Arc Research Institute concentrates its giving on major Bay Area research universities, providing substantial support for biomedical translational research, endowed faculty positions, and investigator career development awards. Grants are programmatic and targeted—often to named professorships or award cohorts—rather than broad community philanthropy, signaling a focus on accelerating university-based scientific discovery and strengthening academic research capacity.
Arc Research Institute’s grantmaking is defined by large, programmatic support for Bay Area university research, especially translational cancer biology and investigator development. Two $4 million grants to the University of California San Francisco funded the Goldberg-Benioff Endowed Professorship in Prostate Cancer Translational Biology in 2025 and 2024, showing a repeated commitment to that research area. Stanford University is another major recipient, with grants for University Fellowships and Innovation Investigator support, alongside Ignite Award cohorts for named researchers. The foundation also funds University of California Berkeley, including innovation awards and instructional support. Across these recent grants, the pattern is clear: Arc Research Institute backs academic researchers, faculty positions, and university-based discovery efforts rather than broad general operating support. Its giving concentrates on major California research institutions and on mechanisms that help scientists pursue translational work, early-stage ideas, and faculty capacity.
In translational cancer biology, Arc Research Institute gave $4 million to University of California San Francisco for the Goldberg-Benioff Endowed Professorship in Prostate Cancer Translational Biology in both 2025 and 2024. For academic research talent development, it supported Stanford University with $3,794,924 in 2025 and $3,482,720 in 2024 for University Fellowships. The foundation also funds early-stage scientific innovation: Stanford received $1,330,409 in 2025 for Innovation Investigator, while University of California San Francisco received $1,265,000 in 2025 for the same purpose. At Berkeley, the foundation combined research support with instructional capacity, including $157,500 in 2025 to cover the cost of a UCB instructor not teaching classes.
Arc Research Institute’s typical grants are large: the 25th percentile is $465,000, the median is $679,500, and the 75th percentile is $2,816,790. The recent record shows repeated grants to the same universities across multiple years, including University of California San Francisco, Stanford University, and University of California Berkeley. Its structure is that of a public charity, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. The grants are targeted to named university programs, professorships, fellowships, and award cohorts rather than broad solicitations.
$11.3M
$184.4M
$122.3M
$82.8M
Most grants fall between $465K and $2.8M, with a median of $680K.
25th Percentile
$465K
Median
$680K
75th Percentile
$2.8M
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Highly concentrated, large-value grants to a small set of repeat grantees (primarily Stanford, UCSF, UC Berkeley); multi-grant relationships and program-specific gifts dominate over small or geographically dispersed giving.
Notable grantees: Stanford University, University of California, San Francisco, University of California, Berkeley
Grantmaking is fully concentrated in California, with 100% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state. The largest share of recent awards went to San Francisco, Stanford, and Berkeley. Recipient institutions in the recent list include University of California San Francisco in San Francisco, Stanford University in Stanford, and University of California Berkeley in Berkeley. No non-US recipient countries appear in the grant data.
The foundation funds endowed professorships, fellowships, innovation investigator awards, Ignite Awards, and instructional support. Recent examples include a $4 million endowed professorship in prostate cancer translational biology at University of California San Francisco, Stanford University fellowships, and support to cover a University of California Berkeley instructor not teaching classes.
The record points to translational biomedical research, with a specific emphasis on prostate cancer translational biology. It also includes academic innovation and investigator development, plus research commercialization or innovation acceleration through Innovation Investigator and Ignite Award support.
Its grants are substantial. The typical grant size sits at $465,000 at the 25th percentile, $679,500 at the median, and $2,816,790 at the 75th percentile. Recent awards also include multiple grants in the multimillion-dollar range.
No. The recipient country distribution is 100% US, and 100% of grants go to recipients in California. Recent recipients are all California institutions, including University of California San Francisco, Stanford University, and University of California Berkeley.
It does not fund individuals directly. The grants in the record go to universities and university-based programs, including fellowships, professorships, and investigator awards housed at University of California San Francisco, Stanford University, and University of California Berkeley.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of California San Francisco | San Francisco, CA | $4,000,000 | 2025 | Goldberg-Benioff Endowed Professorship in Prostate Cancer Translational Biology |
| Stanford University | Stanford, CA | $3,794,924 | 2025 | University Fellowships |
| Stanford University | Stanford, CA | $1,330,409 | 2025 | Innovation Investigator |
| University of California San Francisco | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $1,265,000 | 2025 | Innovation Investigator |
| UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY | BERKELEY, CA | $605,000 | 2025 | Innovation Investigator |
| UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY | BERKELEY, CA | $157,500 | 2025 | Funds to cover the cost of a UCB instructor not teaching classes |
| University of California San Francisco | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $110,000 | 2025 | Ignite awards |
| University of California San Francisco | San Francisco, CA | $4,000,000 | 2024 | Goldberg-Benioff Endowed Professorship in Prostate Cancer Translational Biology |
| Stanford University | Stanford, CA | $3,482,720 | 2024 | University Fellowships |
| Stanford University | Stanford, CA | $540,000 | 2024 | Ignite Award Recipients Katrin Andreasson, Michael Fischbach, Calvin Kuo, Xiaojie Qiu, Julia Salzman |
| University of California San Francisco | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $440,000 | 2024 | Ignite Awards to Fattahi, Kampmann, Pollen, Yang |
| UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY | BERKELEY, CA | $110,000 | 2024 | Ignite Award to Robert Saxton |
| Stanford University | Stanford, CA | $819,000 | 2023 | University Fellowships |
University of California San Francisco
$4,000,000Goldberg-Benioff Endowed Professorship in Prostate Cancer Translational Biology
University of California San Francisco
$1,265,000Innovation Investigator
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY
$605,000Innovation Investigator
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY
$157,500Funds to cover the cost of a UCB instructor not teaching classes
University of California San Francisco
$110,000Ignite awards
University of California San Francisco
$4,000,000Goldberg-Benioff Endowed Professorship in Prostate Cancer Translational Biology
Ignite Award Recipients Katrin Andreasson, Michael Fischbach, Calvin Kuo, Xiaojie Qiu, Julia Salzman
University of California San Francisco
$440,000Ignite Awards to Fattahi, Kampmann, Pollen, Yang
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY
$110,000Ignite Award to Robert Saxton