Bucked.

In a recent examination of the IRS Form 990s for the billion-dollar Marin Community Foundation (originally the Buck Trust), I found what appear to be some irregularities, but ones for which there may be perfectly good accounting explanations.

These irregularities involve conflicting reports regarding the amounts that MCF claims as assets, and the unusual relationship between MCF and at least two other very well-endowed nonprofits.

But I also found entrenched patterns of grant-making that are in direct contradiction to the billion-dollar nonprofit’s stated mission to assist the needy.

A very short list:

1. MCF’s pattern of handing millions of dollars to wealthy, elite private schools and private universities, including millions of dollars in grants to Yale and Stanford – while granting relatively tiny amounts to the public schools (and to the public, largely working-class San Francisco State University) – raises obvious questions of whether MCF is meeting Beryl Buck’s original vision of assisting those who are most in need.

2. MCF’s pattern of favoring hyper-wealthy grantees seems to be mirrored by MCF’s grant of a flat $1,000,000 to the Bill, Hillary, and Chelsea Clinton Foundation for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 – all while the Black descendants of the Marinship shipyards continue to struggle with housing and environmental issues in the County that the Buck Trust was created to assist.

For some residents in Marin, this raises the obvious question of whether MCF Executive Director Rhea Suh is more interested in maintaining a powerful network than coordinating the assistance her role requires.

3. MCF’s unusually connected grantees include several institutions that facilitated deadly violence against vulnerable populations, including at least one CIA-linked institution, Americares, which was involved in covert operations in Latin America during the Reagan-Bush era.

4. MCF’s grantees include many institutions that have supported and promoted the last nearly three years of Israel’s expanding genocide across West Asia. These include generous MCF grants to Friends of the IDF; Birthright Israel; and notably to several very wealthy and politically influential synagogues, including Congregation Emanu-El.

As the remaining Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank continue to be attacked and killed by the IDF and Israeli settlers, it is necessary to ask whether MCF grant money to pro-Israel religious institutions is being funneled to support the IDF’s actions in Gaza and/or to illegal settlements in the West Bank.

Unfortunately, since religious institutions are not required to fill out Form 990’s, there does not seem to be a straightforward answer. Given that lack of public accounting, should MCF have been more responsible in its grant-making decisions to these pro-Israel congregations amid Israel’s genocide?

I reached out to MCF’s Chief Communications Officer Adam Bink with questions. Mr. Bink graciously informed me that he would have answers ready later this week.

As I wait, I want to thank readers once again for their patience. I hope to bring you this story in full and with Mr. Bink’s responses as soon as possible.

©2026 Eva Chrysanthe

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