Pacific Foundation Services

What Pacific Foundation Services does

Pacific Foundation Services (PFS) is a San Francisco-based for-profit professional services firm founded in 1987 by Lyman Casey that provides comprehensive foundation management to private foundations. The firm operates with a team of 44 professionals across offices in San Francisco and Silicon Valley, serving 40+ private foundation clients and facilitating more than $800 million in annual grantmaking. Its service portfolio is organized into three core offerings: Philanthropic Strategy (board support, strategic planning, multigenerational philanthropy advisory, DEI practices), Operational Management (accounting, bookkeeping, governance, compliance, administrative support), and Grantmaking Support (program design, due diligence, grant administration, payment processing, evaluation). The firm functions as the outsourced back office and program staff for foundations that lack the scale to hire full-time internal teams.

PFS does not develop proprietary technology; it operates on standard business software, grants management databases, and financial management systems. Revenue is generated through negotiated annual fees — not hourly billing — with rates determined by foundation asset size, grantmaking budget, number of grants, board meeting frequency, investment complexity, and grantmaking duties, then indexed to a cost-of-living escalator. The go-to-market model is relationship-driven and consultative, with client acquisition primarily through referrals within the Bay Area philanthropy community and the firm's longstanding regional reputation. The firm markets to private foundations of all sizes, interests, and experience levels, with particular depth in family foundations and multigenerational wealth structures.

In 2025, PFS was acquired by Foundation Source, a leading provider of philanthropic software and services, combining PFS's personalized, relationship-based foundation management with Foundation Source's tech-enabled administrative, compliance, and tax platform. Leadership transitioned in 2024 with Juliana Grenzeback succeeding Charlie Casey (son of founder Lyman Casey) as President. PFS continues to operate as a distinct brand and platform within Foundation Source.

Name

Pacific Foundation Services

Legal name

Pacific Foundation Services

Website

https://pfs-llc.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Pacific Foundation Services is a San Francisco-based professional services firm founded in 1987 that provides outsourced foundation management, philanthropic strategy, and grantmaking support to over 40 private foundations, facilitating $800M+ in annual grantmaking. Acquired by Foundation Source in 2025.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Foundation Management Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

SIC

Services-Business Services, Nec (7389)

akta.pro primary industry

Philanthropy & Foundations Advisory (Donor-Advised Funds, Endowments) (FSAAABAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA), Corporate & Foundation Relations (Sponsorships, Grants, Partnerships) (EDALAOAE)

Keywords

• Foundation management services
• Philanthropic advisory services
• Grantmaking support services
• Private foundation administration
• Nonprofit compliance services

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Foundation Management Services: PFS generates revenue through negotiated annual fees for comprehensive foundation management services. Fees are based on scope of work, foundation asset size, grantmaking budget, number of grants, frequency of board meetings, complexity of investments, and grantmaking duties. The firm does not bill by the hour but instead charges agreed-upon annual rates tied to a cost-of-living index.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Pacific Foundation Services is a professional services firm that provides comprehensive foundation management and philanthropic advisory services to private foundations. Its offering spans three integrated service areas: Philanthropic Strategy (strategic guidance, board support, funding strategy), Operational Management (accounting, bookkeeping, governance, compliance, back-office administration), and Grantmaking Support (grantee vetting, grant structuring, fund distribution, reporting). A team of 44 professionals delivers these services to 40+ private foundations, facilitating over $800 million in annual grantmaking.

Product overview

Pacific Foundation Services (PFS) is a professional services firm, not a software product company. It offers a unified suite of foundation management services organized around three core service areas: Philanthropic Strategy Services (including startup support, strategic planning, DEI practices, and multigenerational philanthropy advisory), Operational Management Services (including accounting, bookkeeping, governance, and compliance), and Grantmaking Support Services (including program design, research, administration, and evaluation). These services are delivered by a team of 44 professionals working from San Francisco and Silicon Valley offices, supporting over 40 private foundations in facilitating over $800 million in annual grantmaking.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Philanthropic Strategy Services Professional services providing strategic guidance, board support, funding strategy, and financial planning to private foundations at all stages of development. Helps foundations establish or advance their philanthropic vision, develop funding strategy, assist with financial planning, and identify change-making partnerships and programs to support. Includes startup support, strategic planning, DEI practices, and multigenerational philanthropy advisory.
• Operational Management Services Back-office operational services including accounting, bookkeeping, financial management, governance, administrative support, and compliance management for private foundations. Functions as a foundation's entire back office or can be customized to meet specific foundation needs, including annual audit and tax preparation.
• Grantmaking Support Services End-to-end grantmaking support including program design, research and analysis, due diligence, grantee vetting, grant structuring, fund distribution, compliance, reporting, and measurement and evaluation. Facilitates all aspects of a foundation's giving program from vetting potential grantees to managing reporting.

Quantifiable outcome

• $800 million in annual grantmaking facilitated
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers18 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Foundation SourcecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Pacific Foundation Services was acquired by Foundation Source, a leading provider of philanthropic software and services. The acquisition combines PFS's personalized, relationship-based foundation management approach with Foundation Source's tech-enabled administrative, compliance, and tax solutions. Together they form the premier foundation management organization in the country with an extensive range of philanthropic advisory services.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Fidelity Charitable: Fidelity Charitable is the largest donor-advised fund sponsor in the U.S. and a subsidiary of Fidelity Investments. Comparable to PFS in addressing the same end-customer need (professional philanthropic infrastructure for high-net-worth donors) but operating at far greater scale through a tech-enabled DAF model rather than outsourced foundation management.
• Schwab Charitable: Schwab Charitable is one of the largest donor-advised fund sponsors in the U.S., integrated with Charles Schwab's wealth management platform. Comparable to PFS in serving wealthy donors seeking structured giving vehicles, but at much greater scale, with a tech-enabled DAF model rather than outsourced private foundation management.
• Foundation Source: Foundation Source is the parent company of Pacific Foundation Services following the 2025 acquisition and is the leading tech-enabled provider of philanthropic software and administrative, compliance, and tax services to private foundations. Highly comparable as it operates in the same foundation management category but at greater scale and with a software-led model rather than PFS's high-touch services model.

Direct peers

• TCC Group: TCC Group is a national consulting firm that provides strategic philanthropy, foundation management, and nonprofit advisory services to foundations and nonprofit organizations. Directly comparable to PFS as a peer consulting firm offering foundation management and philanthropic advisory services to a similar client base.
• Arabella Advisors: Arabella Advisors is a national philanthropic and impact advisory firm that provides strategic guidance, fund management, and operational support to foundations, donors, and social impact organizations. Directly comparable to PFS as a peer professional services firm in foundation and philanthropic advisory, though operating at larger scale and across broader geographies than PFS's Bay Area focus.
• The Giving Company: The Giving Company provides outsourced foundation management, grant administration, and back-office services for private foundations and family giving vehicles. Directly comparable to PFS as a peer outsourced foundation management firm with similar services (strategic advice, grantmaking support, compliance, financial management).
• TPI - The Philanthropic Initiative: TPI is a national philanthropic advisory and foundation management firm based in Boston that provides strategic philanthropy consulting, foundation management, and grantmaking services to families, foundations, and corporations. Comparable to PFS as a peer professional services firm in philanthropic advisory with overlapping service offerings and target customer profiles.
• National Philanthropic Trust: National Philanthropic Trust is one of the largest independent donor-advised fund sponsors and philanthropic service providers in the U.S., offering giving vehicles, research, and infrastructure for individuals and institutions engaged in structured philanthropy. Comparable to PFS because it serves overlapping customer profiles (wealthy families and foundations seeking professional philanthropic infrastructure) with a similar outsourced management value proposition.

Regional players

• San Francisco Foundation: San Francisco Foundation is one of the oldest community foundations in the Bay Area, managing charitable assets and making grants across the region. Comparable to PFS as another Bay Area-based philanthropic infrastructure provider, though it operates as a community foundation rather than as an outsourced private foundation management firm.
• Silicon Valley Community Foundation: Silicon Valley Community Foundation is one of the largest community foundations in the U.S., serving donors and managing philanthropic assets across the Bay Area. Comparable to PFS because it operates in the same Bay Area philanthropic ecosystem and serves a portion of overlapping donors (high-net-worth families establishing giving vehicles), though it does so as a community foundation rather than as an outsourced management firm.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pacific-foundation-services

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Pacific Foundation Services