Many people and organizations—including donors, grantee organizations, and professional advisors—partner with the Foundation to make a difference in the community. Here are just some of their stories.
When Mill Valley resident Jin Zidell thinks about making a difference, he thinks big. Several years ago he conceived of the idea of a global run to raise awareness of and funds for safe drinking water around the world.
more
...
When San Rafael estate planning attorney Deborah Breiner speaks to clients about charitable giving, she knows that by connecting them with the Marin Community Foundation, they’ll get “neutral, expert advice about their giving options, and they’ll get guidance about how to select organizations that meet their goals.
more
...
When Tiburon resident Barbara Meislin talks about giving back to her community, she often describes the influence of her childhood, her strong sense of obligation to share with others, and her lifelong journey of finding meaning from deep, personal loss.
more
...
With help from a $1 million loan from the Foundation’s Loan Fund, Buckelew Programs has renovated a 12-unit apartment building in downtown San Rafael for its clients.
more
...
About two dozen first-graders from Neil Cummins Elementary School in Corte Madera were flapping their arms at WildCare during a recent visit, getting a feeling for how birds fly. But they were also learning about ones that can’t, due to injuries, and that are now being cared for at WildCare’s facility near downtown San Rafael.
more
...
The doorway to Trips for Kids’ Re-Cyclery training center in a low-rise industrial section of the Canal neighborhood opens up to an unexpected sight: hundreds of bicycles, and thousands of parts, are neatly lined up. Some kids are repairing bikes, others are coming in with broken bikes for a quick repair, and others are stopping by to check out what’s going on.
more
...
With a $25 million rebuilding effort well under way, The Marine Mammal Center has opened a temporary visitor center and gift store in a former World War II mess hall at Fort Cronkhite in the Marin Headlands. There, visitors can learn about the marine mammal rehabilitation and research activities...
more
...
With affordable housing in short supply—and great need—in West Marin, Natalia Meyerson “still can’t believe it” that she, her husband, and two children have moved from a studio to a two-bedroom house in Inverness Park, thanks to CLAM.
more
...
The mood in the packed gymnasium at Vallecito Elementary School in San Rafael quickly changed from curiosity to rapt attention to outright glee as students took part in a showcase of dance from around the world recently.
more
...
With a track record of over 30 years providing concerts for inmates at San Quentin Prison, Bread & Roses began a series of workshops in 2005 to involve prisoners more directly in experiencing the joys of music.
more
...
Marin County is often perceived as one place with one identity. But Marin is comprised of various communities, made up of individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences. “Finding Marin: Stories of Home” is an exhibit on display through February 9 in the Foundation offices that focuses on some of these residents.
more
...
When Colleen Crowley-Carlston volunteered this summer at the Romberg Tiburon Center for Environmental Studies, she was learning about her own hometown while continuing a family tradition of giving back to its community.
more
...
Greetings of “Ahoy, mate!” filled the misty air on a recent Saturday at Lookout Cove, a feature of the Bay Area Discovery Museum at Fort Baker in Sausalito. It was Pirate Day, with young visitors dressed up as pirates and engaging in educational and entertaining activities with members of Oakland-based Active Arts Theatre.
more
...
The Board of Trustees of the Marin Community Foundation held its annual public meeting on May 21 at the Dance Palace Community Center in Pt. Reyes Station. Under the title of “A County in Transition: Perspectives from West Marin,” community leaders and other attendees shared their views on key issues facing that part of the County.
more
...
To celebrate Earth Day, students at Hall Middle School in Larkspur—using a grant from MCF’s Earth Day Every Day Fund—built 20 nesting boxes for Western bluebirds in order to establish a Bluebird Trail in northern Marin.
more
...
If statistics can tell a story, then the Marin Community Food Bank has a powerful one to share. It distributes well over one-and-a-quarter million pounds of food a year to meet the needs of tens of thousands of Marin residents all over the County.
more
...
The residents of Sam’s House in Bolinas benefit from a quality that defines their community: a strong tradition of “taking care of their own.” It’s a residential care facility for seniors who have lived most of their lives in Bolinas and nearby Stinson Beach and wish to stay close to family and friends.
more
...
The need for licensed child care in Marin is considerable. A report last year found that nearly 23,000 children in the County need child care, but also found that there are only about 10,000 slots availableat any price.
more
...
There’s strong evidence that the arts teach critical thinking, increase innovation, improve communication, enhance self-esteem, and encourage an understanding of culture and community. The Foundation has long recognized these connections, and in the face of decreased public funding for the arts in the schools, it has renewed its commitment to arts education.
more
...
Eight boys from Marin City got a chance to sail on the Bay this summer thanks to Camp Clipper, a program run by Sailing Education Adventures, America True, Clipper Yacht Harbor in Sausalito, and Fish Restaurant. The two-week program offered low-cost and scholarship-supported sailing lessons.
more
...
Phil Feldman, who directs the estate planning practice at the law firm of Coblentz, Patch, Duffy & Bass in San Francisco, takes his work personally. In addition to advising his clients on issues involving philanthropy, he and his wife, Lisa, try to instill in their family the values of thinking about and helping others.
more
...
At the annual public meeting of the board of trustees of the Marin Community Foundation, held in Marin City on May 1, 2004, three topics of community concern were discussed: housing, health care, and education and youth development.
more
...
When organic produce grown in Marin reaches farmers markets and schools in the County, the result is a lot more than healthy eating. Another goal for Marin Organic, an association of organic growers and processors, is to encourage sustainable agricultural practices that benefit both the land and the residents of Marin.
more
...
Students in the Lagunitas School District eat healthier school lunches in part because of an Earth Day Every Day Fund grant it received in 1996 to start a school garden. As a result of the project, local schools started using organic produce, and a community food bank distributed it as well.
more
...
For a long time, Johny Huinac didn't think he had much of a chance of going to college. Since his freshman year at San Rafael High School, he worked seven days a week, and as a result, his grades suffered. And since English is not his native language, he felt even less secure about his academic future.
more
...
Two evenings a week, about 25 Marin City elementary and junior high school students meet with tutors from local religious congregations to work on reading, math, and homework. This program, Bridge the Gap, is a partnership between Marin City Church of God and Sausalito Presbyterian Church. It receives funding from the Foundation's FAITHS initiative—an effort that supports local congregations in undertaking a variety of community activities.
more
...
When Kathy Sward and the other members of the Muir Beach Quilters sit down at their sewing machines to stitch a new creation, they're taking part in a 30-year tradition of community-building in this part of the County. This group of women raffles off quilts to raise money for the Muir Beach Community Center, where they also run social, recreational, and art programs for the local community.
more
...
When Chi Tran, 23, arrived in the United States from Vietnam a year ago, one of the first connections he made was with the Marin Conservation Corps. This group, which is the oldest local Conservation Corps in the U.S., provides job training that helps preserve the environment, along with a variety of educational opportunities.
more
...
In fall 2003, 40 apartments for low and very low-income seniors were completed thanks to the efforts of the Novato Rotary Club. The project, called Nova-Ro III, includes a two-story community center for its residents and is located near downtown Novato close to shopping, public transportation, and health care.
more
...
5 Hamilton Landing, Suite 200, Novato, CA 94949|email or call 415.464.2500|Directions
When Mill Valley resident Jin Zidell thinks about making a difference, he thinks big. Several years ago he conceived of the idea of a global run to raise awareness of and funds for safe drinking water around the world.
When San Rafael estate planning attorney Deborah Breiner speaks to clients about charitable giving, she knows that by connecting them with the Marin Community Foundation, they’ll get “neutral, expert advice about their giving options, and they’ll get guidance about how to select organizations that meet their goals.
When Tiburon resident Barbara Meislin talks about giving back to her community, she often describes the influence of her childhood, her strong sense of obligation to share with others, and her lifelong journey of finding meaning from deep, personal loss.
With help from a $1 million loan from the Foundation’s Loan Fund, Buckelew Programs has renovated a 12-unit apartment building in downtown San Rafael for its clients.
About two dozen first-graders from Neil Cummins Elementary School in Corte Madera were flapping their arms at WildCare during a recent visit, getting a feeling for how birds fly. But they were also learning about ones that can’t, due to injuries, and that are now being cared for at WildCare’s facility near downtown San Rafael.
The doorway to Trips for Kids’ Re-Cyclery training center in a low-rise industrial section of the Canal neighborhood opens up to an unexpected sight: hundreds of bicycles, and thousands of parts, are neatly lined up. Some kids are repairing bikes, others are coming in with broken bikes for a quick repair, and others are stopping by to check out what’s going on.
With a $25 million rebuilding effort well under way, The Marine Mammal Center has opened a temporary visitor center and gift store in a former World War II mess hall at Fort Cronkhite in the Marin Headlands. There, visitors can learn about the marine mammal rehabilitation and research activities...
With affordable housing in short supply—and great need—in West Marin, Natalia Meyerson “still can’t believe it” that she, her husband, and two children have moved from a studio to a two-bedroom house in Inverness Park, thanks to CLAM.
The mood in the packed gymnasium at Vallecito Elementary School in San Rafael quickly changed from curiosity to rapt attention to outright glee as students took part in a showcase of dance from around the world recently.
With a track record of over 30 years providing concerts for inmates at San Quentin Prison, Bread & Roses began a series of workshops in 2005 to involve prisoners more directly in experiencing the joys of music.
Marin County is often perceived as one place with one identity. But Marin is comprised of various communities, made up of individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences. “Finding Marin: Stories of Home” is an exhibit on display through February 9 in the Foundation offices that focuses on some of these residents.
When Colleen Crowley-Carlston volunteered this summer at the 
Greetings of “Ahoy, mate!” filled the misty air on a recent Saturday at Lookout Cove, a feature of the Bay Area Discovery Museum at Fort Baker in Sausalito. It was Pirate Day, with young visitors dressed up as pirates and engaging in educational and entertaining activities with members of Oakland-based Active Arts Theatre.
The Board of Trustees of the Marin Community Foundation held its annual public meeting on May 21 at the Dance Palace Community Center in Pt. Reyes Station. Under the title of “A County in Transition: Perspectives from West Marin,” community leaders and other attendees shared their views on key issues facing that part of the County.
To celebrate Earth Day, students at Hall Middle School in Larkspur—using a grant from MCF’s Earth Day Every Day Fund—built 20 nesting boxes for Western bluebirds in order to establish a Bluebird Trail in northern Marin.
If statistics can tell a story, then the Marin Community Food Bank has a powerful one to share. It distributes well over one-and-a-quarter million pounds of food a year to meet the needs of tens of thousands of Marin residents all over the County.
The residents of Sam’s House in Bolinas benefit from a quality that defines their community: a strong tradition of “taking care of their own.” It’s a residential care facility for seniors who have lived most of their lives in Bolinas and nearby Stinson Beach and wish to stay close to family and friends.
The need for licensed child care in Marin is considerable. A report last year found that nearly 23,000 children in the County need child care, but also found that there are only about 10,000 slots availableat any price.
There’s strong evidence that the arts teach critical thinking, increase innovation, improve communication, enhance self-esteem, and encourage an understanding of culture and community. The Foundation has long recognized these connections, and in the face of decreased public funding for the arts in the schools, it has renewed its commitment to arts education.
Eight boys from Marin City got a chance to sail on the Bay this summer thanks to Camp Clipper, a program run by Sailing Education Adventures, America True, Clipper Yacht Harbor in Sausalito, and Fish Restaurant. The two-week program offered low-cost and scholarship-supported sailing lessons.
Phil Feldman, who directs the estate planning practice at the law firm of Coblentz, Patch, Duffy & Bass in San Francisco, takes his work personally. In addition to advising his clients on issues involving philanthropy, he and his wife, Lisa, try to instill in their family the values of thinking about and helping others.
At the annual public meeting of the board of trustees of the Marin Community Foundation, held in Marin City on May 1, 2004, three topics of community concern were discussed: housing, health care, and education and youth development.
When organic produce grown in Marin reaches farmers markets and schools in the County, the result is a lot more than healthy eating. Another goal for Marin Organic, an association of organic growers and processors, is to encourage sustainable agricultural practices that benefit both the land and the residents of Marin.
Students in the Lagunitas School District eat healthier school lunches in part because of an Earth Day Every Day Fund grant it received in 1996 to start a school garden. As a result of the project, local schools started using organic produce, and a community food bank distributed it as well.
For a long time, Johny Huinac didn't think he had much of a chance of going to college. Since his freshman year at San Rafael High School, he worked seven days a week, and as a result, his grades suffered. And since English is not his native language, he felt even less secure about his academic future.
Two evenings a week, about 25 Marin City elementary and junior high school students meet with tutors from local religious congregations to work on reading, math, and homework. This program, Bridge the Gap, is a partnership between Marin City Church of God and Sausalito Presbyterian Church. It receives funding from the Foundation's FAITHS initiative—an effort that supports local congregations in undertaking a variety of community activities.
When Kathy Sward and the other members of the Muir Beach Quilters sit down at their sewing machines to stitch a new creation, they're taking part in a 30-year tradition of community-building in this part of the County. This group of women raffles off quilts to raise money for the Muir Beach Community Center, where they also run social, recreational, and art programs for the local community.
When Chi Tran, 23, arrived in the United States from Vietnam a year ago, one of the first connections he made was with the Marin Conservation Corps. This group, which is the oldest local Conservation Corps in the U.S., provides job training that helps preserve the environment, along with a variety of educational opportunities.
In fall 2003, 40 apartments for low and very low-income seniors were completed thanks to the efforts of the Novato Rotary Club. The project, called Nova-Ro III, includes a two-story community center for its residents and is located near downtown Novato close to shopping, public transportation, and health care.
