The Marin Community Foundation (MCF) was established in 1986 with the assets of a trust created by long-time Marin residents Leonard and Beryl H. Buck. From the start, MCF’s mission was to use philanthropic contributions to help improve the human condition and enhance the quality of life in Marin County, CA.

Their mission was successful, and by the end of fiscal 2005, MCF was the largest community foundation in California and one of the largest in the U.S., with assets of $1.1 billion. Last year, MCF made over $55 million in grants and received over $25 million in gifts. An unintended consequence was that they were swimming in paper.