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A Brief History Join Our Mailing List
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Printer-Friendly Version In 1961, a group of Marin General Hospital volunteers mounted a fund-raising effort to support the Cardiac Care Unit. In 1964, the group changed its focus from the hospital to helping Marin County children and teens up to the age of 18. It was then that Marin Charitable Foundation became incorporated as an independent, non-profit entity, and began making grants of up to $5,000 to agencies offering educational, cultural, recreational and social programs that improve the lives of young people in Marin County. The majority of grants are donated to innovative programs not funded by the usual sources. In 1977, the organization changed its name to Marin Charitable Association. MCA is a registered 501(c)3 charity. The Grants Committee devised a protocol by which programs requesting funds are extensively evaluated. Each member of the Grants Committee is responsible for interviewing a set number of applicants. These agencies receive a personal visit, during which the program director and staff are interviewed. The committee then reviews each application through a process that entails at least five half-day meetings. The committee makes final recommendations for funding to the Board of Directors. These recommendations are then presented to the General Membership for final approval. The members of Marin Charitable have always worked tirelessly, staging at least three major events each year, as well as obtaining funding from the business community and foundations. All money raised is donated to the worthwhile programs that annually request our assistance. We have no paid staff. MCA solicits funding from various private foundations and local business owners. Memorials and Honoraria are other sources of income. Our three major fund-raisers are the Spring Floral Fling, the September Wine Dinner and Auction, and the Halloween-themed Phantom Fund-raiser. At the time of our inception, community need was primarily in the areas of health and education. Today our intent is to support programs that help children at risk deal with the many challenges they face in a culturally diverse, technologically advanced, and often uncaring world. Marin Charitable sees its existence as being more vital than ever in aiding these young people to achieve a useful and rewarding adulthood. As of January, 2010, Marin Charitable Association has granted approximately $2,412,000 to organizations that support the youth of Marin County. |