Mel & Grace McLean Foundation

Mel & Grace McLean Foundation

The Mel & Grace McLean Foundation was established in 2000 by the eponymous couple, whose roots in the Eel River Valley ran through Eel River Sawmills and regional supermarkets. Unlike many philanthropies that expand geographically over time, the Foundation holds its geographic perimeter strictly to Humboldt County, reserving all grant awards for local nonprofits. Dennis Scott, a former Eel River Sawmills executive, now leads the Foundation as President and CEO. The Foundation directs capital across a broad set of program areas including children and youth programs, health and medical services, education, economic development, and environmental initiatives. Its deployment model combines direct grantmaking — which has totaled more than $14 million since inception — with direct ownership and development of community-serving real estate. The balance sheet includes the McLean Campus at 3000 Newburg Road in Fortuna, which houses the Gene Lucas Community Center, and the Eel River Valley Multi-Generational Center. The Foundation also acts as a major sponsor of the annual Fortuna Rodeo, linking its capital to local civic traditions. Although total assets are not publicly disclosed, the Foundation’s footprint is defined more by physical infrastructure than by investment portfolio breadth. Grant applications are accepted by mail or email, and funding decisions remain focused on a single-county mandate. The Foundation partners with organizations such as the Humboldt Area Foundation on regional philanthropic initiatives, maintaining a deliberately local network of co-investors and community relationships. The Foundation's structure is distinctive for its blend of grantmaking and direct real estate development within a hyperlocal footprint. By tying its balance sheet to named community assets — the Gene Lucas Community Center and a multi-generational facility — it functions as both a capital provider and a long-term civic landlord. This dual posture, managed by an operational executive from the founders' original sawmill business, makes it an unusual hybrid: part private foundation, part community developer, anchored to the specific geography that generated its wealth.