The Bernard Osher Foundation
At a glance
Key takeaways
- The Bernard Osher Foundation funds higher education scholarships (with particular attention to reentry students), a national lifelong learning network, integrative health, and arts and education; its arts and education work is focused on the San Francisco Bay Area and Maine, while its scholarship, lifelong learning and integrative health funding is national in scope, so weigh your fit against these themes and, for arts and education, against that geography.
- Most grants are modest: about 8 in 10 fall between $5,000 and $75,000, with a median of $15,000, so a request in that range is realistic, though the largest grant made was $3,150,000.
- There are no deadlines given in the filing and no required application format, but you must show financial need and demonstrate that you are a qualified non-profit organisation.
- A large share of grant dollars, 69%, went to organisations also funded in the two prior filings, suggesting the foundation leans toward continuing relationships, though this need not discourage a first approach.
- Individuals are not funded, and anyone applying to the Osher Reentry Scholarship Program specifically should note that graduate students, those seeking an additional degree, students enrolled exclusively online, and international students intending to return to their home country after graduation are not eligible for that programme.
Overview
The Bernard Osher Foundation is a US private foundation based in San Francisco, CA.
What they fund
Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The Foundation supports post-secondary scholarships, with particular attention to reentry students, and a national lifelong learning network for seasoned adults. It makes grants and endowment gifts to colleges, universities and other non-profit organisations, including select integrative health programmes and arts and educational organisations. Its scholarship, lifelong learning and integrative health work is national in scope, while arts and educational grants focus on the San Francisco Bay Area and Maine. The lifelong learning institutes are based at higher-education institutions and offer non-credit courses and activities for adults aged 50 or older. Its arts support has included performing arts groups, literary programmes, educational and environmental groups, and social service organisations.
Themes
- Higher education scholarships
- Lifelong learning
- Integrative health
- Arts and education
Geographic Focus
National. Priority: San Francisco Bay Area: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin and 6 more counties in California; State of Maine.
What They Don't Fund
- Individuals
- Osher Reentry Scholarship Program only: graduate students; individuals seeking an additional degree; those enrolled in online courses exclusively; international students who are visiting the United States with the intention of returning to their countries of origin after graduation
How to apply
No format is required; applicants must show financial need and indicate that they are a qualified non-profit organisation.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 69% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 or TY2023 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2022, TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 401 grants to organisations were $15,000 or less.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
6 other states: 24%
Outside the US or with no state on the filing: 3%
- The largest single recipient received 16% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 69% of grant dollars went to organisations The Bernard Osher Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- <1% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 131 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $15,000 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Northwestern University - NRC · Lifelong learning institutes$119,0002024 tax year
- San Francisco Symphony · Lifelong learning institutes$115,0002024 tax year
- Exploratorium · Lifelong learning institutes$100,0002024 tax year
- California Academy of Sciences · Lifelong learning institutes$100,0002024 tax year
- Regents Of University Of California Berkeley · Lifelong learning institutes$100,0002024 tax year
- KQED · Lifelong learning institutes$100,0002024 tax year
- Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco · Lifelong learning institutes$100,0002024 tax year
- UCSF Community Care Fund · Lifelong learning institutes$100,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Kris Marney — CFO
- John Pritzker — Director
- Laura Lauder — Director
- John Gallo — Director
- Robert Friend — Director
- Phyllis Cook — Director
- David Agger — Director
- Bernard Osher — Treasurer
- Barbro Osher — Chairman
- Jeanie Hirokane — Secretary
- Mary Bitterman — President
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $10,816,491 | $8,155,500 | $33,083,762 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $13,004,006 | $12,034,505 | $29,914,856 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $9,670,435 | $3,622,500 | $27,118,361 | Filing for 2024 tax year |
Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.
Sources
Registers and filings
Other sources
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At a glance
Applying to The Bernard Osher Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (415) 677-5927
- San Francisco, CA
- osherfoundation.org
Applying to The Bernard Osher Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (415) 677-5927
- San Francisco, CA
- osherfoundation.org