Craig & Gina Jorasch

Gina & Craig Jorasch

Craig and Gina Jorasch are the quintessential Silicon Valley success story. He is a serial entrepreneur; she was a high-tech marketing executive. At the height of the dot-com boom, they devoted countless hours to their careers, their home and their three young children.

By the time they attended one of the first SV2 informational events in 1999, they were eager to do more for the broader community. They were pleased to meet other professionals who were also turning their attention to philanthropy.

“We were intrigued,” Craig Jorasch said, “and it was a good stage of our lives to get involved.” Gina Jorasch added, “It was a great entrée into a new way of giving back rather than always doing for ourselves.”

They were drawn in by the concept of “engaged philanthropy” – getting directly involved with grantees and helping them grow rather than merely writing a check to a faceless charity.

“Most of us were coming out of high-tech startup-land so getting involved felt very comfortable to us,” Gina Jorasch said. “SV2 appeals to all our instincts and puts them to work in the philanthropic world.”

Her husband agrees. “In particular for the age range of the members, the notion of the status quo isn’t as exciting,” he said. “Dramatic change is much more interesting and exciting.”

They also value opportunities to involve their kids in their philanthropic efforts through SV2 “Family Days,” during which they might clean up a beach or wrap Christmas presents for the needy.

“It’s important for our children to see that we aren’t just creating a life for ourselves,” Gina Jorasch said. “Taking our kids annually to the Family Giving Tree and seeing a million-square-foot warehouse filled with toys donated to children in this area who don’t routinely get toys for Christmas or Hanukah provides a really powerful message.”

“We want to expose them to that thought process early,” Craig Jorasch said. “That giving is a natural course of how you live.”

Back to Partner Profiles