The Bernard Osher Foundation
San Francisco, CA · EIN 94-2506257. Reported 560 grants totalling $48.4M to 269 organizations across tax years 2021-2024. This foundation did not tell the IRS it funds only preselected organizations.
Yesaccepts unsolicited requests
$18,500median grant
$48.4Mgranted, 2021-2024
269organizations funded
64%of grantees funded again the next year
$27.1Massets, latest filing
Does this foundation accept applications?
Yes -- on its own tax return. Form 990-PF asks every private foundation whether it makes grants only to organizations it selects itself. Of the 91,758 foundations in our data that made a grant and answered, 78% said yes -- and applying to those is wasted effort. The Bernard Osher Foundation did not check that box on its most recent filing, which puts it in the minority that is at least open to being approached.
This is the foundation's own statement to the IRS, not our judgement, and it says nothing about whether they have a form, a deadline, or an appetite for new grantees. Treat it as the reason this foundation is worth your research time, not as an invitation. Many small foundations of this kind have no website and no application process -- a letter of inquiry is the normal first step.
How big are its grants?
The median grant is $18,500. Half of everything it gave fell between $8,000 and $35,000; the smallest was $2,250 and the largest $5,250,000. If you are asking for materially more than the top of that range, you are asking the wrong foundation.
Every organization it funded
All 269 recipients appear in its filings; the 250 largest are listed here. Years funded is the number of separate tax years in which this organization received money -- the clearest signal of who this foundation actually has a relationship with.
| Organization | Location | Total received | Grants | Years funded | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northwestern University | Chicago, IL | $5,876,005 | 6 | 4 | 2024 |
| Osher Collaborative | San Francisco, CA | $5,250,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Northwestern University - Nrc | Chicago, IL | $3,308,000 | 3 | 2 | 2024 |
| University of Miami | Coral Gables, FL | $2,100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| University of Washington | Seattle, WA | $2,100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville, TN | $2,100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Bismarck State College | Bismarck, ND | $1,175,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Drake University | Des Moines, IA | $1,175,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Alcorn State University | Lorman, MS | $1,150,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Clark Atlanta University | Atlanta, GA | $1,150,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| University of Missouri-St Louis | St Louis, MO | $1,150,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University | Tallahassee, FL | $1,100,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| The University of Texas at Austin | Austin, TX | $1,100,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| University of Dayton | Dayton, OH | $1,100,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Montana State University | Bozeman, MT | $1,075,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Columbia University | Nyc, NY | $1,050,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| North Carolina A&t University | Greensboro, NC | $1,050,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| UC Merced Foundation | Mercd, CA | $1,050,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Washington University of St Louis | St Louis, MO | $1,050,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| San Francisco Symphony | San Francisco, CA | $345,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| The Contemporary Jewish Museum | San Francisco, CA | $325,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| California Academy of Sciences | San Francisco, CA | $300,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Kqed | San Francisco, CA | $300,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Oakland Museum of California | Oakland, CA | $300,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| San Francisco Ballet | San Francisco, CA | $300,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Summer Search | San Francisco, CA | $255,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Asian Art Museum | San Francisco, CA | $250,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Human Rights Watch Inc | New York, NY | $225,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| San Francisco Museum of Modern Art | San Francisco, CA | $200,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Sfmoma | San Francisco, CA | $200,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| The Exploratorium | San Francisco, CA | $200,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| San Francisco Performances | San Francisco, CA | $191,250 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra | San Francisco, CA | $175,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Regents of University of California Berkeley | Berkeley, CA | $175,000 | 2 | 1 | 2024 |
| Academic Consortium for Integrative Health Medicine and Health | Lake Oswego, OR | $150,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Berkeley Repertory Theatre | Berkeley, CA | $150,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| California Film Institute | San Rafael, CA | $150,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Chronicle Season of Sharing Fund | San Francisco, CA | $150,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Corporation of the Fine Arts Museums | San Francisco, CA | $150,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| San Francisco Food Bank | San Francisco, CA | $150,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Bay Area Discovery Museum | Sausalito, CA | $135,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Margaret Jenkins Dance Company | San Francisco, CA | $126,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco | San Francisco, CA | $125,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Regents Cal Performances | Berkeley, CA | $125,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Commonwealth Club of California | San Francisco, CA | $120,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Merola Opera Program | San Francisco, CA | $112,500 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| San Francisco Shakespeare Festival | San Francisco, CA | $112,500 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Stern Grove Festival Association | San Francisco, CA | $105,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Yerba Buena Center for the Arts | San Francisco, CA | $105,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Bampfa | Berkeley, CA | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco | San Francisco, CA | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| North Carolina A&t | Greensboro, NC | $100,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Pacific Film Archive | Berkeley, CA | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Ucsf Community Care | San Francisco, CA | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Ucsf Community Care Fund | San Francisco, CA | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Ucsf Foundation | San Francisco, CA | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| University of Oklahoma | Norman, OK | $100,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Magic Theatre Inc | San Francisco, CA | $99,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| City Arts and Lectures | San Francisco, CA | $95,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Oakland Symphony | Oakland, CA | $92,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Community Music Center | San Francisco, CA | $90,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Smuin Ballet | San Francisco, CA | $87,500 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Kala Art Institute | Berkeley, CA | $81,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| American Conservatory Theater | San Francisco, CA | $75,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| American Conservatory Theatre | San Francisco, CA | $75,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Bread & Roses Presents | Corte Madera, CA | $75,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Cal Performances | California, CA | $75,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Conservation Society of California Dba Oakland Zoo | Oakland, CA | $75,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Let the Right One in | Berkeley, CA | $75,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Ringling College of Art and Design Inc | Sarasota, FL | $75,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| San Francisco and Marin Food Bank | San Francisco, CA | $75,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| San Francisco Jazz Organization | San Francisco, CA | $75,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| University of California Berkeley | Berkeley, CA | $75,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| University of Texas at El Paso | El Paso, TX | $75,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| 826 Valencia | San Francisco, CA | $72,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| University of Southern California | Los Angeles, CA | $70,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| San Francisco Girls Chorus | San Francisco, CA | $67,500 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| San Francisco Playhouse | San Francisco, CA | $67,500 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| The Marine Mammal Center | Sausalito, CA | $67,500 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| St Vincent De Paul Society of San Francisco | San Francisco, CA | $66,500 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Margaret Jenkins Dance Co | San Francisco, CA | $63,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Headlands Center for the Arts | Sausalito, CA | $58,500 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| San Francisco Film Society | San Francisco, CA | $58,500 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Curiodyssey | San Mateo, CA | $57,250 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| California Jazz Conservatory | Berkeley, CA | $56,250 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Alonzo King Lines Ballet | San Francisco, CA | $55,500 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Kdfc | San Francisco, CA | $52,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Marin Theatre Company | Mill Valley, CA | $52,500 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Stern Grove Festival | San Francisco, CA | $52,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Academic Consortium of Integrative Health 2023 | Lake Oswego, OR | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Auburn University | Auburn, AL | $50,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Brandeis University | Waltham, MA | $50,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Colorado State University Foundation | Fort Collins, CO | $50,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Etc Environmental Traveling Companion | San Francisco, CA | $50,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Florida A&m University | Tallahassee, TN | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Florida International University | North Miami Beach, FL | $50,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Indiana State University | Terre Haute, IN | $50,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Prairie View A&m University | Prairie View, TX | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| San Francisco State University | San Francisco, CA | $50,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Season of Sharing | San Francisco, CA | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| The University of Southern Mississippi | Hattiesburg, MS | $50,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| UC Merced | Merced, CA | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| University of Georgia | Athens, GA | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| University of North Texas | Denton, TX | $50,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| University of North Texas Foundation | Denton, TX | $50,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| University of South Dakota | Sioux Falls, SD | $50,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| University of the Pacific | Stockton, CA | $50,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| West Virginia University | Morgantown, WV | $50,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Alameda Emergency Food | Alameda, CA | $48,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| City Arts & Lectures | San Francisco, CA | $45,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Felton Institute | Alameda, CA | $45,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Odc Dance | San Francisco, CA | $45,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Performing Arts Workshop Inc | San Francisco, CA | $45,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Playground | Berkeley, CA | $45,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Seacology | Berkeley, CA | $42,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Noe Valley Chamber Music | San Francisco, CA | $40,500 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Pocket Opera | San Francisco, CA | $40,500 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| New Performance Traditions -Paul Dresher Ensemble | Oakland, CA | $39,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Mill Valley Philharmonic | Mill Valley, CA | $38,250 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| San Francisco Boys Chorus | San Francisco, CA | $38,250 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Bread and Roses | Corte Madera, CA | $37,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Environmental Traveling Companions | San Francisco, CA | $37,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Oakland Zoo | Oakland, CA | $37,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Sfjazz | San Francisco, CA | $37,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| San Francisco Contemporary Music Players | San Francisco, CA | $36,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| San Francisco Chamber Orchestra | San Francisco, CA | $35,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| University of Southern California Kdfc | Los Angeles, CA | $35,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| The Threepenny Review | Berkeley, CA | $33,750 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Yerba Buena Arts & Events | San Francisco, CA | $33,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Young Audiences of Northern California | San Francisco, CA | $33,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Aurora Theatre Company' | Berkeley, CA | $30,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Kronos Performing Arts Association | San Francisco, CA | $30,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Museo Italo Americano | San Francisco, CA | $30,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Old First Center for the Arts | San Francisco, CA | $30,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Chamber Music San Francisco | San Francisco, CA | $29,250 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Freight & Salvage | Berkeley, CA | $29,250 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Dancers Group | San Francisco, CA | $28,500 | 5 | 4 | 2024 |
| Sfco | San Francisco, CA | $28,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Alonzo King's Lines Ballet | San Francisco, CA | $27,750 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Pacific Chamber Orchestra | Lafayette, CA | $27,500 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Narrative Magazine | San Francisco, CA | $27,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Sunset Youth Orchestra | San Francisco, CA | $27,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Other Minds | San Francisco, CA | $26,250 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Regional Parks Foundation | Oakland, CA | $26,250 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Bismarck State College Foundation | Bismarck, ND | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| California State University Channel Islands | Camarillo, CA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| California State University Monterey Bay | Seaside, CA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| California State University San Marcos | San Marcos, CA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Campanile Foundation | San Diego, CA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Casper College Casper Wyoming | Casper, WY | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Csu Channel Islands Foundation | Camarillo, CA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Csu Dominguez Hills | Carson, CA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Csu Fresno Foundation | Fresno, CA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Csu San Marcos | San Marcos, CA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Curators of the University of Missouri | Columbia, MO | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Etc Environmental | San Francisco, CA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Hampton University | Hampton, VA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Iowa State University | Ames, IA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Iowa State University Foundation | Ames, IA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Regents of the University of California | Berkeley, CA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Regents of the University of California (uc Riverside) | Berkeley, CA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Ringling College of Art & Design | Sarasota, FL | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Rochester Institute of Tech | Rochester, NY | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Rochester Institute of Technology | Rochester, NY | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| San Diego State University | San Diego, CA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Sierra College | Rocklin, CA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Sierra College Foundation | Rocklin, CA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Stagebridge | Oakland, CA | $25,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| The College of William & Mary | Williamsburg, VA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| The University Corporation San Francisco State University | San Francisco, CA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Towson University | Towson, MD | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Towson University Foundation | Towson, MD | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| UC San Diego | La Jolla, CA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| University of Alaska | Fairbanks, AK | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| University of Arkansas | Fayetteville, AR | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| University of California Davis | Los Angeles, CA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| University of California Riverside | Riverside, CA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| University of Connecticut Foundation Inc | Storrs, CT | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| University of Missouri | Columbia, MO | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| University of Oregon | Eugene, OR | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Washington University in St Louis | St Louis, MO | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Washington University St Louis | St Louis, MO | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| West Virginia University Foundation | Morgantown, WV | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Western Michigan University | Kalamazoo, MI | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Widener University | Chester, PA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| UC Davis | Davis, CA | $24,888 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Cazadero Performing Arts Camp | Berkeley, CA | $24,750 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Shotgun Players | Berkeley, CA | $24,750 | 4 | 3 | 2024 |
| West Edge Opera | Berkeley, CA | $24,750 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Alameda Food Bank | Alameda, CA | $24,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Berkeley Symphony Orchestra | Berkeley, CA | $24,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Outward Bound California | San Francisco, CA | $24,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Pierre Monteux Memorial Foundation | Hancock, ME | $24,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Aurora Theatre | Berkeley, CA | $22,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| California Bach Society | Santa Clara, CA | $22,500 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Earth Island Institute | Berkeley, CA | $22,500 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Joe Goode Performance Group | San Francisco, CA | $22,500 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| New Conservatory Theater Center | San Francisco, CA | $22,500 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Odc | San Francisco, CA | $22,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Peninsula Youth Orchestra | San Carlos, CA | $22,500 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Playwrights Foundation Inc | San Francisco, CA | $22,500 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| San Francisco Arts Education Project | San Francisco, CA | $22,500 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| San Francisco Botanical Garden Society | San Francisco, CA | $22,500 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| San Francisco Suicide Prevention | San Francisco, CA | $22,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Save the Bay | Oakland, CA | $22,500 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| California Shakespeare Theater | Orinda, CA | $21,250 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Friends of the Oakland Public Library | Oakland, CA | $21,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Pickleberry Pie Inc | Cheltenham, PA | $21,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus | San Francisco, CA | $21,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Academic Consortium for I M & Health | Lake Oswego, OR | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Museum of the African Diaspora | San Francisco, CA | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| New Century Chamber Orchestra | San Francisco, CA | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| San Francisco Chanticleer Inc | San Francisco, CA | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Litquake Foundation | San Francisco, CA | $19,500 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Paul Dresher Ensemble | San Francisco, CA | $19,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Berkeley Symphony | Berkeley, CA | $18,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Left Coast Chamber Ensemble Inc | San Francisco, CA | $18,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Piedmont Choirs | Oakland, CA | $18,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| San Francisco International Arts Festival | San Francisco, CA | $18,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Oakland Ballet Company | Oakland, CA | $16,500 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Yerba Buena Gardens Festival | San Francisco, CA | $16,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Young Audiences | San Francisco, CA | $16,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Groceries for Seniors | San Francisco, CA | $16,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Bay Area Book Festival | Berkeley, CA | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Chanticleer | San Francisco, CA | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Crowded Fire Theater Company | San Francisco, CA | $15,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Kronos Quartet | San Francisco, CA | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Old First Concerts | San Francisco, CA | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Portland Bach Experience | Portland, OR | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Z Space Studio | San Francisco, CA | $15,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Children's Book Project | San Francisco, CA | $13,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| San Francisco Mime Troupe | San Francisco, CA | $13,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Exit Theatre | San Francisco, CA | $12,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Laguna Honda Hospital Volunteers | San Francisco, CA | $12,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Outward Bound | San Francisco, CA | $12,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Pierre Monteux School | Hancock, ME | $12,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Volti | San Francisco, CA | $12,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Golden Gate Opera | San Rafael, CA | $11,250 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Joe Goode Performance | San Francisco, CA | $11,250 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| New Conservatory Theatre | San Francisco, CA | $11,250 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| San Francisco Botanical Garden | San Francisco, CA | $11,250 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| World Arts West | San Francisco, CA | $11,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Epiphany Dance Theater | San Francisco, CA | $10,500 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Oakland Public Library | Oakland, CA | $10,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Pickleberry Pie | Santa Cruz, CA | $10,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Pt Reyes National Seashore Association | Pt Reyes Station, CA | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| San Francisco Renaissance Voices | San Francisco, CA | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Theatre Flamenco of San Francisco | San Francisco, CA | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Litquake | San Francisco, CA | $9,750 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Pacific Chamber Symphony | Livermore, CA | $9,750 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
145 of 269 (54%) received money in more than one year over the 4 years we hold.
Measured the way we measure every foundation -- what share of one year's grantees are funded again the next -- this one retains 64%, across 3 year-to-year transitions. The median foundation retains about 67%, so this one is about typical. A high number means its list is close to settled and a newcomer has to displace someone; a low one means it is still moving money around, which is where an opening is.
What the money was for
Taken verbatim from the purpose field of its filings. This is the closest thing to a statement of what this foundation cares about, in its own words.
- Bismarck State College
LIFELONG LEARNING INSTITUTES - Northwestern University
OSHER NATIONAL CONFERENCE
What kind of organizations it funds
By the recipient's own IRS classification, for the 362 grants where we could identify the organization. These are assigned categories, not our guesses.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants | Total | Median grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 156 | $24.6M | $23,250 |
| 2022 | 127 | $8,155,500 | $14,500 |
| 2023 | 145 | $12.0M | $18,000 |
| 2024 | 132 | $3,622,500 | $15,000 |
Tax years, not calendar years, and the most recent year is usually incomplete -- filings arrive about a year late, so a low final year means late paperwork rather than a foundation winding down.
Already committed for future years
Form 990-PF has a separate schedule for grants approved but not yet paid. The Bernard Osher Foundation has 30 of them, worth $9,744,500. This is the one part of the filing that looks forward rather than back -- and it also tells you how much of the next year's budget is already spoken for.
| Organization | Location | Approved |
|---|---|---|
| Northwestern University - Nrc | Chicago, IL | $7,000,000 |
| Asian Art Museum | San Francisco, CA | $200,000 |
| Commonwealth Club of California | San Francisco, CA | $120,000 |
| Northwestern University - Nrc | Chicago, IL | $119,000 |
| San Francisco Symphony | San Francisco, CA | $115,000 |
| San Francisco Symphony | San Francisco, CA | $115,000 |
| Asian Art Museum | San Francisco, CA | $100,000 |
| Ucsf Community Care Fund | San Francisco, CA | $100,000 |
| Regents of University of California Berkeley | Berkeley, CA | $100,000 |
| California Academy of Sciences | San Francisco, CA | $100,000 |
| The Exploratorium | San Francisco, CA | $100,000 |
| Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco | San Francisco, CA | $100,000 |
| Kqed | San Francisco, CA | $100,000 |
| San Francisco Ballet | San Francisco, CA | $100,000 |
| San Francisco Museum of Modern Art | San Francisco, CA | $100,000 |
Where its money goes
Foundations concentrate geographically far more than their mission statements suggest. 36% of this one's giving went to organizations in California. If you are outside its footprint, that matters more than how well your programme fits.
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Funders that support the same organizations
These funders gave to organizations this one also funded -- some private foundations, some community foundations and other grantmaking charities. Shared grantees are the strongest available signal that two funders have overlapping priorities, and a funder already backing your peers is a far warmer prospect than one that merely lists your cause.
Donor Advised Charitable Giving Inc120 shared recipientsFidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund118 shared recipientsAmerican Online Giving Foundation Inc108 shared recipientsThe San Francisco Foundation82 shared recipientsMorgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust Inc80 shared recipientsVanguard Charitable Endowment Program77 shared recipients
How to approach this foundation
- Check you are its size. The median grant is $18,500. Asking for ten times that is the most common way small organizations waste a submission.
- Check you are in its geography. Its giving is concentrated in California.
- Read the recipient list above for organizations like yours. If nothing on it resembles your work, that is a real answer, and a cheap one to get.
- Look up the current filing before writing. The 990-PF names the foundation's officers and, where one exists, its application procedure. We link it below.
Related guides
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Where these numbers come from
Everything above is taken from The Bernard Osher Foundation's own Form 990-PF filings, which the IRS publishes in bulk. We used 4 returns (tax years 2021-2024). Nothing here is scraped, inferred, or estimated.
Address of record on the latest return: 1 Market Plaza Steuart Tower 1000, San Francisco, CA, 94105. This is the address the foundation gave the IRS; many small foundations file through an accountant or a bank trust department, so it may not be where post to a programme officer should go.
EIN 94-2506257 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
This is history, not an open call. Foundation returns are published about a year after the tax year ends. Nothing on this page is a deadline. It is a record of who this foundation has actually funded, which is the best available predictor of who it will fund next -- and a much better basis for deciding whether to write to them than a mission statement.
Is something here wrong about your foundation? Email [email protected] and we will correct it.