Gerson Bakar Foundation
The Gerson Bakar Foundation is a private family foundation established in 1984 in California by real estate developer Gerson Bakar (1928-2017) and his wife, Barbara Bass Bakar. Based in San Francisco, the foundation represents one of the Bay Area's most significant philanthropic forces, maintaining a notably low profile with minimal public information about its operations and strategies.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$2.5B
+3.8% YoY
Annual Giving
$169.4M
-33.7% YoY
Grant Count
33
-17.5% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$5.1M
-19.6% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Gerson Bakar Foundation reported a distributable amount of $122.3M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation does not maintain a published mission statement. However, its grantmaking priorities include:
- Higher Education: More than half of grant funding supports the University of California campuses at Berkeley and San Francisco, with major grants typically exceeding $1 million. Support includes Mission Bay campus development, student scholarships, cardiovascular health and neurosciences programs, gynecologic, urologic, and breast cancer research at UCSF, and the Bakar Cancer Hospital and Bakar Cancer Center.
- K-12 Education
- Jewish Causes: Spans the United States but prioritizes the Bay Area
- Arts and Culture
- Animal Welfare
- Bay Area Communities
Grantmaking
The foundation operates on an invitation-only basis and does not accept unsolicited proposals. The foundation's philanthropic approach emphasizes long-term relationships with grantees, providing multi-year funding to most recipients. Grant decisions are made primarily through trustee discretion in selecting charitable organizations to support.
Grant Range
$250 to $10,000,000
Average Grant
amount: $90 to $205,273,658
How to Apply
**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation's grantmaking is concentrated in the Bay Area, with the exception of Jewish giving, which spans the United States but prioritizes the Bay Area.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of Fiscal Year Ending December 2023:
- Total assets: $2,455,727,032 to $2,547,826,871
- Total giving: $161,524,674 to $254,931,561
- Total revenues: $86,151,243
- Total expenses: $282,264,283
- Investment income and dividends: $50,980,527
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $2,547,826,871 | $2,455,727,032 | $2,457,600,914 |
| Revenue | $198,287,464 | $86,151,243 | $445,447,374 |
| Expenses | $184,093,119 | $282,264,283 | $351,599,316 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $165,590,310 | $259,968,107 | $318,183,320 |
| Net Investment Income | $224,090,057 | $275,925,126 | $374,953,171 |
| Distributable Amount | $122,334,605 | $116,813,562 | $116,705,431 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
207 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Ucsf Foundation ($96,520,000), Ucb Foundation ($37,043,334), Smith College ($10,000,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| ADDISON LABS FOUNDATION SAN FRANCISCO, NY | GENERAL SUPPORT | $7,841,000 |
| AMERICAN JEWISH JOINT DISTRIBUTION COMMITTEE INC NEW YORK, NY | GENERAL SUPPORT | $1,000,000 |
| BAPTIST HEALTH FOUNDATION CORAL GABLES, FL | GENERAL SUPPORT | $2,000,000 |
| BAYSHORE PTO DALY CITY, CA | GENERAL SUPPORT | $90 |
| CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES SAN FRANCISCO, CA | GENERAL SUPPORT | $2,500,000 |
| CHILDREN INC NORTH CHESTERFIELD, VA | GENERAL SUPPORT | $2,000 |
| COLLEGE TRACK OAKLAND, CA | GENERAL SUPPORT | $10,000 |
| DENSHO SEATTLE, WA | GENERAL SUPPORT | $250 |
| EAST BAY SPCA OAKLAND, CA | GENERAL SUPPORT | $250 |
| EPA CENTER EAST PALO ALTO, CA | GENERAL SUPPORT | $25,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Barbara Bass Bakar serves as President of the foundation. The foundation employs 2 staff members.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| BARBARA BASS BAKAR | CHAIR/PRESIDENT/DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| RICHARD L GREENE | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| ANNE BAKAR | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| PHYLLIS COOK | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| NANCI FREDKIN | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| KATHLEEN MCCORMICK | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| SHARON HASEGAWA | SECRETARY/TREASURER | 1 | — |
Contact Information
- Address: 201 Filbert Street, Suite 400, San Francisco, CA 94133-3238
- Telephone: 415-576-8100
- EIN: 94-2949602
- Website: The foundation does not maintain a website
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Gerson Bakar Foundation fund?
The foundation does not maintain a published mission statement. However, its grantmaking priorities include: • **Higher Education**: More than half of grant funding supports the University of California campuses at Berkeley and San Francisco, with major grants typically exceeding $1 million. Support includes Mission Bay campus development, student scholarships, cardiovascular health and neurosciences programs, gynecologic, urologic, and breast cancer research at UCSF, and the Bakar Cancer Hospi…
How do I apply for a grant from Gerson Bakar Foundation?
**Grant Activity (2023):** • Number of grants: 38-40 awards • Annual giving: Approximately $254.9 million to $255 million • Grant range: $250 to $10,000,000 • Average grant amount: $90 to $205,273,658 **Application Process:** The foundation operates on an invitation-only basis and does not accept unsolicited proposals. The foundation's philanthropic approach emphasizes long-term relationships with grantees, providing multi-year funding to most recipients. Grant decisions are made primarily thro…
Where does Gerson Bakar Foundation make grants?
The foundation's grantmaking is concentrated in the Bay Area, with the exception of Jewish giving, which spans the United States but prioritizes the Bay Area.
What size grants does Gerson Bakar Foundation award?
In 2024, Gerson Bakar Foundation awarded 33 grants totaling $169.4M — an average of about $5.1M per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Gerson Bakar Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Gerson Bakar Foundation reported a distributable amount of $122.3M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Gerson Bakar Foundation's EIN?
Gerson Bakar Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 94-2949602. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Gerson Bakar Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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