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Saint Francis Foundation
The Saint Francis Foundation was created in 1979 as a nonprofit fundraising arm dedicated to supporting Saint Francis Memorial Hospital, a Dignity Health...
Saint Francis Foundation
The Saint Francis Foundation was created in 1979 as a nonprofit fundraising arm dedicated to supporting Saint Francis Memorial Hospital, a Dignity Health facility in San Francisco. While many similar foundations serve as passive endowment conduits, Saint Francis has built an operating model rooted in direct community grantmaking. It deploys capital across four pillars — innovation in medical technology, behavioral and mental health, aging services, and crisis management — reflecting the hospital's acute-care legacy and the city's changing public-health demands. The foundation's grantmaking supports programs that improve access to care for underserved populations in San Francisco. Its strategy mixes venture-style backing for new medical technologies with conventional philanthropic grants to community-based clinics and crisis-response initiatives. Confirmed partners include the San Francisco Community Health Center (SFCHC) and the Tenderloin Health Improvement Partnership (TLHIP). On the investment side, the foundation holds a private real estate portfolio in San Francisco and a related limited partnership, but it does not publicly disclose an endowment size or annual deployment target. Governance rests with a board that blends nonprofit oversight and institutional finance experience. Current Chair Matt Brady is a Managing Director at Citi Private Bank, while Lauryn Agnew, a recent board addition, brings three decades of institutional investment experience advising nonprofits. Former Board Chair Arjun Dev Arora was a Partner at 500 Startups and later founded Format One. In April 2024, the foundation welcomed Agnew and Martha Delgado to its board, signaling an intent to deepen impact-focused stewardship. Structurally, the foundation differs from health-conversion foundations or large independent endowments: it functions as a direct fundraising and granting vehicle permanently tethered to a single operating hospital. That relationship makes it less a standalone asset manager than a philanthropic extension of a care-delivery system, with capital raised and granted within the same city blocks it serves.
General information
Firm type
Endowment / Foundation
Year founded
1979
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
San Francisco
Corporate office
155 Sansome St., Ste. 500, San Francisco, CA 94104, United States
Principals
Matt Brady
Board Chair
Lauryn Agnew
Board Member
Martha Delgado
Board Member
Altss tracks 1 additional named team member for this firm — including direct investment leads, IR, and operating principals not listed on the public website.
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Frequently asked questions
How is the Saint Francis Foundation related to Saint Francis Memorial Hospital?
The foundation was founded in 1979 as the primary fundraising and grantmaking vehicle for Saint Francis Memorial Hospital, now part of the Dignity Health system. It operates as a separate nonprofit entity but exists specifically to raise and distribute funds that support the hospital's programs and related community health initiatives. The relationship ensures that dollars raised by the foundation flow directly into the San Francisco communities served by the hospital.
What does the foundation's grantmaking process look like?
The foundation reviews and distributes grants across four funding pillars: innovation and transformation, behavioral and mental health, aging, and crisis management and response. Grants go to both hospital-based programs and external community partners such as the San Francisco Community Health Center and the Tenderloin Health Improvement Partnership. The foundation's board, which includes members with institutional investment and banking backgrounds, oversees the allocation of these funds.
Does the foundation manage a large investment portfolio?
The Saint Francis Foundation does not publicly disclose an endowment size. Its known holdings include a private real estate portfolio in San Francisco and an associated limited partnership. Unlike large independent health foundations, its focus remains on fundraising and immediate grantmaking tied to the hospital's mission rather than on building a massive perpetual endowment.
Who sits on the foundation's board, and what expertise do they bring?
The board combines community members with financial and investment expertise. Current Chair Matt Brady is a Managing Director at Citi Private Bank. Lauryn Agnew, named to the board in April 2024, brings over 30 years of institutional investment strategy experience. Former Chair Arjun Dev Arora was a Partner at 500 Startups and founded Format One. This mix of perspectives informs the foundation's approach to stewardship and grantmaking.
What role does the foundation play during public health emergencies?
Crisis management and response is one of its four funding pillars. The foundation helps safeguard San Franciscans during acute emergencies like earthquakes and fires and supports partners responding to prolonged challenges such as the HIV/AIDS epidemic, chronic homelessness, and infectious diseases including COVID-19. These grants often flow to organizations providing immediate frontline services in underserved neighborhoods.
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