Gerson Bakar Foundation
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.
Key takeaways
- The filing says the foundation works only with organisations it has preselected and does not accept unsolicited requests, so a small charity should not send a cold proposal and should look for an introduction through someone who already knows the foundation.
- Most of its grant dollars go to organisations it has funded before, which makes this a relationship-led foundation.
- About 8 in 10 of its grants fall between $250 and $10,000,000, but that is a typical band and not a ceiling, since its largest grant was about $205,000,000.
- Half of its grants to organisations were $10,000 or less and the median was $10,000, so a modest request is the realistic size.
- Its grants have gone to universities, health-care institutions, social-service organisations, Jewish community organisations, food banks and cultural institutions, and the filing describes them as general support; no geographic focus is stated, although the grants shown are mainly in California.
Overview
Gerson Bakar Foundation is a US private foundation based in San Francisco, CA.
What they fund
Profile based on the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) only: no website or other web source for the foundation was found. Every statement is checked against the filings. Sources read on 12 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The filing describes the purposes of its grants as general support. The recipients shown include universities and colleges, health-care institutions, social-service organisations, Jewish community organisations, food banks, museums and other cultural institutions. The grant record therefore shows support reaching several kinds of charitable organisations, rather than a stated set of subject-area priorities. The filing says contributions are made to preselected charitable organisations and that unsolicited requests are not accepted; it does not give a public application route or eligibility criteria. No broader funding themes, grant-size range or stated geographic policy are provided in the materials reviewed.
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in California.
How to apply
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 99% 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 111 grants to organisations were $10,000 or less.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
5 other states: <1%
- The largest single recipient received 48% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 99% of grant dollars went to organisations Gerson Bakar 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 33 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $20,000 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Ucsf Foundation · General support$96,520,0002024 tax year
- Ucb Foundation · General support$37,043,3342024 tax year
- Smith College · General support$10,000,0002024 tax year
- Addison Labs Foundation · General support$7,841,0002024 tax year
- Jewish Family and Children's Services · General support$5,554,0002024 tax year
- San Francisco General Hospital Foundation · General support$5,000,0002024 tax year
- California Academy of Sciences · General support$2,500,0002024 tax year
- Baptist Health Foundation · General support$2,000,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Sharon Hasegawa — Secretary / Treasurer
- Kathleen Mccormick — Director
- Nanci Fredkin — Director
- Phyllis Cook — Director
- Anne Bakar — Director
- Richard L Greene — Director
- Barbara Bass Bakar — Chair / President / Director
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $351,599,316 | $314,620,258 | $2,457,600,914 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $282,264,283 | $254,931,561 | $2,455,727,032 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $184,093,119 | $161,524,674 | $2,547,826,871 | 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
🎯 You've done the research. Now write an application they can't refuse.
Hinchilla combines funder's specific priorities with your organisation's past successful grants and AI analysis of what reviewers want to see.
Data privacy and security by default
Your organisation's past successful grants and experience
AI analysis of what reviewers want to see
A compelling draft application in 10 minutes instead of 10 hours
Spotted something that needs correcting? Let us know
At a glance
Applying to Gerson Bakar Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- San Francisco, CA
Applying to Gerson Bakar Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- San Francisco, CA