San Francisco General Hospital Foundation

What San Francisco General Hospital Foundation does

San Francisco General Hospital Foundation (SFGHF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization (Federal Tax ID 94-3189424) founded in 1986 and headquartered in San Francisco, California. Its sole mission is to fund excellence in patient care and innovation at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center (ZSFG), the city's only public hospital and the only Level 1 Trauma Center serving San Francisco and northern San Mateo County. The foundation serves a primarily underinsured and uninsured patient population exceeding 100,000 annually, addressing trauma care, mental and behavioral health, geriatric emergency services, family birthing, violence intervention, and care for housing-insecure patients.

SFGHF operates through four interconnected program lines: the Hearts in San Francisco public art project (a public-facing art-meets-philanthropy initiative commissioning heart sculptures from local artists, displaying them citywide, and auctioning them at the annual Hearts in SF Gala, which has cumulatively raised more than $40 million since 2004 across nearly 500 hearts); the Equity & Innovation Grants program (capacity-building grants of $100,000 each, institutionalized through a multi-year BMO partnership); Mental and Behavioral Health Care initiatives including the Transform Mental and Behavioral Health Fund; and Predictive Analytics in Public Health. Named clinical programs supported include Project REACH, the Hearing Screening Project, the Age-Friendly Emergency Department, the Family Birth Center, and the Wraparound violence intervention program. Research collaborations extend to UCSF and UC Berkeley, including support for the Mirai AI model for breast cancer risk identification.

The foundation's revenue model is exclusively philanthropic, with no commercial revenue streams. Funds are raised through online and monthly giving, stock and IRA transfers, wire transfers, planned/legacy giving, vehicle donations, cryptocurrency gifts, workplace matching, tribute gifts, direct sales of heart sculptures in three size tiers (Mini from $3,500, Table Top from $7,500, Large from $40,000), and the annual Hearts in SF Gala. Distribution is regional, concentrated in the San Francisco Bay Area and northern San Mateo County. Governance is via a board of directors chaired by Janis MacKenzie with CEO Kim Meredith leading operations, supported by dedicated development, events, and program staff in the 11-50 employee range.

Name

San Francisco General Hospital Foundation

Legal name

San Francisco General Hospital Foundation

Website

https://sfghf.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

San Francisco General Hospital Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that raises philanthropic funds for Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center, San Francisco's only public hospital and Level 1 Trauma Center. It serves an underinsured patient population through donations, grants, the Hearts in SF art program, and equity-focused initiatives.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Healthcare Philanthropy

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

akta.pro primary industry

Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

Keywords

• Nonprofit fundraising
• Healthcare philanthropy
• Hospital foundation grants
• Public hospital support
• Charitable art auctions

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: The foundation raises funds through various donation mechanisms including online gifts, monthly giving programs, stock transfers, IRA gifts, wire transfers, legacy/planned giving, vehicle donations, cryptocurrency, workplace matching gifts, and tribute gifts
2. Hearts in San Francisco Art Program: The foundation commissions heart sculptures from artists, displays them publicly, and auctions them to raise funds. To date, has raised more than $40 million through this program
3. Heart Sculpture Sales: Direct sales of heart sculptures in three sizes: Mini Hearts starting at $3,500, Table Top Hearts starting at $7,500, and Large Hearts starting at $40,000

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

San Francisco General Hospital Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable foundation that raises philanthropic funds through individual donations, monthly giving, planned/legacy gifts, corporate sponsorships, and a Heart sculpture sales and auction program (Mini, Table Top, and Large hearts) to support and fund excellence in patient care, medical equipment, facility improvements, and innovation programs at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center (ZSFG). The foundation channels proceeds into named initiatives including Mental and Behavioral Health Care at ZSFG, Predictive Analytics in Public Health, and Equity & Innovation Grants of $100,000 each.

Product overview

The San Francisco General Hospital Foundation is a nonprofit fundraising organization that supports and funds excellence in patient care and innovation at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center (ZSFG). The Foundation's portfolio consists of several interconnected programs: the Hearts in San Francisco public art project (a signature initiative commissioning heart sculptures to raise funds through auctions and the annual gala), Equity & Innovation Grants (capacity-building grants for hospital programs), Mental and Behavioral Health Care initiatives, and Predictive Analytics in Public Health programs. Together, these initiatives support the hospital's mission of providing equitable, accessible, quality health care for all San Franciscans.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Heart Sculptures (Mini, Table Top, Large tiers) Hand-finished, artist-commissioned heart sculptures sold by the foundation in three size tiers — Mini Hearts begin at $3,500 (6 in x 7 in x 2 in, 5 lbs), Table Top Hearts begin at $7,500 (17 in x 16 in x 8 in, 20 lbs), and Large Hearts begin at $40,000 (6 ft x 5 ft x 40 in, 400 lbs, requiring a flat surface for installation). Sales are conducted through sfghf.org and the Hearts in SF Gala, with display and acquisition ties to public art throughout San Francisco.
• Hearts in SF Gala (Annual Fundraising Event) Annual ticketed black-tie fundraising event combining cocktail reception, seated dinner, awards presentation (e.g., 2023 SFGHF Lifetime Achievement Award to Nancy Pelosi), entertainment, and live auction of Hearts in San Francisco sculptures, with proceeds supporting Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital.
• Equity & Innovation Grants Program Foundation grant program that funds ZSFG programs addressing inequities in health care delivery and fostering innovative, creative approaches to patient care, with each funded grant valued at $100,000 and supported by BMO's capacity-building partnership.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $40 million raised through Hearts in San Francisco program
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• San Francisco GiantscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Hearts in San Francisco project, with the Baer family dedicating newest heart sculpture to mental health awareness. Proceeds benefit ZSFG's Transform Mental and Behavioral Health Fund
• Pam and Larry BaercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding director of Transform Mental and Behavioral Health Fund; dedicated newest heart sculpture 'Fibers of Life' to mental health awareness
• Sojourn ChaplaincycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-faith spiritual and emotional care and counseling service at ZSFG for over 40 years, providing chaplain services to patients, families, and staff
• San Francisco Public LibraryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBooks After Bandaids program bringing Bookmobile to ZSFG campus every Friday, expanding access to library resources that support language development, school readiness, and lifelong wellbeing
• UCSFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership for AI breast cancer detection model (Mirai), medical student education, and various clinical programs at ZSFG
• UC BerkeleycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership with UCSF for development of Mirai AI model for breast cancer detection
• LEGOLAND Discovery Center Bay AreaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHousing Nathan Sawaya's Large Heart sculpture 'Inside' made with 88,748 LEGO bricks as part of Hearts in San Francisco program
• San Francisco Free ClinicminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCelebrated as partner in caring for those most in need in San Francisco, operated by Dr. Patricia Gibbs and Dr. Richard Gibbs for more than 20 years
• ZSFG Project REACHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner2024 Equity & Innovation Grant recipient transforming surgical care for patients experiencing housing instability or homelessness
• ZSFG Hearing Screening ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner2024 Equity & Innovation Grant recipient integrating audiology screening into primary care and community centers

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• UCSF Foundation: Philanthropic foundation supporting UCSF, including UCSF Medical Center and Benioff Children's Hospitals. Comparable in scale and mission as a major academic medical center fundraising arm in the Bay Area, with overlapping donor base and clinical research partnerships with ZSFG.
• Parkland Foundation: Fundraising arm for Parkland Health, the public hospital system serving Dallas County. Directly comparable as a foundation supporting a Level 1 Trauma Center public hospital with a large underinsured patient population and similar equity-driven mission.
• Boston Medical Center Foundation: Philanthropic foundation for Boston Medical Center, New England's largest safety-net hospital and busiest Level 1 Trauma Center. Closely aligned in supporting an urban academic public hospital serving a predominantly underinsured population.
• NYC Health + Hospitals Foundation: Fundraising entity for NYC's public hospital system, the largest municipal healthcare system in the US. Comparable in mission to support a public hospital network providing care regardless of ability to pay.
• Grady Health Foundation: Fundraising arm for Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia's largest public hospital and Level 1 Trauma Center. Directly comparable as a foundation supporting a major urban safety-net hospital.
• Denver Health Foundation: Philanthropic foundation supporting Denver Health, Colorado's primary safety-net hospital and Level 1 Trauma Center. Comparable in mission, scale, and urban public hospital dependency.
• Jackson Health Foundation: Fundraising arm for Jackson Health System in Miami-Dade County, a public academic health system and major trauma provider serving a diverse, largely underinsured population.
• Cook County Health Foundation: Philanthropic foundation supporting Cook County Health, one of the largest public health systems in the US anchored by Stroger Hospital in Chicago. Closely comparable as a public hospital foundation serving a high-need urban population.

Broad incumbents

• Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health: Major Bay Area hospital foundation supporting Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford. While focused on pediatric specialty care rather than public safety-net, it is a comparable large-scale Bay Area hospital foundation competing for overlapping regional donor dollars.

Others

• American Hospital Association: National trade association representing hospitals and health systems, including public hospitals like ZSFG. Relevant as an ecosystem/advocacy body rather than a direct fundraising peer, providing policy and funding context for the foundation's work.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCOvcbfAmRkBuNFu1cvBlv5A
• Facebookfacebook.com/SFGHFoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/san-francisco-general-hospital-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/sfghfoundation
• Xx.com/SFGHFoundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about San Francisco General Hospital Foundation