Maynard and Irene Webb

SOURCE OF WEALTH: eBay, LiveOps

FUNDING AREAS: Education, health

OVERVIEW: Maynard Webb and his wife, Irene, direct philanthropy through the Webb Family Foundation, which aims to encourage “young people, who have encountered significant obstacles, to dream big and achieve more than they ever thought possible.” Grantmaking supports education and health and has so far been limited to organizations in California, Florida, Illinois, New York and Texas.

BACKGROUND: Maynard Webb holds a bachelor’s degree from Florida Atlantic University. He was COO of eBay and CEO of LiveOps. He is a board member at salesforce.com and Visa and is chairman at Yahoo!. He founded Webb Investment Network, a family investment firm that nurtures entrepreneurs. 

ISSUES: 

EDUCATION: Education is the primary focus of the Webb Family Foundation. The couple notes that neither of them grew up privileged, but through education were able to earn success in various professional endeavors. The foundation prioritizes educational initiatives that serve underprivileged and highly-motivated young people who are struggling against the odds to make a positive impact on the world through innovation and hard work. It is worth noting that a significant portion of Webb funding has gone to charter schools and networks, including Kipp Bay Area Schools, Kipp Jacksonville Schools, Lighthouse Community Charter School and Spark San Francisco Public Schools. Other education grantees College Track, Elevate Orlando, the University of California at San Francisco and Juma Ventures, “a national youth development program that helps break the cycle of poverty by ensuring that young people complete a four-year college degree.”

OTHER: Education is the primary focus of the Webb Family Foundation’s giving, but grants have gone to other causes over the past several years. These include Planned Parenthood of Santa Barbara, Oakland’s East Bay SPCA, the American Civil Liberties Union, National Resources Defense Council and Tony LaRussa’s Animal Rescue.

LOOKING FORWARD: Expect the family’s giving to remain focused on education. Annual giving has remained in the $500,000 range over the past several years.

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