Where do Venture Capitalists get their money?

I'm researching the VC community and am interested in any sites that detail how the market works - thanks

They get their money from investments made by very rich individuals or corporations. Some are rich in their own right or become rich after making successful investments.

Venture Capitalists make money by investing in a company and then taking a percentage of their profits (assuming they make any). The venture capitalist is betting on the product the company is developing will be successful and they will generate a return on their investment.

For more info look in Wikipedia (www.wikipedia.org)

from the other companies and donations like every other corporations.

From their own bank accounts. Some people are seriously rich you know !

The 'money' venture capitalists (VCs) get can be used for to things: either to invest or to pay the salaries of the VC employees. Let's look at each in turn:

Capital for investing
The VCs raise money every 3-6 years from rich individuals, pension funds, university endowments, etc. A part of the capital used for investing also comes from the VC itself, typically around 2-3 pct.

Money for salary
The investors in the VC (the limited partners or LPs) pay the VC a management fee, typically between 1-3 pct of committed capital. In addition to that, the profit generated from the VC fund is split between the VC and the LP, typically 20/80, i.e. the VC gets 20 pct of profit.

From banks and private investors

HIstorically, venture capitalists (and alternative investment managers in general) relied on wealthy individuals as their primary investor base. These days, venture capitalists are an accepted part of the institutional landscape, so they solicit investments in their funds mainly from institutions. Institutions most likely to invest in venture capital are university endowments and insurance companies. Pension plans serving younger forkforce may be interested as well...

angelinvestors.com

It's their own money surplus to their own requirement, instead of leaving it in the bank with very little return, So they invest it in other companies and hoping to make a good return on their investments.