Leonard & Beryl Buck Foundation / Buck Family Fund

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: $55.3 million (2023 990 filing)
• Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
• Decision Time: Varies by programme; invitation-based process
• Grant Range: Varies by programme (invitation-only)
• Geographic Focus: Marin County, California only

IMPORTANT NOTE: Despite the EIN 946485668 matching, this foundation's actual location is Marin County, California, not Saint Louis, Missouri. The Buck Trust exclusively serves Marin County organisations.

Contact Details

Marin Community Foundation (Distribution Trustee)

• Website: https://www.marincf.org
• Grant Centre: https://grantcenter.marincf.org
• Phone: Contact Jonathan Logan, Vice President for Engagement at 415-464-2503
• Address: Novato, CA

Wells Fargo Bank serves as Investment Trustee

Overview

The Leonard and Beryl Buck Foundation was established in 1979 following Beryl Buck's bequest to create a charitable trust exclusively benefiting Marin County, California. After legal proceedings in 1986, the Marin Community Foundation (MCF) was designated as the Successor Distribution Trustee. The Buck Trust has distributed over $1 billion in grants to nonprofit organisations and public schools in Marin County throughout its history. The Trust is managed through a court-ordered formula that typically generates annual distributions. In 2024, Dr. Thomas Peters announced his retirement after more than 22 years as MCF's president and CEO, during which he established MCF as one of the country's top foundations in assets and grants.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programmes

Buck Family Fund Grants: Distributed through Marin Community Foundation

• Focus on community-led initiatives supporting marginalised Marin County residents
• Invitation-based application process

Community Power Initiative: $30 million over three years

• $10 million annually to 80 organisations
• Multiyear, general operating support grants
• Designed to reduce administrative burden and increase flexibility

Direct Distributions: Required by court order

• Buck Institute for Research on Ageing
• Alcohol Justice
• Buck Institute for Education
• Total: $9.7 million (2023 fiscal year)

Priority Areas

The Buck Family Fund supports five main areas:

1. Education: Early school success initiatives, educational equity
2. Health: Community health services, services for older adults
3. Economic Opportunity: Workforce training, economic security, upward mobility for low-income individuals
4. Environment: Community climate resilience, nature-based adaptation solutions
5. Safety Net Services: Food security, legal services for low-income and immigrant populations, housing support

Additional Focus Areas (2024 Strategic Shift)

• Child care and early learning
• Older adult care
• Youth mental health
• Arts and culture organisations
• Youth-focused physical fitness
• Legal assistance for low-income and immigrant populations
• Affordable housing and homelessness

What They Don't Fund

• Organisations outside Marin County, California (geographic restriction is legally mandated)
• Individuals
• Political campaigns or lobbying activities

Governance and Leadership

Buck Family Fund Board of Trustees

The Buck Family Fund has a nine-member board of trustees with appointments made through different mechanisms:

Current/Recent Trustees Include:

• Mark Buell - Chair and Trustee
• Andrew Giacomini - Trustee (son of former Marin supervisor Gary Giacomini)
• Marilee Eckert - CEO of Conservation Corps North Bay; represents the "poor and needy" (appointed October 2018)
• Peter Hamilton - Trustee
• Robert J. Reynolds - Trustee
• Cleveland Justis - Served two consecutive terms as CVNL appointee (joined 2011)

Appointment Structure:

• Two positions appointed by Marin County Board of Supervisors
• One seat represents the "poor and needy"
• One trustee appointed every four years by the Centre for Volunteer and Nonprofit Leadership (CVNL)

Marin Community Foundation Leadership

Dr. Thomas Peters - President and CEO (Announced retirement in October 2024 after 22+ years)

Board Chairman Mark Buell described Dr. Peters as "a fierce champion for social justice and community equity" who brought extensive public health experience (24 years as a county public health official) to expand MCF's philanthropic work.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Buck Family Fund operates primarily through an invitation-based RFP process:

1. Registration: Interested nonprofits must first register on MCF's online Grant Centre (grantcenter.marincf.org)
2. RFP Invitation: MCF issues RFP invitations for specific initiatives
3. Letter of Intent: Only organisations that receive an RFP invitation can submit a letter of intent
4. Full Proposal: Selected applicants from the LOI stage are invited to submit full proposals

Application Method: Invitation-only for most Buck Family Fund programmes

Many Buck Family Fund initiatives explicitly use invitation-only processes, including:

• Early School Success Initiative
• Workforce Training Initiative
• Community Climate Resilience

Getting on Their Radar

While specific Buck Family Fund programmes are invitation-only, nonprofits can take steps to position themselves:

Register Your Organisation: Complete MCF's nonprofit profile form. Your organisation's information becomes accessible to MCF's entire Philanthropic Partnerships team (who work with 570+ donors), not just Buck Trust grants.

Community Power Initiative: This programme used an open RFP process to identify the 80 organisations receiving three-year general operating support grants. MCF sought organisations and collaboratives working with and supporting Marin's most marginalised communities.

Nonprofit Resources: MCF provides a Resource Hub with tools, templates, financial guidance, training opportunities, and resources for legal, financial, fundraising, and cybersecurity support at marincf.org/marin-community/resource-hub

Decision Timeline

Decision timelines vary by programme and are not standardised given the invitation-based approach. The foundation moved to multiyear grant commitments in 2024, indicating longer-term planning cycles.

Success Rates

MCF made 1,236 grant awards in 2023 across all programmes. Specific success rates for Buck Family Fund applications are not publicly disclosed.

Reapplication Policy

Not specified publicly. Given the invitation-based process and recent shift to multiyear funding, organisations should maintain registration in the Grant Centre and monitor for new RFP opportunities.

Application Success Factors

Strategic Alignment with Current Priorities

2023-2024 Strategic Shift: MCF announced in September 2023 a major pivot to multiyear, general operating support, moving away from its previous theme-based, project-specific approach. This represents "a sort of strategic double-reverse"—before 2006, the foundation had allocated about 70% of yearly Buck Trust grants to operating costs, then shifted to project funding, and is now back to operating support.

What MCF Said About the Change: The multiyear, general operating grants are "designed to reduce nonprofits' administrative burden and increase both the level of their flexibility and stability. They are also designed to support smaller, and in some cases newer, organisations."

Focus on Marginalised Communities

The Community Power Initiative specifically sought "organisations and collaboratives that work with and support Marin's most marginalised communities." Applications should clearly demonstrate how the organisation serves vulnerable populations in Marin County.

Recent Funded Projects as Examples

Marin Promise Partnership (2024): Received funding through Community Power Initiative to establish two new Early Learning Collaborative Action Networks (ELCANs) in San Rafael and Novato, impacting approximately 5,000 children aged 0-5.

Audubon California with Shore Up Marin City (2024): $150,000 for Transforming Marin City's Urban Wetland (Advancing Nature-Based Adaptation Solutions programme)

Key Success Factors

1. Geographic Requirement: Organisation must serve Marin County, California. This is legally mandated and non-negotiable.

2. General Operating vs. Project Funding: With the 2024 strategic shift, MCF now prioritises general operating support over project-specific grants, representing greater trust in nonprofit leadership.

3. Organisational Capacity: The new approach supports "smaller, and in some cases newer, organisations," suggesting applications from emerging organisations are welcome.

4. Issue Diversity: The 2024 shift enabled MCF to "support a greater variety of issues and populations" beyond previous theme-based restrictions.

5. Community-Led Initiatives: MCF emphasises "community-led initiatives" that support marginalised residents.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Geographic Restriction is Absolute: Despite any other qualifications, only organisations serving Marin County, California are eligible. This is a court-mandated restriction from the original bequest.

• Wait for Invitation: Most Buck Family Fund programmes are invitation-only. Register in the Grant Centre and monitor for RFP announcements rather than submitting unsolicited proposals.

• Operating Support is Now Preferred: The 2024 strategic shift means MCF values unrestricted, general operating grants over project-specific funding, giving organisations flexibility.

• Multiyear Commitment: The Community Power Initiative provides three-year commitments, indicating MCF's interest in sustained partnerships rather than one-time grants.

• Serve Marginalised Populations: Clear demonstration of how your organisation works with and supports Marin's most vulnerable communities is critical to alignment.

• Utilise Nonprofit Resources: Even if not currently eligible for Buck grants, registering with MCF provides access to their 570+ donor network and comprehensive resource hub.

• Monitor Strategic Evolution: MCF has undergone significant strategic changes (2006 shift to project funding, 2023 return to operating support), suggesting continued evolution in approach.

References

• Charity Navigator. "Leonard & Beryl Buck Foundation." https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/946485668 (Accessed December 2024)

• ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer. "Leonard & Beryl Buck Foundation." https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/946485668 (Accessed December 2024)

• Marin Community Foundation. "Inside MCF: Stewarding the Buck Trust." https://www.marincf.org/inside-mcf (Accessed December 2024)

• Marin Community Foundation. "How MCF Supports Marin Nonprofits." https://www.marincf.org/buck-family-fund-grants (Accessed December 2024)

• Inside Philanthropy. "Marin Community Foundation | California Grants." https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/fundraising-bay-area-grants/marin-community-foundation-bay-area-grants.html (Accessed December 2024)

• Marin Community Foundation. "Marin Community Foundation Launches $30 Million Three-Year Funding Initiative." https://www.marincf.org/news/marin-community-foundation-launches-30-million-three-year-funding-initiative (Accessed December 2024)

• Marin Independent Journal. "Marin Community Foundation announces major changes." September 16, 2023. https://www.marinij.com/2023/09/16/marin-community-foundation-announces-major-changes/ (Accessed December 2024)

• Marin Independent Journal. "Marin Community Foundation unveils shift in grant approach." June 9, 2024. https://www.marinij.com/2024/06/09/marin-community-foundation-unveils-shift-in-grant-approach/ (Accessed December 2024)

• Marin Community Foundation. "Dr. Thomas Peters Announces Retirement." https://www.marincf.org/news/dr-thomas-peters-announces-retirement (Accessed December 2024)

• Marin Independent Journal. "Retiring CEO reshaped Marin Community Foundation during long reign." September 3, 2021. https://www.marinij.com/2021/09/03/retiring-ceo-reshaped-marin-community-foundation-during-long-reign/ (Accessed December 2024)

• Centre for Volunteer & Nonprofit Leadership. "CVNL Press Release: Centre for Volunteer & Nonprofit Leadership Seeks Qualified Candidates for Buck Family Fund Trustee Appointment." https://cvnl.org/news/cvnl-press-release-bff-trustee/ (Accessed December 2024)

• Marin Community Foundation. "The Numbers." https://www.marincf.org/inside-mcf/the-numbers (Accessed December 2024)

• Marin Promise Partnership. "Collaborative Network Advancing Educational Equity in Marin County Secures Grant from Marin Community Foundation." https://www.marinpromisepartnership.org/posts/collaborative-network-advancing-educational-equity-in-marin-county-secures-grant-from-marin-community-foundation/ (Accessed December 2024)