What The Bernard Osher Foundation does

The Bernard Osher Foundation is a private philanthropic foundation established in 1977 by Bernard Osher and headquartered at One Market Plaza, Steuart Tower, Suite 1000, San Francisco, California. The Foundation operates four core program areas designed to improve quality of life through support for higher education and the arts. Its Osher Scholars and Fellows Program provides post-secondary scholarship funding to more than 250 colleges and universities nationwide, with particular focus on reentry students and community college transfer students. The Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes (OLLI) form a national network of 125 programs on university and college campuses spanning all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, offering non-credit courses to adults aged 50 and older. A National Resource Center housed at Northwestern University coordinates the OLLI network, convening national conferences every 18 months.

The Foundation's third program, the Osher Integrative Health Program, supports 11 academic integrative medicine centers at major U.S. and Swedish medical schools, including UCSF, Harvard Medical School, the Karolinska Institute, Northwestern, Vanderbilt, University of Miami, University of Washington, University of Cincinnati, University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Utah, and University of Vermont; the UCSF site also hosts a Coordinating Center for the Osher Collaborative for Integrative Health. The fourth program, the Local Arts and Educational Program, makes grants to more than 125 performing arts groups, museums, literary programs, and social service organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area and the State of Maine. Significant historical commitments include a $25 million endowment in 2008 to the Foundation for California Community Colleges to support scholarships at every California community college.

The Foundation is governed by a nine-member Board of Directors chaired by Barbro Osher (Honorary Consul General of Sweden in California), with Bernard Osher serving as Founder and Treasurer and Mary G.F. Bitterman (former President and CEO of The James Irvine Foundation and KQED) as President. The Foundation does not generate revenue from products or services; instead it provides grants and permanent endowments rather than temporary awards. It partners with the Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation to co-fund the Karolinska Institute integrative health center. Its core "technology" is institutional — a permanent-endowment grant model combined with a national program coordination infrastructure — rather than software or product technology, and no AI/ML capability is disclosed across its program areas.

Name

The Bernard Osher Foundation

Legal name

The Bernard Osher Foundation

Website

https://osherfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Bernard Osher Foundation is a private philanthropic foundation providing post-secondary scholarships to 250+ colleges, supporting 125 Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes across all 50 states, funding 11 integrative health centers, and granting 125+ local arts and education organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area and Maine.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Foundation Philanthropy and Grantmaking

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAI), Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC), Lifelong Learning Institutes (Osher/OLLI-style) & Senior Academies (EDAAAMAA), Research Grants, Fellowships & Stipends (International) (EDAIAOAJ)

Keywords

• Private foundation grants
• Higher education scholarships
• Lifelong learning programs
• Integrative health funding
• Arts education philanthropy

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Others, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Bernard Osher Foundation is a private philanthropic foundation that provides post-secondary scholarship funding to colleges and universities across the United States, with special attention to reentry students. It also supports a national lifelong learning network (the Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes) of 125 programs on higher education campuses, an Osher Integrative Health Program funding 11 centers at major academic medical centers in the U.S. and Sweden, and a Local Arts and Educational Program granting funds to arts and cultural organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area and Maine.

Product overview

The Bernard Osher Foundation operates four interconnected program areas focused on improving quality of life through support for higher education and the arts. The Osher Scholars and Fellows Program provides post-secondary scholarship funding to over 250 colleges and universities nationwide, with special attention to reentry students and community college transfer students. The Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes network spans 125 institutions across all 50 states, offering educational programs for adults aged 50 and older. The Osher Integrative Health Program supports eleven academic integrative medicine centers. The Local Arts and Educational Program benefits over 125 cultural organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area and Maine. A National Resource Center at Northwestern University coordinates the lifelong learning network.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Osher Scholars and Fellows Program A scholarship program providing post-secondary funding to over 250 colleges and universities across the United States, including undergraduate scholarships, community college scholarships, reentry scholarships for non-traditional students, and fellowship programs for visiting scholars. Scholarship recipients are identified and selected by participating host institutions.
• Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes (OLLI) A national network of 125 lifelong learning programs operating on university and college campuses in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, offering non-credit courses and educational activities for adults aged 50 and older. Each institute is administered independently by its host institution under shared Osher brand standards.
• Osher Integrative Health Program Eleven integrative medicine centers at leading medical schools — UCSF, Harvard Medical School, Karolinska Institute, Northwestern University, Vanderbilt, University of Miami, University of Washington, University of Cincinnati, University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Utah, and University of Vermont — supporting research, education, and clinical services that combine modern medicine with complementary therapies such as acupuncture, yoga, massage, and mindfulness. A Coordinating Center supporting the Osher Collaborative for Integrative Health is also established at UCSF.
• Local Arts and Educational Program Grant program supporting performing arts organizations, museums, literary programs, educational and environmental groups, and social service organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area and the State of Maine, currently benefiting over 125 grantees.
• National Resource Center for Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes A coordination center located at Northwestern University that serves as the communication hub for all Osher Institutes, provides professional development opportunities, maintains a public reference website and a private site for network members, and organizes national conferences every 18 months.

Quantifiable outcome

• 125 lifelong learning programs on university and college campuses nationwide with at least one grantee in each of the 50 states and DC
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Northwestern UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNorthwestern University houses the National Resource Center for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes, serving as the connective tissue for communication between and among the 125 Osher Institutes and providing opportunities for professional development. The NRC maintains a website for general reference and a private site for network members, and conducts national conferences every 18 months.
• Barbro Osher Pro Suecia FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Foundation partners with the Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation to co-fund the Osher Center for Integrative Health at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden. The Pro Suecia Foundation supports Swedish-related cultural and educational projects in North America and Sweden.
• University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUCSF houses the first Osher Center for Integrative Health, established in 1998. The Foundation also established a Coordinating Center supporting the Osher Collaborative for Integrative Health at UCSF.
• Harvard Medical SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHarvard Medical School houses the second Osher Center for Integrative Health, established in 2001, with a clinical center at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.
• Karolinska InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Osher Center for Integrative Health at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden was founded in 2005 through partnership between the Bernard Osher Foundation and the Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation.
• Vanderbilt UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSelected as a new grantee in the integrative medicine program in 2014. Gurjeet Birdee serves as director of the Osher Center program at Vanderbilt.
• University of MiamimajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdded as a grantee in the integrative health program in 2017. Dr. Robert Schwartz serves as Osher Center director at University of Miami.
• University of WashingtonmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdded as a grantee in the integrative health program in 2018. Dr. Iman Majjd serves as Director at the University of Washington Osher Center.
• University of CincinnatimajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoined the Osher integrative health consortium in 2021. Dr. Sian Cotton heads the program at the University of Cincinnati.
• University of Wisconsin-MadisonmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoined the Osher integrative health consortium in 2022. Greta Kuphal, M.D. directs the Osher Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
• University of UtahmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoined the Osher integrative health consortium in 2022. Amy Locke, M.D. is director of the University of Utah's Osher Center.
• University of VermontmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoined the Osher integrative health consortium in 2022. Jon Porter, M.D. heads the program at the University of Vermont.
• California Community College SystemcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn 2008, the Osher Foundation provided a $25 million endowment gift to the Foundation for California Community Colleges to support scholarships at every community college in California through the California Community College Student Endowment (CCCSE). The Foundation pledged to match additional contributions on a 1:2 basis over a three-year period.
• California Academy of SciencesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of three institutions administering the Osher Fellowship Program, which underwrites activities of visiting scholars and experts.
• ExploratoriummajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of three institutions administering the Osher Fellowship Program, which underwrites activities of visiting scholars and experts.
• Human Rights WatchmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of three institutions administering the Osher Fellowship Program, which underwrites activities of visiting scholars and experts.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• The Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation: Private foundation dedicated to advancing health professions education, with grantees including major academic medical centers. Most directly comparable to Osher's integrative health program structure funding leading medical schools.
• The Teagle Foundation: Private foundation focused on higher education with significant scholarship and liberal arts programming. Comparable as a higher-education-focused grantmaker of similar scale and institutional-grantmaking model.
• Lumina Foundation: Large private foundation exclusively focused on postsecondary education access and completion, including scholarship and community college funding. Highly comparable to Osher's scholarship and community college (CCCSE) programmatic focus.

Emerging players

• Road Scholar (Elderhostel): National nonprofit providing educational travel and learning programs for older adults. Directly comparable in target audience (50+ lifelong learners) and educational program model, though operates as a direct service provider rather than a grantmaker.

Broad incumbents

• The Kresge Foundation: National private foundation making grants across education, health, and community development. Comparable as a multi-program grantmaker with permanent endowment-style commitments.
• The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation: One of the largest US foundations funding higher education, arts, and humanities across hundreds of institutions. Comparable scale, endowment model, and mix of education and arts programming.
• The Henry Luce Foundation: Private foundation funding higher education, arts, and Asian scholarship programs. Comparable as a focused multi-program foundation supporting universities and lifelong learning-style initiatives.
• Barr Foundation: Private foundation supporting education and arts with permanent endowment-style grantmaking. Comparable multi-program structure with education and arts portfolios.
• The Annenberg Foundation: Large private foundation supporting education, arts, and health programs at universities and cultural institutions. Comparable multi-domain foundation with strong educational and arts portfolios.
• The James Irvine Foundation: California-based private foundation focused on education, workforce, and arts; Mary Bitterman served as President and CEO before joining Osher as President. Directly comparable as a large education-focused California grantmaker with a similar leadership pipeline.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights2 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/osher-lifelong-learning-institute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments1 record

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Frequently asked questions about The Bernard Osher Foundation