University of California San Francisco

Legal name: University of California San Francisco Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
942829914
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Official website data refreshed
Sep 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
Location
San Francisco, CA, USA
Phone
4154763618
Rating
81
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Single Organization Support

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$573,647,446
Expenses
$526,867,633
Assets
$4,595,441,099
Liabilities
$562,343,265

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

51 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • samuel hawgood (president)
  • erin hickey (vice president)

Highest reported compensation

  • samuel hawgood (president): $1,076,194 total reported compensation
  • erin hickey (vice president): $591,800 total reported compensation
  • erin gore (treasurer): $583,515 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

UCSF is the leading university dedicated to advancing health worldwide through preeminent biomedical research, graduate-level education in the life sciences and health professions, and excellence in patient care. Today UCSF’s public mission goes beyond San Francisco and delivers a substantial impact on a national and global level by innovating health care approaches for the world’s most vulnerable populations, training the next generation of doctors, nurses, dentists, pharmacists and scientists; supporting elementary and high school education; and translating scientific discoveries into better health for everyone. Values In his 2016 State of the University Address, Chancellor Sam Hawgood announced that UCSF is embracing a common set of values to set a clear direction for all members of the UCSF community as we work together to fulfill our mission. This set of overarching values...

What it reported doing in 2024

In 2025, distributions to ucsf and related affiliates totaled $498 million. Distributions are based on ucsf's programmatic needs, subject to gift restrictions and the funds available in any particular year. They include transfers of gifts intended to fund capital projects, gifts for other purposes, and endowment income. 2025 distributions for capital projects - bakar research and academic building - totaled $1 million. Noncapital distributions supporting research, faculty, institutional support, medical center, teaching hospital, instruction, student financial aid and academic support needs totaled $497 million.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 92% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 100% of its reported program spending out as grants.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Few specific pay-setting methods are documented in the filing; unanswered boxes are not proof of absence and the filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 87
  • Transparency & Controls: 64
  • Accountability: 91
  • Sustainability: 79
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 94.6%; rating input score 95
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 68th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 0 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 0
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Missing
  • Foreign activity oversight: Scored; rating input score 0
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Yes; rating input score 100

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 7 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 78
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Fail
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 8.2%; rating input score 68; 68th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 8.72; rating input score 90; 90th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.12; rating input score 79; 79th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 95; 95th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 6.6% per year; rating input score 100; 54th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 6.7% per year; rating input score 100; 58th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 8.7% per year; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 2 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 2 operating locations identified
  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 94.6% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 44 of 44 board members independent · 7 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $498.2M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $1.1M · 51 people listed · 0 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $309K reported
  • Consistency: 21 of 21 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 9 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, grants, executive pay, and related organizations
  • Filing history: 9 filing years from 2009 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 7 filed related-organization links
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Transparency & Controls: Pay-setting controls scored 0/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight scored 0/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 9 not reported.