The Matt & Mari Fund · 100% of Proceeds, Always
Giving Back
Every book sold is a donation. For Mari and me, the causes we care about most center on animal welfare and the natural world — and every dollar from every novel goes straight to the organizations doing that work.
The Matt & Mari Fund
Everyone has causes that matter deeply to them. For Mari and me, those causes center on animal welfare and the protection of the natural world
Mari and I have been fortunate throughout our lives, and we've always believed that good fortune is meant to be shared. Supporting organizations dedicated to animal welfare and conservation is one way we hope to make a small but lasting difference. Writing novels has become one of the great joys of my life. Knowing that each book also helps support organizations making an extraordinary difference for animals makes that journey even more meaningful.
Nearly twenty years ago we set up the Matt & Mari Fund at the San Diego Foundation. Along with direct charitable giving, it has allowed us to support a number of organizations that we believe do genuinely important work and make a real difference in the lives of animals — both the ones in our homes and the ones in the wild.
One hundred percent of the pre-tax proceeds from the sale of my novels are donated to one or more of the organizations on this page. Every dollar of pre-tax proceeds from The Painter of Time, Spirit of the Fox, The House on Tyner, and The Park is donated to support these organizations.
We've been personally involved with each of these groups, and we genuinely believe in the work they do.
Who We Support
Animal Welfare Legislation · National & International
Humane World for Animals
It's easy to want to protect dogs and cats — they're cuddly, and people connect with them instantly. But by sheer numbers, the animals that need the most protection are the ones raised for food.
Formerly known as The Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International, Humane World for Animals works largely through legislation, and operates at a scale most organizations can't match. Since 1954, they’ve helped pass thousands of landmark laws, rescued hundreds of thousands of animals, and cared for and protected millions more.
The thing that impresses Mari and I the most about this organization is that they tackle the root causes of animal cruelty and suffering.
Domestic Animal Welfare ·
Mara Elephant Project
The Mara Elephant Project works to protect one of Africa's most iconic species through a combination of science, technology, education, and boots-on-the-ground conservation. Based in Kenya's Maasai Mara ecosystem, the organization partners with local communities, wildlife authorities, and conservationists to reduce poaching, prevent human-elephant conflict, and safeguard the habitat that elephants depend upon.
While elephant poaching has declined significantly over the past decade, thousands of African elephants are still killed each year for their ivory. The Mara Elephant Project has demonstrated that dedicated conservation efforts can make a measurable difference. Through rapid-response ranger teams, aerial surveillance, elephant monitoring, and community engagement, they are helping ensure that future generations will continue to share the landscape with these remarkable animals.
We support the Mara Elephant Project because of its practical, science-based approach to conservation and its commitment to protecting both elephants and the communities that live alongside them.
Domestic Animal Welfare · San Diego, CA
The San Diego Humane Society
One of the most progressive, well-run humane societies anywhere. SDHS focuses primarily on domestic pets, but through its partnership with Project Wildlife it also helps rehabilitate injured wildlife. It also runs the largest kitten nursery in the country.
Mari and I have both volunteered our time to this amazing organization and are proud to support it.
Land & Water Conservation · Global, with a Focus on the Sierra Nevada
The Nature Conservancy
TNC brings a science-based, solutions-oriented approach to environmental challenges most organizations shy away from — from managing scarce water resources sustainably to reducing the risk and impact of catastrophic wildfire. Over decades, it's built a track record of finding win-wins for both people and nature.
For Mari and me, protecting the Sierra Nevada from catastrophic wildfire is critically important — having lived near Lake Tahoe, it's a landscape we know and love. But TNC's reach extends well beyond the Sierras, protecting habitats and wildlife from the Amazon to Africa.
Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation · Nairobi, Kenya
The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust
Although elephant poaching has declined significantly from its peak a decade ago, an estimated 20,000 African elephants are still killed illegally each year for their ivory—roughly one every half hour. Almost always, this poaching leaves behind an orphaned calf. Without intervention, these calves rarely survive on their own. The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, based in Nairobi, rescues these orphans and raises them at its facility, providing the nourishment a mother elephant would have given.
Mari and I have visited the Trust ourselves and seen the work firsthand — the calves play with staff and volunteers, looking for all the world like they're smiling. The Trust also works to reintroduce young adult elephants back into the wild, ideally with the herd they originally came from. It's an extraordinary organization, and one we're proud to support.
