History

William H. Draper, III, and Robin Richards Donohoe began investing together in the venture industry in 1994, concentrating on companies in India. Since then, they have invested in more than 100 early stage information technology investments in India and the United States.

They formed the Draper Richards Foundation in 2001 with a fund totaling $14 million, the majority of which was contributed by Bill and Robin, with contributions from family members. Bill and Robin’s successful venture capital partnership shaped the approach of the foundation and helped create the model we follow today.

In 2010,their foundation became the Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation when former vice chairman of Goldman Sachs and professor of leadership at Harvard Business School, Robert S. Kaplan, (former President & CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas) joined as co-chair. Together the team raised the foundation’s second fund, inviting 20 innovative philanthropists to join them as donor partners.

In 2016, the Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation launched its third fund, with 50 donor partners dedicated to supporting 100 new social enterprises that are addressing the key challenges faced by our nation and our world.