# Mars Foundation

Mars Foundation is an Endowment / Foundation based in Webster City, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Endowment / Foundation
- **Headquarters:** Webster City, United States
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** New York, IA, United States
- **Founded:** 2001
- **Assets under management:** Undisclosed
- **Website:** helpuscurems.org
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/mars-foundation

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

The MARS Foundation operates as a disease-specific nonprofit based in Webster City, Iowa, directed by co-founders Margie and Bill Scott alongside Wayne Anderson, who also serves as President of Scenic Living Communities. The foundation's origin traces to Margie Scott's own multiple sclerosis diagnosis in 1992, which shaped its mission to fund research aimed at finding a cure for the disease. Board member Becky Hastie, a former MS patient ambassador for Biogen, reinforces the foundation's close alignment with patient advocacy. Funding is directed toward MS medical research and community-based support services. The foundation's primary deployment vehicle is its annual MARS Foundation Classic golf event, which draws sponsorship from pharmaceutical companies including Biogen and Janssen Pharmaceuticals. Proceeds support research initiatives and grantees such as MercyOne, which partners with the foundation on MS day programs. Leadership is concentrated among five named individuals based in Iowa, with no disclosed professional staff count. The foundation maintains a professional network affiliation with the International Organization of MS Nurses as an industry sponsor. No adjacent vehicles, separate philanthropic entities, or co-investment clubs are disclosed in public records. The foundation's operational scale appears closely tied to the success of its signature annual fundraiser. The foundation's structural distinction lies in its hyper-local, event-driven funding model. Unlike large disease foundations that deploy endowment-style investment pools across diversified research portfolios, the MARS Foundation funnels pharmaceutical sponsorship dollars and community fundraising through a single annual charitable event into targeted MS research and local care partnerships. This tightly coupled fundraiser-to-grant pipeline keeps overhead low and donor intent immediately visible.

## Sectors

- Healthcare Services

## People

- Margie Scott — Co-founder and Vice President
- Bill Scott — Co-founder
- Wayne Anderson — Co-founder
- Becky Hastie — Board Member
- Jeremy Rogers — Treasurer

## Questions

### How does the MARS Foundation source and fund its research grants?

The foundation's primary sourcing mechanism is its annual MARS Foundation Classic golf tournament, which attracts pharmaceutical sponsors including Biogen and Janssen Pharmaceuticals. Event proceeds are directed to medical research grants and local partners such as MercyOne for MS day programs. The foundation does not publish a formal RFP process or grant application portal.

### Where does the underlying funding for the MARS Foundation come from?

The foundation was seeded by co-founders Margie and Bill Scott, with Margie's personal MS diagnosis in 1992 providing the mission catalyst. Ongoing operational funding derives from the annual golf classic, which pools individual donations and pharmaceutical sponsorships. No large-scale donor base, endowment corpus, or recurring corporate grant program is disclosed.

## Related profiles

- [Marrick Wealth](https://altss.com/profile/marrick-wealth)
- [Mars, Incorporated Retiree Health Care and Life Plan](https://altss.com/profile/mars-incorporated-retiree-health-care-and-life-plan)

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Last updated: 2026-08-11T02:43:31.692Z

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