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Marcus Foundation
The Marcus Foundation was established in 1989 by Bernie Marcus and his wife Billi Marcus, created from the fortune generated by The Home Depot, which Marcus...
Marcus Foundation
The Marcus Foundation was established in 1989 by Bernie Marcus and his wife Billi Marcus, created from the fortune generated by The Home Depot, which Marcus co-founded with Arthur Blank and Ken Langone in 1978. The retail giant fundamentally reshaped American home improvement before Marcus transitioned fully to philanthropy. Bernie Marcus passed away in November 2024, leaving the foundation under the stewardship of President Jay Kaiman and Director Fred Marcus, Bernie's son, alongside board member and Home Depot co-founder Ken Langone. The foundation deploys capital across a focused set of interests: medical research and healthcare delivery, mental health services, Jewish federated giving, education, and public affairs. Signature gifts include the $250 million Georgia Aquarium in downtown Atlanta, a landmark institution opened in 2005, and the Marcus Autism Center, a clinical and research operation affiliated with Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. The foundation's approach blends large-scale capital projects with sustained programmatic grants. In 2024, the foundation funded a $100 million commitment to the Shepherd Center for spinal cord and brain injury rehabilitation (per the foundation, 2024). Geographic concentration remains heavily weighted toward Atlanta and the Southeastern US, with select national and Jewish diaspora commitments — particularly in Israel. Marcus Foundation's assets are reported to have distributed over $2 billion cumulatively since inception, with annual grantmaking often exceeding $80 million in active years. The foundation operates from headquarters at 1266 W Paces Ferry Road in Atlanta's Buckhead district. Bernie and Billi Marcus were early signatories to The Giving Pledge, committing the majority of their wealth to philanthropy. The foundation does not publicly disclose its investment portfolio or asset allocation, and it does not routinely participate in external fund commitments or co-investment clubs in a visible way. The structural differentiator is the foundation's deep integration with the institutions it creates: rather than acting as a passive funder, the Marcus Foundation has historically seeded, built, and retained operational influence over major civic assets in Atlanta. The Georgia Aquarium and the Marcus Autism Center function as perpetual operating legacies, not ephemeral grants. This builder-operator model — rare among large foundations — reflects Bernie Marcus's insistence that philanthropic capital should produce durable, physical institutions rather than transient program budgets. Succession planning following his death is now the central governance question: with Ken Langone and Fred Marcus on the board and Jay Kaiman as president, the foundation enters a post-founder era without a formal CIO or investment team visible to the public.
General information
Firm type
Endowment / Foundation
Year founded
1989
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Atlanta
Corporate office
1266 W Paces Ferry Road, Suite 615, Atlanta, GA 30327, United States
Principals
Bernie Marcus
Founder
Billi Marcus
Co-Founder
Fred Marcus
Director
Jay Kaiman
President
Ken Langone
Director
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at the Marcus Foundation?
The foundation does not publicly name a chief investment officer or disclose its investment committee structure. Executive decisions appear to flow through President Jay Kaiman and the board of directors, which includes Fred Marcus and Ken Langone. The foundation has not historically advertised an in-house investment team or external outsourced chief investment officer arrangement.
How is the Marcus Foundation related to The Home Depot?
The foundation's endowment was created from the wealth Bernie Marcus generated as co-founder of The Home Depot, which he started with Arthur Blank and Ken Langone in 1978. While Ken Langone sits on the foundation's board, the foundation operates independently of The Home Depot and its corporate foundation. There is no ongoing funding relationship or operational overlap between the two entities.
Does the Marcus Foundation accept grant applications?
The Marcus Foundation historically operated as an invitation-only funder and did not maintain a public grant application portal. Major commitments — such as the Georgia Aquarium and the Shepherd Center gift — were initiated by Bernie Marcus personally or through long-standing relationships. Organizations seeking funding have typically been identified through the foundation's internal networks rather than unsolicited proposals.
What is the Marcus Foundation's known posture on Israel-related giving?
The foundation has been a significant funder of Jewish and Israeli causes. Bernie Marcus maintained a residence in Boca Raton, Florida, and supported institutions in Israel, including through The Land of Israel project in 2024. The foundation's giving in this area tends to center on Jewish federated programs, educational institutions, and capital projects rather than policy advocacy.
How has the foundation's governance changed since Bernie Marcus died?
Bernie Marcus died in November 2024, ending nearly 35 years of founder control. Jay Kaiman, who served as president alongside Bernie Marcus for many years, remains in that role. Fred Marcus, Bernie's son, is a director, and Ken Langone continues as a board member. The foundation has not publicly announced structural governance changes or a new investment leadership model since the founder's death.
What are the foundation's largest known gifts?
The Georgia Aquarium, seeded with a $250 million gift from Bernie Marcus and opened in 2005, is the foundation's signature project. Other known major commitments include the Marcus Autism Center at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and a $100 million pledge to the Shepherd Center for spinal cord and brain injury rehabilitation, announced in 2024. Cumulatively, the foundation has reported over $2 billion in charitable distributions since 1989.
Does the Marcus Foundation invest in for-profit ventures?
The foundation does not publicly disclose its endowment investment strategy, and Altss research has identified no program-related investment (PRI) or mission-related investment (MRI) program that is actively marketed. Unlike some large foundations that run direct venture portfolios alongside their grantmaking, Marcus Foundation appears to operate primarily through traditional grant distributions to qualified charitable organizations.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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