About Bernard Osher Foundation
The Bernard Osher Foundation concentrates its giving on higher-education institutions, funding programmatic and endowment support that expands access to college and adult learning. Recent grants show two distinct priorities: support for lifelong-learning/Osher programs (including an online Osher endowment) and a national slate of “reentry” scholarships that help formerly incarcerated or justice-involved students re-enter higher education, with an emphasis on public universities and several HBCUs. Grants are large, institution-level awards aimed at program scale and sustainability rather than small project pilots.
Focus Areas
Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes / Adult & Continuing Education (including online endowment support)Reentry scholarships for justice-involved students at public universitiesScholarship support at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) focused on reentry and accessInstitutional program endowments in higher education
Who They Fund
adult learners enrolled in lifelong learning institutes (Osher participants)formerly incarcerated individuals / people reentering society (reentry scholarship recipients)
About Bernard Osher Foundation
The Bernard Osher Foundation’s clearest pattern is its commitment to higher education that serves adult learners and students returning to college after interruption. In the recent grants list, that shows up in a $3.15 million Osher Online endowment at Northwestern University, alongside repeated million-dollar awards for Lifelong Learning Institutes and reentry scholarships. The foundation funds institutions rather than individuals, and its grants are built for program scale: endowments, scholarship support, and conference support for the Osher network. A large share of the grant list connects to the Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes, which support continuing education for older adults and other non-degree learners at universities and cultural institutions. Another major track is reentry education, with several $1.05 million grants to public universities and HBCUs for scholarships for formerly incarcerated or justice-involved students. The portfolio also includes arts, humanities, environmental education, and integrative medicine, often through San Francisco institutions and university partners. This is a regular funder with local geographic scope and a strong California footprint, but its education grants reach a broader set of campuses and nonprofit partners across the United States.
What Bernard Osher Foundation Funds
Higher-education access is the central thread in The Bernard Osher Foundation’s grantmaking. For adult learning, it awarded $1.05 million to Drake University for Lifelong Learning Institutes and $119,000 to Northwestern University - NRC for the same purpose. The foundation also supports the Osher network through conference funding, including a $250,000 grant to Northwestern University for an Osher national conference. A second major theme is reentry education. The foundation gave $1.05 million each to Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, Alcorn State University, Clark Atlanta University, North Carolina A&T University, University of Dayton, University of Missouri-St Louis, The University of Texas at Austin, and Uc Merced Foundation for reentry scholarships. That pattern points to institutional scholarship support for students returning to higher education after incarceration or system involvement. Beyond education, the foundation funds arts and humanities work, such as $125,000 to Regents Cal Performances and $100,000 to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$8.2M
Total Assets
$28.3M
Total Revenue
$1.1M
Total Expenses
$9.7M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $7K and $30K, with a median of $15K.
25th Percentile
$7K
Median
$15K
75th Percentile
$30K
Geographic Reach
Local29 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
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