Gene and Marlene Epstein: Opening Doors for Generations Through Education, Compassion, and Action

When philanthropists Gene and Marlene Epstein talk about giving, they do not start with the size of a gift or the recognition attached to it. They start with the question that Gene’s  grandmother always asked and has guided decades of their generosity:

“When you have enough to pay your bills and put food on the table, you must do everything you can to help those less fortunate.”

This philosophy is now shaping one of the most ambitious scholarship programs in Bucks County history.

Through a new multi-year commitment, the Epstein’s have established the Epstein Scholarship Fund, pledging $100,000 a year for 10 years to support 100 scholarships annually at Bucks County Community College. The scholarships are focused on students who may not otherwise envision college as part of their future: students who doubt they belong on a college campus, or who are one financial setback away from saying, “Maybe later,” and never pursuing their dream of higher education.

Gene’s goal is simple:

“I hope these students get an education and better their lives. If that happens, the next generation will be better off too. And that’s how change sticks.”

For Bucks County Community College, the impact is transformative; not only because of the size and scale of the $1 million commitment over the next decade, but because of what it signals.

“This is more than generosity—it’s community leadership. An investment in Bucks County Community College is an investment in the broader community. Gene and Marlene are demonstrating what is possible when people partner with the College to provide access to education. The Epstein Scholarship Fund helps local residents pursue education that improves their lives and strengthens Bucks County.”

-Dr. Patrick M. Jones, President and CEO, Bucks County Community College

The Epsteins do not see the scholarship fund as charity. They see it as investment in potential, one that will ripple forward for decades.

A Lifetime Rooted in the Practice of Helping

Gene’s belief in giving back began long before business success, community leadership, or recognition. It began behind the counter of a small candy store in North Philadelphia.

His grandparents, Rose and Max Lipshutz, owned Maxwell Cut Rate, the only Jewish-owned shop in a predominantly Catholic neighborhood. The store sold candy, aspirin, and a handful of household staples. Across the street stood the Church of the Incarnation, where many parishioners struggled to afford even basic food and medicine.

Despite enduring vandalism, including swastikas painted on the storefront, Gene’s grandparents donated to the church regularly. One day, when he was still young, his grandmother explained why:

“When you have enough to get by, everything beyond that should go toward helping someone else.”

That message became part of Gene’s identity.

“It’s in my genes,” he says with a laugh. “Not ‘jeans’ — ‘genes’! My parents and grandparents lived that way. It’s just how we were taught to move through the world.”

Giving With Purpose, Not Just Generosity

The Epsteins’ history of giving spans decades, but it follows a consistent framework:

• Identify a barrier that keeps people from stability or opportunity.
• Create a practical solution, not a temporary fix.
• Require accountability, follow-through, and measurable impact.

If an organization cannot demonstrate effectiveness, transparency, or efficiency, Gene walks away.

“We first look at the end goal,” he explains. “Then we ask: How efficient is the organization? How well is the money being used? And most importantly: what results can actually be seen?”

The results of that approach are evident throughout the region.

Project HOME

The Epsteins’ involvement with Project HOME spans back to the late 1980s when Gene, Marlene, along with their son and daughter, distributed coats, boots, mittens, and socks in Center City Philadelphia with Gene dressed as Santa Claus.

Since then, the Epsteins have supported numerous Project HOME initiatives:

• Affordable housing projects, including the Ruth Williams House at the Gene & Marlene Epstein Building, an 80-unit residential building offering stability, community, and support.
• Drug treatment and recovery services including the Epstein Street Medicine Program, a mobile health initiative for those unsheltered primarily in Kensington
• Job readiness and workforce programs

“It’s not about handing someone something and walking away,” Gene says. “It’s about helping them rebuild a life.”

Wheelz 2 Work

The Epsteins’ focus on practical, life-changing solutions is perhaps best illustrated by one of Gene’s earliest initiatives — Wheelz 2 Work.

Created in partnership with the Bucks County Opportunity Council, the program addressed a simple truth —  without reliable transportation, people can’t work, even if jobs are available.

Gene not only designed the program, he also built momentum behind it. He donated the first car, the 50th, the 100th, and even the 500th vehicle, a Jaguar. To encourage car donations, Gene offered the public an additional $1,000 on top of the standard tax deduction if they donated a reliable vehicle. The response was overwhelming. 

To date, the program has distributed well over 500 cars to individuals and families who needed transportation to secure employment and stability.

When Bucks entered the initiative into a national competition sponsored by Walmart founder Sam Walton and Students in Free Enterprise (now Enactus), Wheelz 2 Work won first place out of 90 colleges and universities nationwide.

“It proved what we already believed,” Gene says. “If you remove barriers, people succeed.”

Early Scholarship Support at Bucks

Long before the 1,000-scholarship initiative, the Epsteins were already investing in Bucks students.

Beginning in 2007, the Gene and Marlene established the Bridges to Higher Education Scholarships which helped Bucks students access college and stay enrolled. Later, the Epsteins supported a series of 100 scholarships of $1,000 each for students in Lower Bucks County, ensuring more students could remain enrolled without financial strain.

Many of these recipients were:

• First-generation college students
• Working parents
• Adults retraining for new careers
• Students returning after setbacks

“The biggest challenges are rarely academic,” Marlene notes. “They’re financial, logistical, or emotional.” 

The new scholarship fund continues that legacy, with scale.

It’s also worth noting that the College’s Lower Bucks Campus, which opened in 2006 in Bristol Township, was renamed the Gene and Marlene Epstein Campus at Lower Bucks in 2016 to commemorate a generous donation from the Epstein Humanitarian Fund. After the campus expanded with the construction of the Center for Advanced Technologies in 2022, a new sign was unveiled in 2025 bearing the Epstein’s names.

The Epstein Scholarship Fund: A Vision for Generational Change

Beginning in 2025, the Epstein Scholarship Fund will:

• Support 100 students each year.
• Prioritize those who may never have pursued college otherwise.
• Focus on closing financial gaps that prevent enrollment or persistence.

Gene sees Bucks County Community College, not a four-year university, as the strategic point of access.

“Technical education, workforce programs, robotics, advanced manufacturing, AI – this is what the future needs,” he says. “And Bucks is uniquely positioned to offer that. If we can get students to take the first step, the rest is possible.”

“This gift is a catalyst—it expands access, raises expectations, and makes the dream of education real for students who may have never pictured themselves here.”

 -Karen O’Donnell, Vice President for Advancement and Alumni Relations

Encouraging Others to Give

While some donors prefer privacy, the Epsteins believe visibility is essential in order to normalize giving, to lead by example, and most importantly, to inspire others.

Gene learned this lesson from Donald W. Griffin, an influential Princeton alumnus and philanthropist, who told him, “You have to expose yourself if you want others to join you.”

Gene took that advice to heart. At one nonprofit, when donations were matched under the banner of the Gene and Marlene Epstein Humanitarian Fund, giving increased by 18–26%.

Anonymity, he argues, may feel polite, but it doesn’t multiply impact.

“When people see others giving — not just writing a check, but thinking big — it activates something,” Gene says. “It says: that could be me.”

How the Epsteins Measure Impact

For Gene and Marlene, giving is only meaningful if it creates lasting change:

• It must solve a real barrier.
• It must be efficient.
• It must produce measurable progress.

If an organization cannot answer questions, demonstrate outcomes, or remain accountable, Gene redirects his support elsewhere.

“People assume everything in nonprofits is running efficiently,” he says. “But many aren’t. Asking questions isn’t being difficult — it’s being responsible.”

At Bucks, those expectations have accelerated systems modernization, including reporting, stewardship, and accountability measures.

A Gift with a Message: Follow Us

More than anything, the Epsteins hope their gift creates momentum.

“I want people to look at this and say: maybe I can help too,” Gene says. “Maybe not at this scale, but maybe one scholarship. Maybe mentoring. Maybe something else entirely. There are a thousand ways to help.”

Every month, the Epsteins receive handwritten letters from people who have been inspired to give because of them.

“That,” Marlene says simply, “is the reward.”

The Future Starts Here

With the Epstein Scholarship Fund, a thousand Bucks County residents, many of whom never believed college was a possibility, will now get their chance.

Some will start careers in high-demand fields.

Some will transfer to four-year institutions.

Some will use college to rewrite the trajectory of their lives, and that of their families.

All of them will benefit from one couple’s belief that opportunity should not depend on circumstance, and education should never be out of reach.

“We can’t walk past someone who needs help if we’re able to give it.”

-Gene Epstein

To learn more about the Epstein Scholarship Fund or to support scholarships at Bucks County Community College, please contact the Bucks County Community College Foundation at foundation@bucks.edu or 215-968-8224.

About Bucks County Community College
Founded in 1964, Bucks County Community College is a two-year, public institution offering more than 90 programs of study that lead to either an associate degree or certificate, as well as many workforce training programs on campus, on site, or online. Successful graduates directly launch a career or transfer to four-year colleges and universities to complete a bachelor’s degree, depending on the major. Classes are offered on campus in Newtown, Bristol, and Perkasie, and worldwide through Bucks Online. To learn more, visit bucks.edu.