George and Judy Marcus Family Foundation

OVERVIEW: The George and Judy Marcus Family Foundation supports education, religious causes, Greek causes, health, human services and arts and culture in the Bay Area of California.

IP TAKE: The George and Judy Marcus Family Foundation is not a transparent or accessible foundation. It does not have much of a web presence, and there are no available guidelines for grantseekers. Potential grantees will need to network with a family member here.

PROFILE: Established in 1998, the George and Judy Marcus Family Foundation is an independent foundation based in Palo Alto, California. George Marcus was born in Greece and raised in San Francisco. Marcus graduated with a degree in economics from San Francisco State University in 1965. At the university, he met his wife, Judy, who graduated with a bachelor's degree in physical education in 1962. Marcus worked as a broker at Grubb & Ellis in San Jose before leaving in 1971 to set up his own shop, Marcus & Millichap Company. Marcus was also one of the original founders and directors of Plaza Commerce Bank and Greater Bay Bancorp. Today, the couple’s grantmaking interests include education, religious causes, Greek causes, health, human services and arts and culture.

Grants for K-12 and Higher Education

The foundation does not have a website to guide grantseekers. However, a major site of the couple’s philanthropy has been San Francisco State, the couple's mutual alma mater, where they established the SF State International Center for the Arts with a $3 million gift. They also gave $25 million to the school to support liberal arts programs. The foundation has also supported scholarships and endowed the Robert A. Corrigan Chair in American Studies at SF State. Other education giving of late has involved Bay Area organizations such as Oakland School of the Arts, Pathways for Kids and East Palo Alto Kids Foundation.

Grants for the Bay Area, Health, Arts and Culture, and Community Development

Marcus and Judy also support religious organizations and Greek causes in the Bay Area. Past grantees include the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco and the United Religions Initiative. In the area of human services, the Marcus Foundation has made grants to Avenidas and Community Services Agency in Mountain View, Bay Area Cancer Connections and Blossom Birth Services. They have additionally funded environmental organizations, such as Humane Society of Silicon Valley and the Tuolumne River Trust. Arts and culture support includes the San Jose Museum of Art, local public radio station KALW, the San Francisco Zoological Society, and $400,000 to Francisco Park Conservancy.

Important Grant Details

Foundation grants tend to be between $2,000 and $100,000. Review the funder’s recent tax records to learn more about the couple’s local giving. The couple’s grants are largely focused on the Bay Area of California. The foundation does not publicly share its grantmaking guidelines.

This foundation does not accept unsolicited grant applications from nonprofits, funding only pre-selected organizations. The phone number to reach the foundation is 408-286-3300.

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