Saving and Changing Lives
Bernie Marcus, co-founder of The Home Depot, founded The Marcus Foundation in 1989 to carry out his philanthropic vision. The Foundation’s grantmaking philosophy is derived from Bernie Marcus’ personal life and career experiences, and his success as an entrepreneur enables him to give back.
The Marcus Foundation has five key areas of philanthropy – giving back in spheres that uphold Bernie’s beliefs and values – all with the goal to save and change lives through entrepreneurial philanthropy. The five focus areas are:
Medical Research and Healthcare
Jewish Causes
Free Enterprise, including Veteran Initiatives and National Security
The Health and Welfare of Children, with an emphasis on Civics Education
Targeted Community Support
Since its founding in 1989, The Marcus Foundation has given more than $2.7 billion through 3,500+ grants. (Please note: We do not accept unsolicited requests. Proposals are by invitation only.)
Programs
An Entrepreneurial Approach to Philanthropy. Bernie Marcus is a self-made man who combines an extraordinary entrepreneurial vision with a selfless passion for serving others.
Decades of Impact
1920s
1970s
- 1929 | Bernie is born
- 1954 | Bernie finishes pharmacy school at Rutgers University
-
1978 | “You’re fired”—Bernie and Arthur Blank’s career at Handy Dan ends
The Home Depot, Inc. incorporated in Delaware
Bernie is titled Chairman and CEO - 1979 | The first two Home Depot stores open
1980s
1990s
- 1981 | The Home Depot is taken public on NASDAQ
- 1989 | The Marcus Foundation, Inc. begins
- 1990 | The Marcus Foundation’s first grant: $110,000 to Emory Egleston Children’s Research
- 1991 | Israel Democracy Institute founded
- 1999 | Marcus Community Bridge Program established at Shepherd Center
- 1999 | Built From Scratch, the story of the beginning of The Home Depot, is published
1980s
1990s
2000s
-
2002 | Bernie retires from The Home Depot
The Marcus Institute is created - 2003 | CDC Marcus Emergency Operations Center dedication
-
2005 | Autism Speaks is founded with initial funding from The Marcus Foundation
Opening of Georgia Aquarium, the largest aquarium in the world -
2008 | The Marcus Institute becomes a subsidiary of CHOA and becomes the Marcus Autism Center
Project SHARE initiative at Shepherd Center begins - 2009 | Marcus Nanotechnology Research Center opens on campus of Georgia Institute of Technology
- 2010 | Marcus Stroke and Neuroscience Center opens at Grady Memorial Hospital
2010s
- 2012 | Bernie is the recipient of the William E. Simon Prize for Philanthropic Leadership
- 2014 | Marcus Neuroscience Institute at Boca Raton Regional Hospital opens
- 2015 | The Marcus Center for Therapeutic Cell Characterization and Manufacturing grant given to Georgia Institute of Technology
-
2016 | Marcus Heart and Vascular Center established at Piedmont Hospital
Major transformation of Hillel is launched - 2017 | Marcus Institute of Integrative Health established at Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health
- 2017 | Establishment of the Marcus Institute for Brain Health at University of Colorado’s Anschutz Health and Wellness Center
- 2018 | Marcus Stroke Network partners Grady Health System, American Heart Association, and Emory University; region’s first Mobile Stroke Unit introduced
-
2019 | The country’s first academic department of integrative medicine and nutritional sciences is established at Thomas Jefferson University
The Avalon Fund is announced to create a network of 20 sites to serve veterans with TBI and post-traumatic stress disorder
Celebration of the 40th Anniversary of The Home Depot
2010s
2020s
- 2020 | RootOne is established to take Jewish teenagers to Israel
- 2022 | Kick Up Some Dust is published
- 2022 | Israel's Magen David Adom opens the world's first underground blood processing and storage facility, the Marcus National Blood Center
- 2023 | Mission Roll Call, a non-partisan veterans advocacy group, is established
-
2024 | Marcus Foundation giving in support of veteran causes reaches $250 million, making Bernie one of the largest veteran philanthropists
RootOne reaches milestone of taking 15,000 teens from across 48 states to Israel
Grady’s Marcus Stroke Center embarks on a game-changing clinical trial to address hemorrhagic (bleeding) strokes, representing the single largest philanthropic award for research made for fatal stroke intervention.