October Mountain Foundation Inc.

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: $2,300,000
• Success Rate: Not applicable (invitation only)
• Decision Time: Not applicable (preselected organizations)
• Grant Range: $5,000 - $500,000
• Median Grant: $28,000
• Geographic Focus: National, with emphasis on New York, Massachusetts, California, and Washington
• Total Assets: $29,900,000 (2024)

Contact Details

October Mountain Foundation Inc. (Also known as: The Carol Davis and Joel Marcus MD Family Foundation)

46 Stauderman Avenue, 3rd Floor Lynbrook, NY 11563-2524

EIN: 47-4442570

Note: This foundation does not accept unsolicited funding requests.

Overview

October Mountain Foundation Inc. was established in December 2015 as a private family foundation by Carol Davis and Dr. Joel Marcus. The foundation has experienced significant growth, with total assets increasing from $4.5 million in 2021 to nearly $30 million in 2024, fueled primarily by contributions from the founders. In 2024, the foundation distributed approximately $2.3 million through 42 grants to preselected charitable organizations. The foundation operates with a lean structure—no paid staff—and is governed by a six-member board of trustees who serve without compensation. The foundation dedicates approximately 96% of its expenses to charitable disbursements, demonstrating a strong commitment to grantmaking efficiency. Joel Marcus is the Executive Chairman and Founder of Alexandria Real Estate Equities, a leading life science real estate company, which informs the foundation's interest in health-related causes.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

October Mountain Foundation operates through trustee-discretion grantmaking with no formal application process. All grants are by invitation only to organizations preselected by the board.

Grant Range: $5,000 - $500,000 Median Grant: $28,000 Typical Purpose: General support

Priority Areas

Based on recent grantmaking patterns (2024 grants), the foundation prioritizes:

Women's Health & Reproductive Rights

• Major funding to reproductive health organizations including the Center for Reproductive Rights ($250,000) and Fistula Foundation ($150,000)
• Support for The Hawkins Project ($500,000)—the foundation's largest single grant

Healthcare Access & Homelessness

• Support for Care for the Homeless ($100,000), a major Health Care for the Homeless program operating 22 sites across New York City
• Organizations addressing healthcare gaps for vulnerable populations

Mental Health & Behavioral Health

• Austen Riggs Center ($100,000), a therapeutic community specializing in open psychiatric residential treatment in the Berkshires

Geographic Focus Primary support for organizations based in:

• New York (particularly New York City)
• Massachusetts (Berkshires region)
• California
• Washington state

What They Don't Fund

The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funding. There is no public information about explicit exclusions, as grants are made entirely at trustee discretion to organizations with which they have pre-existing relationships.

Governance and Leadership

Board of Trustees

Carol Davis - President and Trustee (0.5 hours/week) Co-founder of the foundation. Serves without compensation.

Dr. Joel I. Marcus - Treasurer and Trustee (0.5 hours/week) Co-founder of the foundation. Executive Chairman and Founder of Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc., a real estate investment trust pioneering life science real estate. Through his professional work, Marcus has been deeply involved in advancing human health and biomedical research. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) and leads Alexandria's corporate responsibility initiatives focused on disease, health threats, STEM education, and military support services. Serves without compensation.

Jacob Margolis - Trustee (0.75 hours/week) Serves without compensation.

Leila Margolis - Trustee (0.75 hours/week) Serves without compensation.

Katherine Malone - Trustee (0.5 hours/week) Serves without compensation.

Michael McGinnis - Trustee (0.5 hours/week) Serves without compensation.

All trustees are family members or close associates of the founders, consistent with the foundation's structure as a private family foundation.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. October Mountain Foundation only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and explicitly does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.

Grants are made entirely at the discretion of the board of trustees to organizations with which they have established relationships. All grantmaking decisions are made internally without external application review processes.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable. Organizations are selected by trustees rather than through a competitive application process.

Success Rates

Not applicable for external applicants, as the foundation does not accept applications.

2024 Grantmaking Activity: 42 grants totaling $2,304,500 2023 Grantmaking Activity: 36 grants totaling $2,185,500

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable, as the foundation does not accept applications.

Application Success Factors

Since October Mountain Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, traditional application success factors do not apply. However, analysis of their grantmaking patterns reveals the following characteristics of organizations they support:

Organizational Profiles Funded:

• Established organizations with strong track records in healthcare, reproductive rights, mental health, and services for vulnerable populations
• Organizations addressing health disparities and access gaps
• National and regional nonprofits with significant impact in their fields
• Organizations aligned with the founders' professional interests in health and life sciences

Recent Grant Recipients (2024):

• The Hawkins Project: $500,000 (largest grant—reproductive health focus)
• Center for Reproductive Rights: $250,000 (national reproductive rights advocacy)
• Fistula Foundation: $150,000 (global women's health, addressing obstetric fistula)
• Care for the Homeless: $100,000 (NYC healthcare for homeless populations)
• Austen Riggs Center: $100,000 (psychiatric residential treatment)

Funding Approach: The foundation typically provides unrestricted "general support" grants, allowing recipient organizations flexibility in using funds where most needed. Grant amounts vary significantly based on the organization's scale and the trustees' relationship with the recipient.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• No Public Application Process: This foundation cannot be applied to through traditional grant-seeking channels. They only fund organizations they have identified and selected.
• Health-Focused Mission: Strong alignment with healthcare access, women's health, reproductive rights, mental health, and services for underserved populations.
• Relationship-Based Grantmaking: All funding decisions are made internally by trustees based on existing relationships and their own identification of worthy organizations.
• Flexible Support: Grants are typically for "general support," indicating trust in recipient organizations' judgment about resource allocation.
• Strategic Growth: The foundation has nearly tripled its grantmaking from 2021 to 2024, suggesting potential for expanded impact in coming years.
• Founder Influence: Joel Marcus's background in life science real estate and biomedical research clearly influences the foundation's health-oriented priorities.
• Geographic Concentration: While national in scope, the foundation shows particular interest in organizations serving New York, Massachusetts, California, and Washington.

References

1. Cause IQ - October Mountain Foundation Profile. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/the-carol-davis-and-joel-marcus-md-family-foundati,474442570/. Accessed January 14, 2026.

2. Grantmakers.io - October Mountain Foundation Inc. Profile. https://www.grantmakers.io/profiles/v0/474442570-october-mountain-foundation-inc/. Accessed January 14, 2026.

3. ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer - October Mountain Foundation Inc. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/474442570. Accessed January 14, 2026.

4. LEADERS Magazine - Interview with Joel S. Marcus, Executive Chairman and Founder, Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. https://www.leadersmag.com/issues/2019.2_Apr/Purpose/LEADERS-Joel-Marcus-Alexandria-Real-Estate-Equities.html. Accessed January 14, 2026.

5. Foundation for the National Institutes of Health - Joel S. Marcus Board Profile. https://fnih.org/employee/joel-s-marcus/. Accessed January 14, 2026.

6. Care for the Homeless website. https://careforthehomeless.org/. Accessed January 14, 2026.

7. Austen Riggs Center website. https://www.austenriggs.org/. Accessed January 14, 2026.

8. Center for Reproductive Rights - Charity Navigator Profile. https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/133669731. Accessed January 14, 2026.

9. Fistula Foundation website. https://fistulafoundation.org/. Accessed January 14, 2026.