarium and the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Rainforest Trust and PetSmart Charities.
EDUCATION: Malachowsky has personally donated $25 million his alma mater, the University of Florida, for the development of the Malachowsky Hall for Data Science and Information Technology. At the Malachowsky Foundation, however, education is a smaller area of giving, but grants have supported some out-of-school STEM learning and youth development programs, mainly in California. Recent grants have gone to the Computer History Museum, the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Peninsula and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
HEALTH: The Malachowsky Foundation has supported health broadly over the years, although grants in this area tend to remain under $50,000. Past grantees include the Alzheimer’s Association of Greater Illinois, the Lucille Packard Foundation for Children’s Health, the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
HUMAN SERVICES & HUMANITARIAN: The Malachowsky Foundation’s giving in this area prioritizes hunger, poverty and youth development. Past grantees include Feeding America, the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking, Second Harvest of Silicon Valley and the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, to name a few.
LOOKING FORWARD: Malachowky’s giving has increased steadily over the past several years. Expect this funder to continue its work to support land, water and wildlife conservation.
CONTACT:
The Chris and Melody Malachowsky Family Foundation
635 Campbell Technology Pkwy., Ste. 100
Campbell, CA 95008
(650) 948-8859