Berkeley Free Clinic
Berkeley Free Clinic is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit volunteer collective founded in 1969 in Berkeley, CA that provides free medical, dental, counseling, and social services to uninsured, low-income, unhoused, LGBTQ+, and immigrant populations in the East Bay.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1969
- HeadquartersBerkeley, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Berkeley Free Clinic does
Berkeley Free Clinic is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit volunteer collective founded in 1969 in Berkeley, California, providing free client-centered healthcare services to underserved populations in the East Bay. The organization operates through 11 distinct sections delivering a portfolio of services including STI screening and treatment, TB testing (currently paused), peer counseling, health insurance and food benefits enrollment, dental services (currently paused), eyeglasses and vision screenings, resource navigation, and mobile outreach distributing hot meals, hygiene supplies, and harm reduction items. The clinic serves uninsured and low-income individuals, unhoused persons, LGBTQ+ community members, immigrants and refugees, and the general Berkeley community — all at zero cost, with no insurance or income verification required. Services are available via walk-in, scheduled appointments, phone consultations, and community outreach, with evening and weekend hours to accommodate working individuals.
The clinic's technology infrastructure is minimal: it uses athenahealth for its client portal and medical records management, Google Forms for appointment scheduling and dental lottery applications, and a website plus Instagram (@BFCOutreach) for digital presence. The organization operates as a radical, non-hierarchical workers' collective where all volunteers have equal membership, voice, and voting rights in decision-making. The clinic has historically sacrificed hundreds of thousands of dollars in government funding to preserve client confidentiality by refusing to share client identities and histories.
Berkeley Free Clinic generates no fee-for-service revenue, having never charged for any services, materials, medications, or supplies. Its revenue model is entirely donation-dependent, drawing from individual donations (via PayPal Giving Fund or mail), organizational and institutional grants, government healthcare program payments, and in-kind supply donations. The organization holds 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status (EIN #94-1697002) and NAFC Quality Standards Gold Seal certification. It is governed by a Board of Directors including Chair David Gonzalez, and operates from a newly opened facility at 830 University Ave in Berkeley in partnership with LifeLong Medical Care.
Berkeley Free Clinic firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Berkeley Free Clinic
- Legal name
- Berkeley Free Clinic
- Website
- https://berkeleyfreeclinic.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1969
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Berkeley Free Clinic is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit volunteer collective founded in 1969 in Berkeley, CA that provides free medical, dental, counseling, and social services to uninsured, low-income, unhoused, LGBTQ+, and immigrant populations in the East Bay.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Berkeley Free Clinic industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Health Services
- NAICS
- Outpatient Care Centers (6214), Other Individual and Family Services (62419)
- SIC
- Services-Offices & Clinics Of Doctors Of Medicine (8011), Services-Specialty Outpatient Facilities, Nec (8093)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Community-Based Preventive & Health Promotion Clinics (HLAFAGAO)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Primary Care for Underserved Populations (e.g., migrant, homeless, refugee clinics) (HLAFAGAN)
Keywords
Where Berkeley Free Clinic is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Berkeley
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Berkeley Free Clinic business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: Individual community members make tax-deductible donations to support clinic operations. Donations can be made online via PayPal Giving Fund (which charges no transaction fees) or by mail.
- Organizational/Institutional Donations: Grants and contributions from organizations and institutional donors support clinic operations.
- Government Programs: The clinic participates in government healthcare support programs. Income has been generated via government programs alongside individual/organizational donations.
- Supply Donations: In-kind donations of supplies and medical materials from community members and wishlists.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | Free Services - No Cost to Clients |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Berkeley Free Clinic product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Berkeley Free Clinic is a volunteer-run, community-based healthcare collective that provides free medical, dental, and social services to community members in Berkeley and the East Bay. Services include STI screening and treatment, tuberculosis testing, peer counseling, health insurance and food benefits enrollment assistance, dental care (via lottery), eyeglasses/vision services, resource navigation and referrals, and mobile street outreach distributing meals, hygiene supplies, and harm reduction items.
Product overview
Berkeley Free Clinic is a volunteer-run, community-based healthcare collective offering a unified portfolio of free medical and social services. The clinic operates through 11 distinct sections providing direct patient care and health education. Core services include STI screening and treatment, TB testing, peer counseling, health insurance enrollment assistance, dental care, vision services, and a resource navigation call center. The organization emphasizes demystification of healthcare knowledge and empowers clients through education, referrals, and inclusive, non-judgmental care delivered at no cost regardless of insurance or immigration status.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Resource Navigation and Call Center Free front desk and phone-based referral service that directs community members to appropriate medical and social services, including shelters, food resources, crisis hotlines, and hospitals. Available Monday-Friday 6pm-9pm, Saturday 11am-2pm, and Sunday 4pm-7pm.
- STI Screening and Treatment Free walk-in and appointment-based sexually transmitted infection testing and treatment services, including tests for chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, HIV, trichomoniasis, and viral hepatitis, with treatment provided for positive results. Available Wednesday evenings and Sundays.
- TB Testing Services Free tuberculosis skin testing with results read on Sundays; QuantiFERON testing previously offered but currently halted due to budget cuts.
- Peer Counseling Free confidential phone (30-minute) and in-person (50-minute) counseling sessions with trained peer counselors. In-person sessions on Tuesdays and 2nd/4th Sundays; phone sessions on 2nd and 4th Thursdays.
- Health Insurance and Food Benefits Enrollment Assistance with enrolling in and using health insurance and food benefit programs including Medi-Cal, Covered California, and Cal-Fresh. In-person drop-ins on 1st and 3rd Saturdays and scheduled phone appointments.
- Dental Services Free dental care provided to a limited number of individuals through a monthly lottery system, prioritizing uninsured, unhoused, and low-income patients, including immigrants and refugees without Denti-Cal access.
- Outreach Team Services Mobile street outreach service distributing hot meals, hygiene supplies, and harm reduction items including naloxone and safer use supplies to community members in need. Locations vary weekly.
- Eyeglasses and Vision Screenings Free over-the-counter and prescription eyeglasses for eligible clients, along with limited vision screening services.
Companies that use Berkeley Free Clinic
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Berkeley Free Clinic technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Berkeley Free Clinic partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- LifeLong Medical CarecoreLifeLong Medical Care co-locates with Berkeley Free Clinic at the Ann Chandler Building (830 University Ave). A ribbon cutting ceremony celebrated the opening of this shared facility, representing a strategic partnership to provide integrated healthcare services to the Berkeley community.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Berkeley Free Clinic competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Volunteer Healthcare Clinic: Volunteer-staffed free clinic in Austin, Texas providing free medical, dental, and mental health care to uninsured low-income adults. Direct peer on scope (medical + dental + counseling), volunteer model, and free-to-patient pricing.
- RotaCare Bay Area: Network of free clinics across the Bay Area, including sites in the East Bay, staffed by volunteer physicians. Directly comparable free-clinic model serving uninsured populations, with a multi-site footprint that contrasts with BFC's single-site model.
- Haight Ashbury Medical Clinics: Long-standing San Francisco free clinic founded in 1967 in the Haight-Ashbury counterculture, with a comparable volunteer and harm reduction heritage. Direct peer on mission, model, and target populations (uninsured, LGBTQ+, people who use drugs).
- San Francisco Free Clinic: Volunteer-staffed free clinic in San Francisco providing free medical care to uninsured adults. Most directly comparable peer — same free-to-patient, volunteer-driven, donation-funded model serving a similar Bay Area uninsured population.
- Suitcase Clinic: UC Berkeley-affiliated volunteer-run free clinic also based in Berkeley, serving unhoused and low-income populations. Closest geographic peer with overlapping service mix (primary care, mental health, social services) and similar volunteer collective ethos.
- Pacific Free Clinic: Stanford-affiliated free clinic in San Jose providing free primary and specialty care to uninsured adults. Directly comparable as a volunteer-staffed free clinic serving a similar Bay Area low-income population, though with a university affiliation.
- The Shade Tree Clinic: Student-run free clinic in Nashville, Tennessee operated by Vanderbilt medical students. Comparable as a volunteer-driven free clinic providing primary and specialty care to uninsured patients, though anchored in a university rather than an independent community collective.
Others
- National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics (NAFC): National membership and standards body for free and charitable clinics in the U.S. Industry association rather than a direct competitor — issues the Gold Seal quality certification BFC holds and aggregates member clinics.
Broad incumbents
- LifeLong Medical Care: Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) operating across the East Bay and now co-located with BFC at the Ann Chandler Building. Broader incumbent with paid clinical staff, sliding-scale billing, and insurance acceptance — both a partner and a larger-scale alternative provider for the same population.
- Planned Parenthood Northern California: Regional affiliate providing reproductive and sexual health services, including STI testing, across Northern California. Overlaps with BFC's STI screening and LGBTQ+ services, but operates as a larger, multi-site organization with insurance billing.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Berkeley Free Clinic social profiles
Digital presenceBerkeley Free Clinic compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Berkeley Free Clinic financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Berkeley Free Clinic leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Berkeley Free Clinic funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Berkeley Free Clinic M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Berkeley Free Clinic
What does Berkeley Free Clinic do?
Berkeley Free Clinic is a volunteer-run, community-based healthcare collective that provides free medical, dental, and social services to community members in Berkeley and the East Bay. Services include STI screening and treatment, tuberculosis testing, peer counseling, health insurance and food benefits enrollment assistance, dental care (via lottery), eyeglasses/vision services, resource navigation and referrals, and mobile street outreach distributing meals, hygiene supplies, and harm reduction items.
Is Berkeley Free Clinic a public or private company?
Berkeley Free Clinic is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Berkeley Free Clinic founded?
Berkeley Free Clinic was founded in 1969. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Berkeley Free Clinic based?
Berkeley Free Clinic is headquartered in Berkeley, United States, in the North America region.
How does Berkeley Free Clinic make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are organizational/Institutional Donations, government Programs and supply Donations.
Who are Berkeley Free Clinic's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Volunteer Healthcare Clinic, RotaCare Bay Area, Haight Ashbury Medical Clinics, San Francisco Free Clinic, Suitcase Clinic, Pacific Free Clinic and The Shade Tree Clinic. National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics (NAFC) is listed as an others. Broad incumbents are LifeLong Medical Care and Planned Parenthood Northern California.
Does Berkeley Free Clinic have an API?
No public API is recorded for Berkeley Free Clinic.
What industry is Berkeley Free Clinic in?
Berkeley Free Clinic's product category is Community Health Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAFAGAO, Community-Based Preventive & Health Promotion Clinics, with a secondary code of HLAFAGAN, Primary Care for Underserved Populations (e.g., migrant, homeless, refugee clinics). Its NAICS code is 6214 and its SIC code is 8011.