Bernard Osher Foundation
OVERVIEW: The Bernard Osher Foundation supports invests in scholarships, lifelong learning, integrative medicine and local arts and education.”
IP TAKE: This funder supports higher education through its scholarship and fellowship program. It also supports programs for older learners at colleges and universities. Grant application is specific to each initiative.
PROFILE: The Bernard Osher Foundation was established in 1977 by Bernard Osher, a banker, businessman and community leader. Based in San Francisco, the foundation aims to “improve quality of life through support for higher education and the arts.” Its funding initiatives are the Osher Scholars and Fellows Program, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes, the Osher Integrative Medicine Program and local arts and education.
Grants for Higher Education
Osher’s Scholars and Fellows program consist of scholarship and fellowship programs at over 100 colleges and universities across the U.S. Many of these scholarships aim to provide support to “reentry” students between the ages of 25 and 50 whose education has been interrupted. Scholarships are awarded by the partner colleges and universities.
Osher’s Lifelong Learning Institutes support “non-credit courses and activities specifically developed for seasoned adults aged 50 or older who are interested in learning for the joy of learning.” More than 100 Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes operate at colleges and universities in the U.S., with at least one in each of the 50 states.
In the area of integrative medicine, Osher focuses on “education, research, and clinical services” that “emphasize the combined use of modern medicine with complementary therapies and established healing practices to promote health and wellness.” The program currently consists of seven centers operating at medical schools in the U.S. and Sweden.
Grants for Arts Education
Osher’s local arts and education program supports “performing arts groups, literary programs, educational and environmental groups, and social service organizations” operating in the San Francisco Bay Area and in the state of Maine.
Important Grant Details:
The Bernard Osher Foundation made over $8 million in grants in a recent year. Grants range from $25,000 to $2 million, with an average grant size of about $150,000. For additional information about past grantmaking, see the foundation’s recent tax filings.
This funder accepts grant applications for each of its programs, but guidelines and due dates vary significantly by program. Grantseekers are advised to review program pages carefully before applying. For general inquiries, the foundation may be contacted by telephone at (415) 861-5587.
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