David H. Koch Charitable Foundation and Personal Philanthropy

Ultra-sensitive chip-based devices allow researchers at the
David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research to
study changes in nanoparticles or living cells with a million
times greater precision than ever before. Diagnosed with
prostate cancer in 1993, Mr. Koch serves on nearly a dozen
boards of hospitals and research institutions and has given
millions for research to beat the disease.

Foundations & Philanthropy

David H. Koch earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He joined Koch Industries, Inc. in 1970 and today serves as an executive vice president and board member. As chairman and president of Koch Membrane Systems, Inc., his passion for water technology has led to clean water innovations that have been exhibited at the International Desalination Association World Congress. Koch Membrane Systems is part of Koch Chemical Technology Group, LLC, a subsidiary of Koch Industries, Inc.

Mr. Koch has given generously to a variety of organizations and programs. In his lifetime, he and the David H. Koch Charitable Foundation have pledged or contributed nearly $1 billion to cancer research, medical centers, educational institutions, arts and cultural institutions, and to assist public policy organizations.

Medical & Cancer Research

A prostate cancer survivor, Mr. Koch has donated $100 million as prime contributor for the David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT. Other support for medical and cancer research includes:

$20 million to Johns Hopkins University for the David H. Koch Cancer Research Center
$30 million to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City
$25 million to the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston for the David H. Koch Center for Applied Research of Genitourinary Cancers
$15 million to New York-Presbyterian Hospital Weill Cornell Medical Center
$25 million to The Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City
$10 million to Jaffe Food Allergy Institute at the Mount Sinai Medical Center to create the David H. and Julia Koch Research Program in Food Allergy Therapeutics

In 2011, Mr. Koch received the Humanitarian of the Year award from the American Apparel and Footwear Association for his long-standing support of organizations working to find a cure for prostate cancer. The awards gala raised more than $1.1 million for the Prostate Cancer Foundation. In 2007, he was honored with the Double Helix Medal for Corporate Leadership from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory for supporting research that, “improves the health of people everywhere.”

Mr. Koch was honored by the Smithsonian Institution in
2012 for his generous support, and presented with a piece of
Smithsonite by G. Wayne Clough (left), secretary of the
Smithsonian Institution.

Education & Science

Mr. Koch supports science-related projects including funding the long-running PBS documentary series, “Nova,” and a science and technology center at Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts.

A $35 million pledge to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History will renovate the dinosaur hall, which will be named after him. Once renovated, the hall will showcase the museum's unrivaled collection of 46 million fossils and present the most up-to-date scientific research. His $15 million gift to the museum created the David H. Koch Hall of Human Origins that opened in 2010. The 15,000-square-foot exhibit helps answer the question, “What does it mean to be human?“

Other education and science-related support includes:

The Koch Biology Building and the David H. Koch School of Chemical Engineering Practice at MIT
A $20 million gift to the American Museum of Natural History, establishing the David H. Koch Dinosaur Wing
The Bill of Rights Institute, which educates students and teachers about our nation's Founding principles, including national sponsor of the 2009-2010 high school essay contest, “Being an American“

Arts & Culture

In 2013, the Metropolitan Museum of Art formally broke ground for the new David H. Koch Plaza. His $65 million gift will give the 140-year-old museum a beautiful outdoor setting with new fountains, landscaping and improved access, all designed with sustainability in mind.

Gifts from the David H. Koch Charitable Foundation have benefited the American Ballet Theater. In 2008, his foundation gave $100 million for the preservation and renovation of the State Theater of New York at Lincoln Center. Now known as the David H. Koch Theater, it is home to the New York City Ballet and New York City Opera.

Public Policy

A passionate believer in free societies, Mr. Koch has funded research and education programs that analyze how freedom creates prosperity and advances social progress. He serves on the boards of the Cato Institute, Reason Foundation and Americans for Prosperity Foundation.