University of California, Berkeley Foundation

The foundation delegates investment management to the Berkeley Endowment Management Company, chaired by Cyrus Hadidi. BEMCO operates with professional staff constructing a multi-asset portfolio across public and private markets. The foundation's board of trustees, chaired by Bettina Duval, retains fiduciary oversight but does not make day-to-day investment calls.

Yes — it holds a direct real estate portfolio concentrated in Berkeley, including residential properties like Anchor House and University Terrace, and commercial assets like The Gateway and 1995 University Avenue. Additionally, the foundation stewards cultural assets including the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive collection and the Bancroft Library's special collections.

The UC Berkeley Foundation is a campus-specific, legally distinct entity focused on fundraising and asset stewardship for Berkeley alone, whereas the UC Regents' investment office manages assets across the entire ten-campus University of California system. BEMCO — the Berkeley-specific investment arm — operates independently from UC Investments, making allocation decisions tailored solely to Berkeley's campus-level endowment.

BEMCO allocates across a broad range including public equities, fixed income, hedge funds, private equity, venture capital, real assets, and private credit. The endowment also holds a known cryptocurrency allocation, a relatively uncommon position among university endowments.

The foundation transfers annual distributions to the UC Regents, who then deploy the funds according to donor intent and campus priorities. These distributions support student financial aid, endowed faculty chairs, research programs, libraries, and capital projects across the Berkeley campus.