Barbara and Gerson Bakar Foundation

The foundation does not appear to maintain a separate investment office. Barbara Bass Bakar serves as President, and the foundation's assets are concentrated in income-producing California real estate developed or acquired by Gerson Bakar over several decades. Grantmaking decisions are made by the board, which includes Barbara Bakar, daughter Anne Bakar, and longtime legal advisor Richard L. Greene.

The endowment stems from Gerson Bakar's real estate development and investment career starting in the 1960s. He built and held apartment communities in San Mateo, Newport Beach, Aliso Viejo, Daly City, and San Bruno, along with commercial properties including Levi's Plaza and the Northpoint Shopping Center in San Francisco. The properties remain in the foundation's portfolio, generating income that funds annual grantmaking.

Higher education and biomedical research dominate, with a particular concentration at UCSF — including the Bakar Immunotherapy Institute and the Bakar Fitness & Recreation Center — and UC Berkeley, where the Bakar BioEnginuity Hub supports life-science entrepreneurship. The foundation also funds Jewish community organizations, youth programs, and Bay Area social services.

Based on available information, the foundation does not operate a public-facing website, solicit grant proposals, or advertise a formal application process. This suggests a primarily proactive, relationship-based giving model, with grants directed to institutions and causes with long-standing ties to the Bakar family.

The foundation is a private foundation, as is typical for family-endowed grantmaking entities funded by a single wealth source. The family retains governance control through Barbara Bass Bakar as President and daughter Anne Bakar and attorney Richard L. Greene as Directors.