The Gerson Bakar Foundation concentrates large, strategic gifts in the San Francisco Bay Area with a strong emphasis on biomedical and university-affiliated research, civic cultural institutions, and Jewish community services. Its giving profile mixes very large institutional endowments to universities and medical centers with targeted local support for hospitals, food security, museums, science education, and Jewish social-service organizations. The foundation appears to favor repeat, multi-grant relationships with anchor institutions while also making smaller, mission-aligned gifts to local nonprofits and cultural partners.
A defining feature of the Gerson Bakar Foundation is its scale of support for research institutions in the Bay Area, especially the University of California system. Two of its largest recent grants went to Ucb Foundation for general support: $205,273,658 in 2023 and $118,601,611 in 2024. The foundation also backed Ucsf Foundation with $97,505,000 in 2024 and $96,520,000 in 2025, again for general support. Those commitments show a pattern of very large institutional funding rather than narrow project-by-project awards. Alongside higher-education and medical research gifts, the foundation supports Jewish communal organizations, hospitals, food access, and science and cultural institutions. Recent recipients include Jewish Family & Children Services, San Francisco General Hospital Foundation, San Francisco Food Bank, and California Academy of Sciences. The giving profile suggests a mix of anchor institution support and targeted local philanthropy, with repeated grants to the same organizations over multiple years. The foundation’s leadership is listed as Barbara Bass Bakar, and its grantmaking includes program-related investments.
University and biomedical research are central to the foundation’s work. It gave $12,402,000 in 2023 to Bakar Bioenginuity Hub for general support, and the much larger awards to Ucb Foundation and Ucsf Foundation indicate sustained backing for research-linked institutions. The foundation also funds Jewish communal services: Jewish Family & Children Services received $10,322,000 in 2023, $6,850,000 in 2024, and $5,554,000 in 2025, all for general support. Local health care is another clear area, with $5,000,000 in 2024 and $5,000,000 in 2025 to San Francisco General Hospital Foundation. Cultural and science education support appears as well, including $2,500,000 to California Academy of Sciences in 2025 and $300,000 to The Exploratorium in 2023.
Typical grants range from $1,000 at the 25th percentile to $7,500 at the median, with $300,000 at the 75th percentile. The recent record also shows repeated awards to the same organizations across multiple years, including Ucb Foundation, Ucsf Foundation, Smith College, Jewish Family & Children Services, San Francisco General Hospital Foundation, California Academy of Sciences, and American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee Inc. The foundation is a regular funder and also makes program-related investments. The grants shown are overwhelmingly general support, which points to flexible institutional funding rather than narrowly earmarked project grants.
$169.4M
$2.5B
$198.3M
$184.1M
Most grants fall between $1K and $300K, with a median of $8K.
25th Percentile
$1K
Median
$8K
75th Percentile
$300K
About 67% of grants go to recipients in CA.
BARBARA BASS BAKAR
CHAIR/PRESIDENT/DIRECTOR
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Concentrated, high-dollar giving concentrated in a few flagship grantees (large multi-grant commitments to universities and medical centers) combined with recurring mid-size and small grants to local cultural, Jewish, and social-service organizations. Frequent repeat grantees and a clear geographic bias toward San Francisco/Bay Area institutions.
Notable grantees: UCB Foundation, UCSF Foundation, Jewish Family & Children Services (San Francisco), San Francisco Food Bank, California Academy of Sciences
Grantmaking is concentrated in California: 67% of grants go to recipients in the foundation’s headquarters state. Berkeley and San Francisco account for the largest clusters in the recent grants list, with additional support reaching New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Florida. The recipient country distribution is entirely U.S.-based, at 114 grants and 100.0%. Named recipient cities include Berkeley, San Francisco, New York, Northampton, Newport, and Coral Gables.
The recent grants show support for universities and biomedical research, Jewish communal services, hospitals, food security, and science and cultural institutions. Examples include Ucb Foundation, Ucsf Foundation, Jewish Family & Children Services, San Francisco General Hospital Foundation, San Francisco Food Bank, California Academy of Sciences, and The Exploratorium.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including Ucb Foundation in 2023 and 2024, Ucsf Foundation in 2023, 2024, and 2025, Jewish Family & Children Services in 2023 through 2025, and San Francisco General Hospital Foundation in 2024 and 2025.
The grant-size distribution is $1,000 at the 25th percentile, $7,500 at the median, and $300,000 at the 75th percentile. The recent grants list also includes much larger institutional awards, especially to major university and medical entities.
California is the main recipient state, with 67% of grants going to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities in the recent grants list are Berkeley and San Francisco.
The grants shown are overwhelmingly listed as general support, which suggests flexible operating-style funding. The foundation is also classified as a regular funder and makes program-related investments.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UCSF FOUNDATION | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $96,520,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| UCB FOUNDATION | BERKELEY, CA | $37,043,334 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SMITH COLLEGE | NORTHHAMPTON, MA | $10,000,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ADDISON LABS FOUNDATION | SAN FRANCISCO, NY | $7,841,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| JEWISH FAMILY & CHILDREN SERVICES | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $5,554,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SAN FRANCISCO GENERAL HOSPITAL FOUNDATION | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $5,000,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $2,500,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BAPTIST HEALTH FOUNDATION | CORAL GABLES, FL | $2,000,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SAN FRANCISCO FOOD BANK | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $1,000,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| AMERICAN JEWISH JOINT DISTRIBUTION COMMITTEE INC | NEW YORK, NY | $1,000,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| EXPLORATORIUM | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $300,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER OF SAN FRANCISCO | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $250,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| JEWISH COMMUNITY FEDERATION OF SAN FRANCISCO | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $200,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| EPA CENTER | EAST PALO ALTO, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SAN FRANCISCO MUSEUM OF MODERN ART | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THAT MAN MAY SEE | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PEF ISRAEL ENDOWMENT FUNDS | NEW YORK, NY | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SHALOM HARTMAN INSTITUTE OF NORTH AMERICA | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| STANFORD HEALTH CARE | REDWOOD CITY, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SEFARIA | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| COLLEGE TRACK | OAKLAND, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| OSHMAN FAMILY JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER | PALO ALTO, CA | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE WASHINGTON INSTITUTE | WASHINGTON DC, WA | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| TOGETHER WE RISE CORPORATION | BREA, CA | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ORDER OF MALTA CLINIC OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA | OAKLAND, CA | $2,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CHILDREN INC | NORTH CHESTERFIELD, VA | $2,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| GALLERIA STUDIO 24 | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $2,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| J-SEI | EMERYVILLE, CA | $250 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| EAST BAY SPCA | OAKLAND, CA | $250 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| JAPANESE AMERICAN NATIONAL MUSEUM | LOS ANGELES, CA | $250 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| DENSHO | SEATTLE, WA | $250 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| TOPAZ MUSEUM | DELTA, UT | $250 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BAYSHORE PTO | DALY CITY, CA | $90 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| UCB FOUNDATION | BERKELEY, CA | $118,601,611 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| UCSF FOUNDATION | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $97,505,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NAVAL WAR COLLEGE | NEWPORT, RI | $10,500,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SMITH COLLEGE | NORTHHAMPTON, MA | $10,000,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| JEWISH FAMILY & CHILDREN SERVICES | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $6,850,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SAN FRANCISCO GENERAL HOSPITAL FOUNDATION | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $5,000,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $2,500,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| JEWISH COMMUNITY FEDERATION OF SAN FRANCISCO | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $1,200,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SAN FRANCISCO FOOD BANK | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $1,000,500 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| AMERICAN JEWISH JOINT DISTRIBUTION COMMITTEE INC | NEW YORK, NY | $1,000,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ADDISON LABS FOUNDATION | SAN FRANCISCO, NY | $475,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE EXPLORATORIUM | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $300,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER OF SAN FRANCISCO | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $250,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THAT MAN MAY SEE | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| STANFORD UNIVERSITY | STANFORD, CA | $30,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SAN FRANCISCO MUSEUM OF MODERN ART | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $25,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| HOPEWELL FUND | WASHINGTON, DC | $24,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
UCSF FOUNDATION
$96,520,000GENERAL SUPPORT
UCB FOUNDATION
$37,043,334GENERAL SUPPORT
SMITH COLLEGE
$10,000,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ADDISON LABS FOUNDATION
$7,841,000GENERAL SUPPORT
JEWISH FAMILY & CHILDREN SERVICES
$5,554,000GENERAL SUPPORT
SAN FRANCISCO GENERAL HOSPITAL FOUNDATION
$5,000,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
$2,500,000GENERAL SUPPORT
BAPTIST HEALTH FOUNDATION
$2,000,000GENERAL SUPPORT
SAN FRANCISCO FOOD BANK
$1,000,000GENERAL SUPPORT
AMERICAN JEWISH JOINT DISTRIBUTION COMMITTEE INC
$1,000,000GENERAL SUPPORT
EXPLORATORIUM
$300,000GENERAL SUPPORT
JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER OF SAN FRANCISCO
$250,000GENERAL SUPPORT
JEWISH COMMUNITY FEDERATION OF SAN FRANCISCO
$200,000GENERAL SUPPORT
EPA CENTER
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
SAN FRANCISCO MUSEUM OF MODERN ART
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
THAT MAN MAY SEE
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
PEF ISRAEL ENDOWMENT FUNDS
$20,000GENERAL SUPPORT
SHALOM HARTMAN INSTITUTE OF NORTH AMERICA
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
STANFORD HEALTH CARE
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
SEFARIA
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
COLLEGE TRACK
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
OSHMAN FAMILY JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT
THE WASHINGTON INSTITUTE
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT
TOGETHER WE RISE CORPORATION
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ORDER OF MALTA CLINIC OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
$2,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CHILDREN INC
$2,000GENERAL SUPPORT
GALLERIA STUDIO 24
$2,000GENERAL SUPPORT
J-SEI
$250GENERAL SUPPORT
EAST BAY SPCA
$250GENERAL SUPPORT
JAPANESE AMERICAN NATIONAL MUSEUM
$250GENERAL SUPPORT
DENSHO
$250GENERAL SUPPORT
TOPAZ MUSEUM
$250GENERAL SUPPORT
BAYSHORE PTO
$90GENERAL SUPPORT
UCB FOUNDATION
$118,601,611GENERAL SUPPORT
UCSF FOUNDATION
$97,505,000GENERAL SUPPORT
NAVAL WAR COLLEGE
$10,500,000GENERAL SUPPORT
SMITH COLLEGE
$10,000,000GENERAL SUPPORT
JEWISH FAMILY & CHILDREN SERVICES
$6,850,000GENERAL SUPPORT
SAN FRANCISCO GENERAL HOSPITAL FOUNDATION
$5,000,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
$2,500,000GENERAL SUPPORT
JEWISH COMMUNITY FEDERATION OF SAN FRANCISCO
$1,200,000GENERAL SUPPORT
SAN FRANCISCO FOOD BANK
$1,000,500GENERAL SUPPORT
AMERICAN JEWISH JOINT DISTRIBUTION COMMITTEE INC
$1,000,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ADDISON LABS FOUNDATION
$475,000GENERAL SUPPORT
THE EXPLORATORIUM
$300,000GENERAL SUPPORT
JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER OF SAN FRANCISCO
$250,000GENERAL SUPPORT
THAT MAN MAY SEE
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
STANFORD UNIVERSITY
$30,000GENERAL SUPPORT
SAN FRANCISCO MUSEUM OF MODERN ART
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
HOPEWELL FUND
$24,000GENERAL SUPPORT