Employee Engagement

While employee engagement is an important element of any successful corporate foundation, at NVIDIA it’s the core of our foundation strategy. We’re constantly evaluating programs that our employees put forth as well as finding ways to help them make a meaningful contribution to the community. Below are a few examples.

	Board of Directors – Our board of directors is employee-based with no executive presence. Our board establishes the vision and strategies for the NVIDIA Foundation as well as develops programs for our global employee base. The board oversees our yearly grant program as well as determines how NVIDIA’s technology can create impact in the fields of education and medical research.

	Local Committees – The greatest way to engage employees in each of our offices is to support local committees that determine how our funds are allocated in the community. From Austin to Shenzhen and Pune to Taipei, over 100 NVIDIA employees worldwide make decisions directly about local fundraisers and volunteer projects.

Program Committees – When we make a large commitment to an organization, we don’t just sponsor or give our logo to them and walk away. We like to find a group of employees passionate about the cause and have them spearhead our involvement. For our yearly Project Inspire volunteer outing, employees manage the building of volleyball courts and multimedia studios in low income schools. For a recent investment in the Tech Museum of Innovation, a committee of employees is developing interactive exhibits that will delight visitors while educating them about art, film and video games (due to launch in 2010).

	Team Matching Program – If two or more employees get together to raise money for a cause through a marathon or triathlon-type event, we match whatever funds the employees raise from their fellow employees. It’s our way to recognize great team work and support our employees’ healthful lifestyles.

Individual Matching Program – One of the ways to demonstrate to employees that we care about their favorite causes is to support their investments with a matching grant. US employees can receive a match of up to $500 per year for financial and volunteer time donations they make to an approved organization. Internationally, we match donations made during office fundraisers that have been planned by local committees.

Employee Projects – Many of our employees serve on the boards of non-profits or help friends and family members build these organizations. We provide an outlet for employees to present their projects to the employee population with the goal of creating awareness or seeking assistance with operational, financial or technical projects to help the new organization succeed. We’re currently evaluating a micro-fund that could help get these non-profits off the ground, by helping them build their fundraising site or secure their 501(c)(3) status.