
The Marks Family Foundation makes a small number of large, unrestricted gifts to a handful of organizations, with a clear emphasis on medical research and high-impact health causes alongside at least one grant to an emergency/technical recovery group. They favor multi-thousand- to million-dollar commitments and will fund the same recipients more than once. The Foundation appears to prioritize outcomes-focused nonprofits working on disease research and crisis-response capabilities.
Concentrated giving: few (5) large grants totaling ~$2.7M, including repeat funding to select grantees; primarily large, unrestricted gifts rather than many small awards.
Marks Family Foundation C/o Kuehnis & Associates Cpas LLP stands out for multi-year support of disease research, especially Alzheimer’s and cancer work, alongside unrestricted grants to mission-driven nonprofits. Its recent records show large commitments to Cure Alzheimer’s Fund, V Foundation, and Rick Sharp ALZ Foundation, with awards that reach into the hundreds of thousands of dollars and, in some cases, recur over multiple years. The foundation also backs capacity-building and early-stage work, including general charitable-purpose grants and operating support, which suggests a preference for helping organizations launch, test, or expand specific efforts rather than funding only restricted projects. The portfolio is not limited to one sector. Alongside medical research, the foundation has supported emergency response and aerial recovery, music and arts organizations, education, and community-serving groups. Recent grants to Aerial Recovery and Project Music Heals Us point to an interest in practical, on-the-ground responses as well as cultural and educational programming. The pattern is consistent with trust-based grantmaking: fewer awards, larger checks, and a willingness to fund organizations more than once when the fit remains strong.
Disease research is a clear throughline in the foundation’s recent grants. It awarded $750,000 to Cure Alzheimer’s Fund for general charitable purpose, then continued with additional support to V Foundation and Rick Sharp ALZ Foundation. These grants align with the foundation’s stated interest in Alzheimer’s and cancer research, including early-phase work. The foundation also funds crisis response and recovery. It gave $410,000 to Aerial Recovery for general charitable purpose, tying a substantial grant to emergency-response capability. Arts and education appear as secondary priorities. Project Music Heals Us received $300,000 for general charitable purpose in one year and $200,000 the next to support overhead expansion, while Berklee College of Music received $250,000 for general and unrestricted support. Educational grants include Tahoe Expedition Academy and Head-Royce School, showing support for both early-stage learning environments and established institutions.
$3M
$50M
$3.5M
$4.5M
Most grants fall between $10K and $100K, with a median of $25K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$25K
75th Percentile
$100K
Top 3 recipient countries by grant volume for Marks Family Foundation C/O Kuehnis & Associates Cpas Llp.
| Rank | Country | Grants | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United StatesDomestic | 124 | $10.3M | 98.4% |
| 2 |
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Notable grantees: ECAD (repeat grantee), Cure Alzheimer’s Fund, V Foundation - Don’t Ever Give Up, AERIAL RECOVERY
Typical awards cluster in the mid-five-figure to low-six-figure range, with a p25 of $10,000, a median of $25,000, and a p75 of $100,000. The recent grant list shows a small set of very large gifts above that range, including several $250,000 to $750,000 awards. The foundation also returns to some recipients in later years, indicating repeat support rather than one-off giving. It is a regular funder, not a DAF, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. One active grant program accepts unsolicited applications, but most listed programs do not.
Grantmaking is national, with a strong concentration in California: 32% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state, and the recent list includes multiple California grantees in Berkeley, Redwood City, San Jose, Kings Beach, Oakland, San Francisco, and Westwood. New York is the top state by grant count, reflecting frequent support for recipients there as well. Outside the United States, the recipient mix is limited but present, with one grant to a UK organization and one to a Uganda-based recipient. The pattern points to mostly U.S.-based grantmaking with selective cross-border awards.
Recent grants and active programs point to medical research, especially Alzheimer’s and cancer; emergency response and disaster relief; music and the arts; education; and community-focused general support. The foundation also describes trust-based, unrestricted funding for early-stage work across those areas.
Yes. Several active programs are described as unrestricted or general grantmaking, and recent awards include general and unrestricted support. One example is Project Music Heals Us, which received $200,000 to support overhead expansion.
The typical grant-size distribution is p25 of $10,000, median of $25,000, and p75 of $100,000. The recent grant list also shows several larger awards in the $250,000 to $750,000 range.
No. Its stated geographic scope is national, and the recent recipient list is overwhelmingly U.S.-based at 98.4% of grants. There are also individual grants to recipients in the UK and Uganda.
Yes. The recent grant list includes repeated support for recipients such as Ecad, V Foundation, We Care Solar, Project Music Heals Us, The Juilliard School, and Earthenable across multiple years.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
| Uganda |
| 1 |
| $140K |
0.8% |
| 3 | United Kingdom | 1 | $50K | 0.8% |
Recipient country reflects the grantee's headquarters per IRS 990-PF and Schedule F filings, not the program's implementation country.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EAST COAST ASSISTANCE DOGS INC | TORRINGTON, CT | $300,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| THE V FOUNDATION | CARY, NC | $250,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| PROJECT MUSIC HEALS US INC | GUILFORD, CT | $250,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| BERKLEE COLLEGE OF MUSIC INC | BOSTON, MA | $250,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| WE CARE SOLAR | BERKELEY, CA | $250,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| PROJECT MUSIC HEALS US INC | GUILFORD, CT | $200,000 | 2025 | to support overhead expansion |
| EARTHENABLE | WESTON, MA | $150,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| REALIZE IMPACT | BAINBRIDGE ISLAND, WA | $150,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| TAHOE EXPEDITION ACADEMY INC | KINGS BEACH, CA | $150,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| GIVE2ASIA | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $104,000 | 2025 | Juilliard (Beijing) |
| BLACK MUSIC ENTREPRENEURSHIP INCUBATOR | OAKLAND, CA | $100,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| NEO PHILANTHROPY INC | NEW YORK, NY | $100,000 | 2025 | Daughters for Earth |
| COLLEGE TRACK | OAKLAND, CA | $100,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| REALIZE IMPACT | BAINBRIDGE ISLAND, WA | $100,000 | 2025 | gDiapers |
| HONEYWELL ARTS ACADEMY INC | WABASH, IN | $90,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| HONEYWELL ARTS ACADEMY INC | WABASH, IN | $90,000 | 2025 | WABASS |
| AERIAL RECOVERY | NASHVILLE, TN | $50,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| THE AASHA FOUNDATION | RENO, NV | $50,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| SCHOLARSHIP AMERICA INC | DETROIT, MI | $50,000 | 2025 | College Track |
| PIANOSONOMA MUSIC FESTIVAL INC | NEWTON, MA | $30,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| BRANNAN CENTER | CALISTOGA, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| SUN VALLEY MUSIC FESTIVAL | SUN VALLEY, ID | $25,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| ANGEL FLIGHT WEST INC | SANTA MONICA, CA | $20,000 | 2025 | Angel Flight West Endeavor Awards |
| WOMEN MOVING MILLIONS INC | NEW YORK, NY | $13,508 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| TEEN CANCER AMERICA INC | SANTA MONICA, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| NATIONAL PARKS CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $10,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| SILICON VALLEY EDUCATION FOUNDATION | SAN JOSE, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| PATHWAYS HOME HEALTH AND HOSPICE | SUNNYVALE, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| YMCA OF SILICON VALLEY | SAN JOSE, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | El Camino Y |
| EL DORADO FOUNDATION INC | SCOTTSDALE, AZ | $10,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| COMMUNITY-WORD PROJECT INC | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| AMERICAN CONSERVATORY THEATRE FOUNDATION | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | to provide discounted tickets for attendees |
| CAMP RAINBOW GOLD INC | BOISE, ID | $10,000 | 2025 | Charitable Event |
| PROJECT GLIMMER | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| SUN VALLEY PERFORMING ARTS CENTER INC | KETCHUM, ID | $7,900 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| SUN VALLEY CENTER FOR THE ARTS INC | SUN VALLEY, ID | $5,000 | 2025 | Charitable Event |
| FLOURISH FOUNDATION | KETCHUM, ID | $5,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| FROM THE TOP INC | BOSTON, MA | $5,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| EDESIA INC | N KINGSTOWN, RI | $5,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| EDESIA INC | N KINGSTOWN, RI | $5,000 | 2025 | GAZA |
| AMERICAN HIMALAYAN FOUNDATION | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $5,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| WESTERN CONNECTICUT YOUTH ORCHESTRA INC | RIDGEFIELD, CT | $5,000 | 2025 | Charles Ives Music Festival |
| ECAD | TORRINGTON, CT | $525,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| AERIAL RECOVERY | NASHVILLE, TN | $410,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| Project Music Heals Us | Cuilford, CT | $300,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| We Care Solar | Berkley, CA | $253,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| Rick Sharp ALZ Foundation | Henrico, VA | $250,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| SPUR | SAN JOSE, CA | $250,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| Vital Voices Global Partnership Inc | wASHINGTON, DC | $250,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| V Foundation | CARY, NC | $250,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
EAST COAST ASSISTANCE DOGS INC
$300,000General & Unrestricted
PROJECT MUSIC HEALS US INC
$250,000General & Unrestricted
BERKLEE COLLEGE OF MUSIC INC
$250,000General & Unrestricted
PROJECT MUSIC HEALS US INC
$200,000to support overhead expansion
HONEYWELL ARTS ACADEMY INC
$90,000General & Unrestricted
HONEYWELL ARTS ACADEMY INC
$90,000WABASS
THE AASHA FOUNDATION
$50,000General & Unrestricted
SCHOLARSHIP AMERICA INC
$50,000College Track
PIANOSONOMA MUSIC FESTIVAL INC
$30,000General & Unrestricted
SUN VALLEY MUSIC FESTIVAL
$25,000General & Unrestricted
PATHWAYS HOME HEALTH AND HOSPICE
$10,000General & Unrestricted
EL DORADO FOUNDATION INC
$10,000General & Unrestricted
to provide discounted tickets for attendees
FROM THE TOP INC
$5,000General & Unrestricted
WESTERN CONNECTICUT YOUTH ORCHESTRA INC
$5,000Charles Ives Music Festival
ECAD
$525,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSE
Project Music Heals Us
$300,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSE
Rick Sharp ALZ Foundation
$250,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSE
SPUR
$250,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSE
V Foundation
$250,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSE