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Leonard & Beryl Buck Foundation / Buck Family Fund

Annual Giving
$28.0M
Grant Range
$15K - $0.1M

Leonard & Beryl Buck Foundation / Buck Family Fund

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $25-30 million (Buck Trust distributions)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
  • Decision Time: Varies by program; invitation-based process
  • Grant Range: $15,000 - $100,000 (typical Buck Family Fund grants)
  • 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 organizations.

Contact Details

Marin Community Foundation (Distribution Trustee)

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 organizations and public schools in Marin County throughout its history. The Trust is managed through a court-ordered formula that typically generates $25-30 million in 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 Programs

Buck Family Fund Grants: $15,000 - $100,000 (typical range)

  • Distributed through Marin Community Foundation
  • Focus on community-led initiatives supporting marginalized Marin County residents

Community Power Initiative (Launched 2024): $30 million over three years

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

Direct Distributions: Required by court order

  • Buck Institute for Research on Aging
  • 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 organizations
  • Youth-focused physical fitness
  • Legal assistance for low-income and immigrant populations
  • Affordable housing and homelessness

What They Don't Fund

  • Organizations 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 Center 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 Center (grantcenter.marincf.org)
  2. RFP Invitation: MCF issues RFP invitations for specific initiatives
  3. Letter of Intent: Only organizations 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 programs

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 programs are invitation-only, nonprofits can take steps to position themselves:

Register Your Organization: Complete MCF's nonprofit profile form. Your organization'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 program used an open RFP process to identify the 80 organizations receiving three-year general operating support grants. MCF sought organizations and collaboratives working with and supporting Marin's most marginalized 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 program and are not standardized 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 programs. 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, organizations should maintain registration in the Grant Center 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, organizations."

Focus on Marginalized Communities

The Community Power Initiative specifically sought "organizations and collaboratives that work with and support Marin's most marginalized communities." Applications should clearly demonstrate how the organization 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 program)

Key Success Factors

  1. Geographic Requirement: Organization 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 prioritizes general operating support over project-specific grants, representing greater trust in nonprofit leadership.

  3. Organizational Capacity: The new approach supports "smaller, and in some cases newer, organizations," suggesting applications from emerging organizations 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 emphasizes "community-led initiatives" that support marginalized residents.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

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

  • Wait for Invitation: Most Buck Family Fund programs are invitation-only. Register in the Grant Center 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 organizations flexibility.

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

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

  • Utilize 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

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