Bill and Gay Krause

SOURCE OF WEALTH: Hewlett Packard, 3Com

FUNDING AREAS: Education, Public Health

OVERVIEW: Bill Krause and his wife, Gay, do their grantmaking through the Krause Foundation. The foundation’s main area of focus is education, but it supports some public health initiatives in California as well. Krause strongly supports his alma mater, the Citadel.

BACKGROUND: L. William Krause received a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the Citadel in 1963 and an honorary doctorate of science in 2000. He spent 14 years at Hewlett-Packard, where he became general manager of the general systems division. Krause was president and CEO of 3Com Corporation, and since 1991 has been president of LWK Ventures, a private investment firm.

ISSUES:

EDUCATION & YOUTH: Krause has provided ongoing support to his alma mater the Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina. The institution is home to the Krause Center for Leadership & Ethics, which was created in 2001. Earlier this decade the couple gave a $9.1 million gift to the college. The couple has also supported Gay’s alma mater, Pennsylvania State University. Gay is a former teacher, counselor and middle school principal, and she serves as executive director of the Krause Center for Innovation –Foothill College. The Krauses have steadily supported Foothill and De Anza community colleges. Other grantees include Mentor Tutor Connection, YMCA of Silicon Valley, Silicon Valley Education Foundation and Teen Success.

PUBLIC HEALTH: Public health is a smaller area of giving for the Krause Foundation, but grantmaking has increased in recent years. The foundation has mainly given to health organizations in California, including the Palo Alto Medical Foundation and the Community Health Awareness Council of Mountain View, California.

LOOKING FORWARD: Expect the couple to remain focused on education, youth development and health in California.

CONTACT:

The Krause Foundation
25855 Westwind Way
Los Altos Hills, CA 94022