Carl Gellert and Celia Berta Gellert Foundation

About Carl Gellert and Celia Berta Gellert Foundation

The Carl Gellert and Celia Berta Gellert Foundation’s recent grantmaking is defined by a pattern of large, often one-time or “sunset” awards tied to Catholic education and faith-based services in the San Francisco Bay Area. In 2023, the foundation gave $4.75 million to Mercy High School Burlingame for an athletic and student life center and an endowed scholarship, and $4.25 million to the University of San Francisco for undergraduate need-based scholarships and the Gellert Family Business Center. Those gifts sit alongside support for school facilities, scholarship funds, and capital projects at Catholic high schools, colleges, and elementary schools. The foundation also funds Catholic-affiliated service providers that serve seniors, immigrants, people needing shelter, and low-income families. Recent examples include Saint Anthony Foundation for St. Clare’s Care & Companionship model, Catholic Charities CYO for senior services and camp and retreat programs, and the Irish Immigration Pastoral Center for immigrant services programming. Health-related grants appear as well, including clinic expansion and simulation-learning facilities. Across the portfolio, the grant sizes are substantial, and the purposes often combine program support with buildings, endowments, or tuition assistance.

What Carl Gellert and Celia Berta Gellert Foundation Funds

Catholic education is the clearest throughline in the foundation’s giving. It supported Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory with $3 million for an atrium renovation and endowed scholarship fund, and Saint Ignatius College Preparatory with $1.8 million for a new learning commons. At smaller schools, the same pattern appears in grants for arts, student life, summer programming, and tuition assistance. Need-based access also shows up in higher education. The University of San Francisco received $4.25 million for undergraduate need-based scholarships and the Gellert Family Business Center, while Saint Mary’s College of California received a $2.7 million sunset grant. Beyond schools, the foundation backs Catholic social services. Saint Anthony Foundation received $1.8 million for St. Clare’s Care & Companionship model, and Catholic Charities CYO received $1.8 million for senior services programs and its camp and retreat center. The Irish Immigration Pastoral Center also received support for immigrant services programming.

How Carl Gellert and Celia Berta Gellert Foundation Gives