Susan McCaw is an American businesswoman and philanthropist with a history of giving to education and environmentalist groups. ¹ She has been a major political donor to the Republican Party, ² and served in the George W. Bush administration as United States Ambassador to Austria. ³

In 1999, Susan McCaw co-founded the Craig and Susan McCaw Foundation alongside her then-husband, American billionaire Craig McCaw. In 2019, following their divorce, Craig and Susan McCaw Foundation dissolved and distributed $18 million to Susan Rasinski McCaw Foundation, which became Susan McCaw’s new primary philanthropic vehicle. ⁴

Career

In April 2004, Susan McCaw became president of COM Investments before becoming the United States’ ambassador to the Republic of Austria under the Bush administration from 2005 to 2007. Afterwards, she resumed her role as president at COM Investments until 2019. ⁵

Prior to becoming President of COM Investments, McCraw worked as a principal at Robertson Stephens and Company and as an associate for Robertson Stephens Venture Capital Group, a San Francisco-based investment firm. She also had worked as a business analyst for McKinsey and Company in both New York and Hong Kong. ⁶

Since 2019, McCaw has sat on the board of directors and as independent director for Air Lease Corporation. She also currently is president of SRM Capital Investments, which is a private investment firm. ⁷

McCaw also serves as Trustee Emerita of Stanford University. She is a board member of the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research, Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation, Lions Gate Entertainment Corp , Teach for America, and is a founding board member as well as board chair of the Malala Fund. McCaw is also an overseer for the Hoover Institution and is the vice chair of its executive committee. ^{8 9}

McCaw is a member of Harvard Business School’s Board of Dean’s Advisors, the Council on Foreign Relations, and Council of American Ambassadors. ¹⁰

Philanthropy

In 1999, Susan McCaw and her then-husband Craig McCaw founded the Craig and Susan McCaw Foundation, which dissolved in 2019 following their divorce. It then became the COM Family Foundation and distributed $18 million worth of assets to Susan Rasinski McCaw Foundation as part of the divorce, of which Susan is president. ¹¹ Prior to the dissolution, Susan McCaw was vice president of Craig and Susan McCaw Foundation. ¹²

In 2019, top grants from Craig and Susan McCaw Foundation included $5 million to The Nature Conservancy, $1 million to Teach for America, $1 million to The Malala Fund, $994,680 to Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, and $666,666 to Khan Academy. ¹³

In 2021, Susan Rasinski McCaw Foundation reported $12 million in total assets. ¹⁴ It also reported giving to the Malala Fund, Teach for America, Council on Foreign Relations, George W Bush Foundation, Stanford University, American Enterprise Institute, Robin Hood Foundation, and Change.org. ¹⁵

Political Donations

Between the 2002 and 2022 election cycles, Susan McCaw has contributed over $1.5 million to political campaigns, mostly in favor of Republicans. Her top recipient for 2015 was presidential candidate and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R), in support of whom she gave a total of $150,000 to Right to Rise PAC. She gave $100,000 to American Crossroads, a PAC that supports Republican candidates, in 2014. ¹⁶

In 2008, she gave $26,200 to DNC Services Corp of the Democratic National Committee and an additional $26,200 to the Obama Victory Fund, supporting Barack Obama’s presidential campaign. Also in 2008, McCaw gave $37,000 to McCain-Palin Victory 2008, $28,500 to McCain Victory Committee, $2,300 to John McCain 2008 inc. and $2,300 to McCain-Palin Compliance Fund. ¹⁷

1. Suver, Stacey. “Craig and Susan McCaw.” Inside Philanthropy, June 20, 2022. https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/guide-to-individual-donors/craig-mccaw.html.
2. “Search Opensecrets.Org.” OpenSecrets. Accessed May 26, 2023. https://www.opensecrets.org/search?order=desc&q=susan%2Bmccaw&sort=A&type=donors
3. “Susan McCaw.” Knight-Hennessy Scholars. Accessed June 13, 2023. https://knight-hennessy.stanford.edu/people/susan-mccaw.
4. Return of organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-PF). The COM Family Foundation. 2020.
5. Wallmine Editors. “Susan Mccaw Net Worth (2023).” wallmine, May 10, 2023. https://wallmine.com/people/108246/susan-mc-caw.
6. Wallmine Editors. “Susan Mccaw Net Worth (2023).” wallmine, May 10, 2023. https://wallmine.com/people/108246/susan-mc-caw.
7. Wallmine Editors. “Susan Mccaw Net Worth (2023).” wallmine, May 10, 2023. https://wallmine.com/people/108246/susan-mc-caw.
8. “Susan McCaw.” Knight. Accessed May 26, 2023. https://knight-hennessy.stanford.edu/people/susan-mccaw.
9. Diplomacy Center Foundation. “The Honorable Susan R. McCaw and Mr. Craig O. McCaw.” DCF Donor Stories, July 8, 2021. https://www.dcfdonorstories.org/major-gift-donors/mccaw.
10. “Susan McCaw.” Knight. Accessed May 26, 2023. https://knight-hennessy.stanford.edu/people/susan-mccaw.
11. Return of organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-PF). The COM Family Foundation. 2020.
12. Return of organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-PF). Craig and Susan McCaw Foundation. 2019.
13. Return of organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-PF). Craig and Susan McCaw Foundation. 2019. Part XIV.
14. Return of organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-PF). Susan Rasinski McCaw Foundation. 2021. Part II, Line 16.
15. Return of organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-PF). Susan Rasinski McCaw Foundation. 2021. Part XIV.
16. “Search Opensecrets.Org.” OpenSecrets. Accessed May 26, 2023. https://www.opensecrets.org/search?order=desc&q=susan%2Bmccaw&sort=A&type=donors.
17. “Search Opensecrets.Org.” OpenSecrets. Accessed May 26, 2023. https://www.opensecrets.org/search?order=desc&q=susan%2Bmccaw&sort=A&type=donors.