The UCSF Foundation was established in 1982 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public benefit corporation to promote the welfare of the University of California, San Francisco by raising funds to meet critical needs, sponsoring educational programs and involving friends and supporters in the work of the University.

The UCSF Foundation comprises approximately 100 members—all distinguished leaders from the community, the University or the alumni body—who elect a board of directors that serves as the Foundation's governing body. This board oversees the Foundation's operations through several committees: advocacy, finance, foundation relations, investment, trusts, membership development and support groups.

The UCSF Foundation's daily operations are carried out by the Office of University Development and Alumni Relations. Because only 13 percent of the University’s operating budget comes from state sources, UCSF has grown increasingly dependent on the Foundation to cultivate private support.

Ranked among the top health sciences institutions in the world, UCSF is positioned to translate fundamental advances in the biomedical and quantitative sciences into new knowledge, cures and treatments. But diminishing state funding, aging facilities and the realities of health-care economics all challenge its ability to fulfill this promise.

Without significant private support, UCSF will remain static in a rapidly changing world. With the resources generated by private giving, UCSF will be able to remain at the forefront of medical innovation and continue in its mission of improving human health.