A Note from Liz Warner, Executive Director
Dear Friends of West Marin Fund,
Thank you for making my first month at West Marin Fund such a joy! Everyone I’ve met has been so warm and welcoming. I’ve received a true West Marin welcome, rooted in a community that embraces its own.
One of the very first meetings I attended was the celebration of the new housing community at 6th and B Streets in Point Reyes Station where families displaced by ranch closures are now receiving keys to their new homes. The speakers brought to light the herculean task of rehoming more than 120 people (40+ families) in barely over a year.
What struck me most was the depth of the public, private, and philanthropic partnerships behind this achievement — including Marin County leaders, West Marin Fund, the Community Land Trust Association of West Marin (CLAM), Marin Community Foundation, West Marin Community Services, and countless donors and community members — and how the community rallied together to ensure its neighbors were safe and housed.
Moments like these affirm for me the power of collaboration in solving our region’s challenges, and how excited I am to be part of West Marin Fund to further those efforts. I look forward to getting to know each of you in the months ahead.
With gratitude,
Community Enrichment Grants Are Open
Do you have an idea for strengthening the social fabric and cultural richness of West Marin?
Our Community Enrichment grants of $2,000 to $4,000 support community events and one-time activities that enhance the lives of the people who live, work, and visit here — from cultural celebrations to projects that preserve treasured community assets.
* Applications are due August 31 to be considered for October grant awards. *
2026 Collaborative Impact Grant Awards
We’re pleased to announce $600,000 in new Collaborative Impact grants — four awards of $150,000 each, over two years — supporting nonprofit-led collaborations working to close service gaps across the region:
- West Marin Community Services, with partners across Bolinas, Tomales, and the Shoreline and Bolinas-Stinson school districts, will expand access to safety-net services in northern and southern areas of the West Marin region through bilingual resource navigators and stronger coordinated referrals.
- Bolinas Community Land Trust, with community partners in Bolinas, Stinson Beach, Point Reyes Station, and the San Geronimo Valley, will create a coordinated, community-informed framework to improve the accessibility and long-term delivery of social services on the southern coast.
- Marin Healthy Youth Partnerships, co-led with the West Marin Coalition for Healthy Youth and a network of schools and community organizations, will reduce youth substance use through effective prevention and intervention efforts.
- Bolinas Museum, in partnership with the Dance Palace, KWMR, and the Bolinas Film Festival, will document and share the diverse oral histories of West Marin residents through interviews, multimedia storytelling, and a public archive.
These grants are made possible with the generous support of the County of Marin, Marin Community Foundation, the Sarlo Family Foundation, and West Marin Fund.
West Marin Fund in the News
Check out these recent articles and op-eds in the Point Reyes Light covering West Marin Fund’s work:
- Neighbors for Neighbors: A response to displacement — An op-ed from the Fund’s Loretta Murphy and Daniel DelMonte on our bridge housing initiative with West Marin Community Services, which matches displaced families with local hosts. Read Article
- Strengthening economic vitality in West Marin — Director of Programs and Impact, Valeria Brabata, on how the community is building economic resilience in the wake of ranch closures. Read Article
- Childcare in West Marin a struggle — A look at the region’s infant and toddler care gap, drawing on new research and featuring Valeria’s perspective on what it will take to support early childhood providers. Read Article
- Collaborations get funding — Coverage of our third round of Collaborative Impact grants, awarding $600,000 to four nonprofit-led partnerships. Read Article
- New director hired for the West Marin Fund — An introduction to Liz Warner and her path to West Marin. Read Article
- Point Reyes tiny homes open doors — A celebration of the completion of a tiny home community at 6th and B Streets in Point Reyes Station, with funding support from West Marin Fund. Read Article
Thank you to the Point Reyes Light for this great coverage. Local journalism keeps our community informed and connected. We encourage you to read and support the Point Reyes Light.
Western Weekend
A Celebration of Community
Hundreds of people came out to Point Reyes Station for this year’s Western Weekend to celebrate West Marin’s community and culture. West Marin Fund was a proud sponsor of the event, and we enjoyed seeing so many neighbors at our table. Thank you to everyone who stopped by to say hello!
Grantee Spotlight
“Great Kids Cook-Off” Lifts Up Award-Winning Young Chefs
Kids Cooking for Life brings hands-on cooking classes and nutrition education to children in West Marin. Through a series of small grants over the years, West Marin Fund has helped the organization strengthen their presence here, expanding enrichment opportunities where there are few programs available for children and youth.
One of the many exciting opportunities Kids Cooking for Life creates is the annual Great Kids Cook-Off, where young chefs from across West Marin, San Francisco, and the East Bay come together to showcase their creativity, teamwork, and culinary skills.
This year, we’re especially thrilled to congratulate the young chefs from West Marin, who won the Larkspur cook-off! Competing before a panel of professional chefs, the team transformed mystery box ingredients into creative, nutritious dishes, impressing the judges with talent.
“Seeing a West Marin team take top honors in Larkspur was especially meaningful and reinforces the importance of continuing to invest in and support youth in that community,” said Lara Rajninger, executive director of Kids Cooking for Life.
We couldn’t agree more. Congratulations to these outstanding young chefs, and heartfelt thanks to Kids Cooking for Life for inspiring healthy habits, building confidence, and creating opportunities for youth across West Marin.
A Model for Youth in Philanthropy
This spring, students across West Marin schools once again took the lead in deciding where to allocate grant dollars through our Giving Through Youth program. The program aims to increase students’ knowledge of the nonprofit sector and philanthropy, laying a foundation for future volunteerism and giving back to their communities. Two classrooms participated, one at West Marin School and one at Nicasio school, with students awarding $4,000 to 3 nonprofits.
Now in its 11th year, Giving Through Youth has been partnering with another nonprofit, The Giving Square, that supports similar efforts to cultivate philanthropy in children, with programs in Maryland, Virginia, and Missouri. The two organizations have collaborated on a joint 3rd grade curriculum that featured West Marin nonprofits and community issues and are exploring an updated curriculum for middle school students that aims to put greater emphasis on empathy, civic engagement, and empowering students to become engaged, compassionate leaders.
We’re excited to see how our continued collaboration with The Giving Square can strengthen this important program, making it easier for teachers to implement, expanding participation, and supporting the long-term goal of sharing the model with schools and community foundations nationwide.
Join the West Marin Collaborative
One of our newest initiatives, the West Marin Collaborative, brings together the many people and organizations serving our region for learning, sharing and creative problem solving. Participants are finding ways to work together across issues, across purposes, and across communities. Participants also help guide our Collaborative Impact grants, playing an active role in shaping how resources flow to community-identified needs.
Did you know: you don’t have to represent an organization to take part! The Collaborative is open to anyone who cares about West Marin and wants to be part of strengthening it. The group meets online on the fourth Wednesday of every month from 9:30 to 11 a.m., and newcomers are always welcome.
To receive the newsletter or join the Collaborative meetings subscribe online or send us an email. We’d love to have you at the table!
Leadership Transition Update
As West Marin Fund moves through this current leadership transition, we continue to focus on strengthening organizational systems, clarifying priorities, and supporting effective collaboration. We remain dedicated to providing the level of funding support appropriate to this stage of our organizational capacity. We expect to have a new executive director identified by June of 2026 and look forward to introducing them to the community later this year alongside a new organizational brand refresh!
Spring is a season for growth and connection in West Marin, and we look forward to sharing it with you. We hope to see you at upcoming events and encourage you to reach out at info@westmarinfund.org with any questions or to learn more about how you can support our community.
