About

A Foundation of Support

The University of California, Berkeley Foundation (UCBF) supports and advances the mission of the University of California, Berkeley by encouraging private philanthropy. The Foundation is a critically important volunteer body affiliated with the campus and serves as the University’s primary vehicle for enlisting fundraising volunteers from the private sector. The Foundation ensures that there is a long-term commitment to the campus fundraising program.

Private support is critical to the future of Cal as full state support is unlikely to return. Private gifts are now necessary to provide for core programs, to build new buildings, to create new programs, and to carry the legacy of Cal into the next century.

The Foundation is governed by a Board of Trustees composed of professional, business, and philanthropic leaders dedicated to promoting the University’s pursuits of teaching, research, and public service. The Board assists the University in securing gifts, trusts, and bequests to nourish programs throughout the campus. Since its formation, the Board has been instrumental in driving the dynamic growth in private giving to Berkeley. Through a variety of committees and task forces, the Board supports and advises on a broad spectrum of fundraising programs and activities. It also manages the Foundation’s endowment funds and oversees the Foundation’s trusts.

The Board of Trustees also serves as a primary advocacy group to the Chancellor and provides leadership for a united effort to ensure Cal’s continuing stature as one of the world’s foremost institutions of higher learning. As such, it serves not only as the University’s fundraising arm, but also as a conduit for public opinion, an advisory council, and a steady source of assistance to Berkeley’s Chancellor and the campus as a whole.

Trustees take a leading philanthropic role by making annual contributions to Cal and by making major commitments to the University’s campaigns. The Foundation works closely with University Development and Alumni Relations and the campus development programs; together, the volunteers on the Board of Trustees and the development professionals across the campus serve as leading advocates for increasing support for the University from the private sector.