Introducing the Marcella Foundation: Giving Back to the Community of South Lake Tahoe

Welcome to the Marcella Foundation, we’re glad you’re here!

The Marcella Foundation is a private nonprofit dedicated to improving the community of South Lake Tahoe through innovative programs in education, kids and family, arts, and economic development. Founded by Tahoe native, Sean Fannan, we value great people and ideas that confront the root causes of issues.

We believe that big ideas can come from all corners of the community and will evaluate new projects based on their potential and momentum. We are open to projects of any size and are interested in programs that move the needle in significant ways. Our involvement in projects can vary based on their size and scope. 

Our inaugural grantmaking process will open later this year with awards ranging from $5,000 to $50,000. We will prioritize projects that have the potential to immediately make a big difference or eventually scale to do so. Our areas of interest include K-12 education, foster care, low-income families, arts education, economic development, and workplace development.

Our plan is to establish informal advisory groups for each area of interest to better understand the specific needs of the community. We also offer scholarships to top ranking South Tahoe high school seniors through the Fannan Fellowship. 

In addition, we work directly in the community to accelerate new ideas through the Accelerator Program. The first program in this portfolio is BookMode, which we hope to grow into a main function of the Foundation or transition it into its own with funding.

At the heart of all we do, we want to invest in great ideas and the people that power them, ultimately making South Lake Tahoe an incredible place to live for the people that call it home.

Please subscribe to our email list to stay up to date on opportunities as they arise!