UC Berkeley Foundation Operations

About

The UC Berkeley Foundation (the Foundation, UCBF) is a California nonprofit public benefit corporation established to secure support for the university and staffed by University Development and Alumni Relations (UDAR) leadership. 

The mission of the Foundation is to support and advance UC Berkeley by encouraging private philanthropy and providing leadership to ensure UC Berkeley’s place as a preeminent global institution.  

  • The Board of Trustees governs the Foundation and is composed of professional, business, and philanthropic leaders dedicated to promoting the university’s pursuits of teaching, research, and public service
  • The Board of Trustees meet three times a year to conduct its business, although special meetings may be called at any time  
  • The Board of Trustees consists mainly of UC Berkeley alumni and includes the Chancellor. Members are elected to hold renewable three-year terms as Trustees. Thirteen trustees are elected to serve as executive officers, holding two-year terms
  • Emeritus Trustees are elected in recognition of a lifetime of unusually distinguished service to the campus, and they serve as permanent members of the Foundation Board
  • Vice chancellors, deans, and other campus administrators serve as important advisors to the Foundation

What We Do

Philanthropic Leadership

The Foundation is UC Berkeley’s primary vehicle for enlisting fundraising volunteers from the private sector. The primary mission of the Board of Trustees is to assist the university in securing gifts, trusts, and bequests to nourish programs throughout the campus. Since its formation, the Board has been an instrumental force in driving the dynamic growth in private giving to UC Berkeley. 

  • The Foundation works closely with UDAR and the campus development programs to encourage support for the university’s instructional and research activities
  • Together, the Board of Trustees and the professional development staff across the campus serve as leading advocates for increasing support for the university from the private sector
  • Trustees also take a leading philanthropic role by making regular contributions to Cal and by making major commitments to the university’s campaigns

Advice and Expertise

The Board of Trustees serves as one of the primary advocacy groups to the Chancellor and provides leadership for a united effort to ensure Cal’s continuing stature as one of the world’s preeminent 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 UC Berkeley’s Chancellor and the campus as a whole.

  • The Board of Trustees provides support and advice to a broad spectrum of campus fundraising programs and activities through a variety of committees and task forces.The Foundation’s various committees advise campus administration on the endowment, public relations, long-range planning, and other critical issues
  • The Foundation committees and subcommittees include Audit; Environmental; Social and Governance (ESG); Executive; Finance and Administration; Governance; Nominations; Programs; and Trusts and Annuities; as well as joint committees with the Board of Visitors, such as Capital Strategies, External Affairs, and Research
  • Committee meetings usually take place on a quarterly basis (three to four meetings per calendar year)

Participation in Foundation committees is just one way some Trustees enjoy participating; others continue to prioritize their engagement on campus unit advisory boards or other unit organizations, special projects. Engagement in Foundation committees and/or campus committees is a way for Trustees to share valuable expertise and advice with campus leadership.

Endowment

UC Berkeley’s endowment is managed and invested by two fiduciaries: 

  1. The UC Regents; and 
  2. The UC Berkeley Foundation, to which new gifts are directed unless otherwise requested by a donor

The Foundation Board of Trustees ensures the professional management of the Foundation’s endowment and oversees the trusts. The Board of Trustees has a fiduciary responsibility to ensure that the endowment is administered in compliance with relevant law and according to donor intent. 

  • Substantially all of the Foundation’s endowed assets are invested in a pool managed by the Berkeley Endowment Management Company (BEMCO), a nonprofit subsidiary corporation created in 2009. The Foundation Board of Trustees approves membership of the BEMCO Board of Directors, and two members of the Foundation Board of Trustees also serve as members of the BEMCO Board of Directors
  • The President and Chief Investment Officer of BEMCO engages with several Foundationcommittees throughout the year, and every October, delivers an annual report to the Foundation Board of Trustees
  • The Board of Trustees approves the annual payout rate for the Foundation’s endowment. The Foundation’s Finance and Administration committee recommends the payout rate on an annual basis
  • The Foundation’s Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Subcommittee articulates broad parameters around investment philosophy

Contact

​​MiHi Ahn
Executive Director
Email: mahn@berkeley.edu

Jane Sperling Wise
Director of Foundation Operations
Email: janeswise@berkeley.edu

Monica Alarcon
Administrative and Communications Coordinator
Email: m.alarcon@berkeley.edu

Visit the administrative officer's page at UC Berkeley Foundation site.