Inspiring donor stories always include two things, passion and strategy. I am reminded of this when I read about Dado and Maria Banatao's $4 million gift to endow their scholarship program.
Dado is the Founder and Managing Director of Tallwood Venture Capital, a Silicon Valley venture firm with over $500M in management. He is on Forbes' list of top 100 dealmakers in the world. Before becoming a venture capitalist, Dado co-founded three technology firms, S3, Chips & Technologies and Mostron.
Born in the Philippines, Dado had humble beginnings. His parents made sacrifies so that their four children could go to college. In the article published by the Philippines News, Dado is quoted with this comment about his father, "(H)e believed that education was a way out for us, and he and my mother made tremendous sacrifices so that each of us could go to college. It is my background that has made me so passionate about education and how it can transform lives because it transformed mine.”
The Asian Pacific Fund administers the Banatao Filipino American Education Fund. Scholarships are awarded to Filipino Americans pursuing engineering and science careers. It also support high school juniors with college admission counseling and SAT prep courses. In addition, a second scholarship program allows up to 24 high school juniors to enroll in SAT preparation courses and receive personalized college admissions counseling.
Dado's story is the perfect donor-immigrant story. Study, go to college, do well and give back. His giving combines his passion for education, in the field he knows so well, and in a way that ensures the success of the program. How inspiring!
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