When a devastating COVID-19 outbreak hit Vietnam, Hai Loc Lu and other Vietnamese employees jumped into action, calling on colleagues to donate funds to provide emergency support to low-income families and frontline workers in Vietnam’s hardest hit communities. Through a successful peer-matching campaign, they raised nearly $14,000 to help nonprofit VietBay purchase food packages and medical supplies.
NVIDIA employees share a passion for supporting the communities in which we live and do business. Take a look at some of the ways they turned this passion for giving into action in FY22.
Making a Global Impact
Providing COVID Support to Vietnam
Memorial Fundraiser Nets $630K for Humane Society
NVIDIA’s Sheryl Huynh and Paul Bommarito spearheaded a fundraising campaign to help Valley Humane Society build a new Bay Area veterinary center that will provide medical care for animals, regardless of their family’s ability to pay. Thanks to more than $630,000 in donations from employees and matching funds from the NVIDIA Foundation, the Phil Scholz Veterinary Surgery Center will honor the legacy of the beloved, longtime NVIDIAN who died tragically in 2014 while saving the life of a stranger.
Supporting First Nations and Indigenous Communities in Canada
Upon learning about the discovery of mass graves at residential schools throughout Canada, Andrea Malloni started a fundraising campaign to help First Nations and Indigenous communities in Canada heal and grow. With the support of her fellow NVIDIA colleagues, Andrea raised $3,650 for five organizations. These funds are committed to providing access to resources including clean water, education, technology, mental health and social services support, and the preservation of history, language and culture that strengthen bonds and recognize the cultural identity of these communities.
Giving And Volunteering
Team Walks to End Gender-Based Violence
Monet Soria, Jin Fry, Vera Neilson, and Madhura Sankararama joined forces as Team WonderMOMs to participate in the YWCA’s Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event aimed at raising awareness of and funds to end gender-based violence. Together, the group raised nearly $5,000 to help the YWCA provide the support needed by survivors of domestic violence and abuse. Monet was also recognized as one of the top five individual fundraisers for the Silicon Valley event.
Scholarship to Support Latinas in STEM
As the first in her family to graduate from college, Angeline Kitman wanted to help reduce the financial barrier for other Latinas to pursue higher education and increase their representation in STEM fields. So, she created a scholarship fund and called on her colleagues to contribute. The scholarship will be awarded for the first time in May 2022 to a first-generation Latina high school senior or undergraduate student who’s interested in pursuing a STEM career.
Campaign to End Child Marriage
Moved by a news story about a child sold by her father into slavery in order to feed his family, Becky Lam launched a fundraiser–and an offer to match donations–in support of nonprofit Too Young to Wed. Her match and generous contributions from her colleagues raised nearly $5,500 to support the organization’s mission to empower girls and end child marriage globally.
NVIDIAN Among Top U.S. Fundraisers for Breast Cancer Walk
After losing her sister to breast cancer in 2012, Ishi Varandani wanted to help create a world where no one has to experience the pain of losing a loved one to the disease. To honor her sister’s memory, Ishi has been participating in the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk for the last 10 years. She’s been named a top fundraiser in the U.S. three times–including in 2021 when she was ranked fourteenth, raising more than $37,000 to support breast cancer research and patient services. In all, Ishi has raised more than $180,000 to support the fight against breast cancer.
Hitting a Major Milestone in Longtime Support of Food Bank
More than a decade ago, Carlos Dunlap had the idea to bring together colleagues and friends to celebrate the holidays–and to raise funds for a good cause. Inspired by its mission to ensure that anyone who needs a healthy meal can get one, Carlos selected Second Harvest of Silicon Valley to be the beneficiary of his holiday fundraising effort. The inaugural event was a great success and the event became an annual affair. The 2021 effort raised nearly $550,000, bringing the lifetime fundraising total to more than $3 million dollars to support Second Harvest’s work to build a hunger-free community.
Holiday Drive Gifts 200 Bikes to Children and Refugees
When Taurean Dyer moved to the Bay Area, a friend introduced him to Good Karma Bikes, a non-profit bike shop. He immediately connected with the organization’s mission to provide safe and reliable bicycle transportation and repair services for those in need. Now a board member, Taurean rallied other NVIDIANs to contribute–both cash and in-kind–to the nonprofit’s holiday bike drive, benefitting foster children and Afghan refugees in Santa Clara County. In all, more than 200 bikes were gifted through this effort.
Making Holidays Brighter for Children in Need
Each with a personal connection to the cause, NVIDIA’s Anthony Robbins, Nikki Pope, and Sheryl Huynh teamed up to lead a holiday fundraiser for the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation. They shared their stories, inspiring others to give generously in support of their goal to bring joy to less fortunate children. With contributions from colleagues, family, and friends, the trio’s campaign netted nearly $380,000 to provide toys and gifts for nearly 20,000 children.
