Steve Marken, Esq.

Vice President
Foundation for Christian Stewardship

Steve is currently the Vice President of the Foundation for Christian Stewardship (FCS), which is the Southern California affiliate of the National Christian Foundation, the 22nd largest charity in the United States. Prior to joining FCS, Steve served as the Director of Gift Planning at the Orange County Community Foundation. During his tenure, more than $120 million in gifts were facilitated for charity while OCCF assets more than doubled from $51 million in 2004 to over $120 million in 2008. It was further estimated that during this same period, more than $40 million in deferred gifts were identified and put into place for the benefit of local non-profit organizations.

Steve is a licensed attorney who practiced law for seven years with an established firm in Orange County. He then left the practice of law and went to work at the corporate offices of Pacific Life and ING Advisors as an advanced markets consultant, training and assisting some of the top financial advisors throughout the Country with the conceptualization and implementation of sophisticated financial and estate plans. Prior to entering into the community foundation field, Steve also helped to successfully establish and implement a planned giving program for a local hospital.

Steve earned his Bachelors degree from Arizona State University and his Juris Doctorate degree from Southwestern University School of Law in Los Angeles, California.

Steve is recognized by the American Institute of Philanthropic Studies as a Certified Specialist in Planned Giving and previously held NASD Series 7 (General Securities) and NASD Series 66 (Registered Investment Advisor) registrations. He is a current board member of Kingdom Advisors and former Board member of Orange County’s Partnership for Philanthropic Planning. Steve is actively involved in a number of professional associations including the Orange Coast Estate Planning Council; the Trust and Estate as well as the Elder Law sections of the Orange County Bar Association; the South Orange County Estate Planning Council; and the Financial Planning Association of Orange County. Steve and his wife Valerie spend much of their “free” time investing in the lives of their children, ages 10, 8 and 5.