# University of California, Berkeley Foundation

University of California, Berkeley Foundation is an Endowment / Foundation based in Berkeley, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Endowment / Foundation
- **Headquarters:** Berkeley, United States
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** Berkeley, CA, United States
- **Founded:** 1948
- **Assets under management:** Undisclosed
- **Website:** foundation.berkeley.edu
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/university-of-california-berkeley

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

The University of California, Berkeley Foundation is a foundation based in Berkeley, US. It manages approximately $2.9 billion in assets across 28 funds, primarily focused on North America.

## Sectors

- Real Estate
- Hedge Funds
- Private Credit

## People

- Bettina Duval — Chair, Board of Trustees
- Rich Lyons — Chancellor, UC Berkeley; ex-officio Board member
- Cyrus Hadidi — Chair, Berkeley Endowment Management Company (BEMCO)

## Questions

### Who makes investment decisions for the UC 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.

### Does the foundation hold assets beyond its financial investment portfolio?

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.

### How does the foundation's structure differ from the UC Regents' investment office?

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.

### Does the endowment include exposure to alternative asset classes?

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.

### How do annual distributions from the foundation reach the campus?

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.

## Related profiles

- [University of Bath Endowment](https://altss.com/profile/university-of-bath-endowment)
- [University of California, Merced Foundation](https://altss.com/profile/university-of-california-merced-foundation)

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Last updated: 2026-06-03T20:00:00.000Z

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