Overview: Dedicated to cleaning the oceans and combating climate change, Wendy Schmidt has focused the bulk of her philanthropy on sustainability efforts. She’s married to Eric Schmidt, former CEO of Google, and takes the lead in the couple’s charitable foundations. Schmidt has a limited political giving record, though when she donates, she gives exclusively to Democrats and liberal causes.
Location: Palo Alto, CA
Total Donated (2016-2020): $416,800
Top Recipients: Schmidt Family Foundation, Senate Majority PAC, NPR
Key Issues: Climate Change, Clean Oceans
Largest Donation to Date: $500,000 to Yes on 87, Californians for Clean Energy (made same level gift twice)
Profile: Married to Eric Schmidt, the former CEO of Google, Wendy Schmidt has established her own philanthropic legacy focusing primarily on climate change and environmental sustainability. She graduated from UC Berkeley with a journalism degree before starting an interior design company. Schmidt now heads multiple philanthropic organizations. She and her husband Eric launched the Schmidt Family Foundation in 2006 to fund sustainability and efficient energy use projects—Wendy has given more than $1 billion since the organization’s start and serves as the president. Through the foundation, Schmidt leads the 11th Hour Project to fund clean energy projects, and Schmidt Marine Technology Partners, which invests in clean ocean initiatives. Cleaning the oceans is a particular passion of Schmidt’s; she and Eric also co-founded the Schmidt Ocean Institute to expand ocean research, and in 2010, Wendy sponsored a $1.4 million oil cleanup challenge seeking innovative solutions to oil spills. Outside of her environmental giving, Schmidt also contributes heavily to public radio, like when she and Eric made a $1.5 million gift with Eric to San Francisco’s local NPR station. The couple recently gave NPR $4.7 million to fund local journalism in the Midwest and California.
On the political stage, Schmidt is not nearly as active as her husband. Records show she’s given almost exclusively to Democrats, tending to give to a variety of congressional candidates around the country. Her largest donation, $1 million across two gifts, went toward a California clean energy ballot initiative from 2006 that was defeated. While she gives to Democratic candidates, she’s made limited party contributions to the DNC and gave $250,000 to the Senate Majority PAC in 2020. Her records also include modest gifts to the Clinton and Biden presidential campaigns. The biggest commitment went to her own foundation last year, when she and Eric pledged $1 billion to their foundation’s initiatives.
Ideological Vibe: Liberal. Schmidt’s philanthropy largely goes directly toward her climate and sustainability goals, but when she does give politically, she donates to Democrats. Her relative disinterest in supporting party funds could indicate she’s less ideologically committed to the Democratic establishment, though there are no signs from her donor records that she favors the party’s progressive wing.
Hits and Misses: Schmidt hasn’t invested herself in many elections, opting instead to make smaller donations to a variety of Democrats. Her biggest loss was probably a defeated California clean energy ballot initiative, which she supported with $1 million in 2006.
Looking Forward: Schmidt hasn’t indicated interest in expanding her political giving, so we can assume most of her work will continue to filter through her foundations and go directly to climate initiatives.
Relationships: Schmidt Family Foundation—President; Schmidt Ocean Initiative—Founder;
Contact Information: N/A