For Foundations

Advancing Mutual Goals for Change & Impact

The Office of Foundation Relations and Corporate Philanthropy serves as the central hub for national, regional, private, and family foundations seeking to support research, education, and programs that align with their philanthropic mission and goals.

With our connections throughout the university, we are able to connect foundations to academic leaders and faculty in schools, departments, centers, and labs across campus. These partnerships with our campus have helped develop solutions to pressing technical and social challenges, enriched the excellence of faculty research and teaching, and assisted generations of exceptional students in realizing their full academic potential.

We can help foundations navigate the university, find faculty, align with programs of interest, and arrange for campus meetings. We also facilitate funding requests, awards, and reporting, and help illuminate campus research funding policies. Feel free to contact any of our FRCP staff or email our departmental email at cfr_office@berkeley.edu.

Campus Resources

The Sponsored Projects Office (SPO) at the University of California, Berkeley is responsible for reviewing and authorizing proposals for submission and for interpreting, negotiating, and accepting contracts and grants for sponsored projects funded by federal and state agencies, foundations, and other public and private sources. SPO prepares and negotiates all subawards for collaborative research. SPO also provides resources for finding funding opportunities.

In Limited Submission Programs, the sponsor restricts the number of applications or proposals a campus can submit to the agency. The guidelines for these programs require institutions to screen preproposals or nominations to determine which applications will be submitted for competition.

The Berkeley Research Development Office (BRDO) provides a range of grant application-related services aimed at increasing research funding on campus while decreasing faculty burden in applying for it. BRDO works with faculty to facilitate team-building, support effective proposal development and writing, assist with broader impact plans, and assess project fit with funding opportunities. BRDO also provides proposal-related training and resources for faculty and postdoctoral researchers. 

Donor and Gift Services (D&GS) provides an end-to-end spectrum of service that picks up from the point of donor solicitation and follows a gift through processing and acceptance, fund creation and management, and donor acknowledgement and recognition. It has delegated authority to accept gifts on behalf of the UC Berkeley Foundation and the UC Regents, has administrative responsibility for all private charitable contributions to UC Berkeley, representing cash and pledges of approximately $400 million annually, and manages nearly 15,000 active current use, capital and endowed gift funds. As an active advocate for donor interest, Donor and Gift Services manages an array of programs that acknowledge and recognize donors in meaningful ways, report to them on the impact of their philanthropy, and engage them with the campus.

Visit Us

Foundation Relations & Corporate Philanthropy is located on the 4th floor of the Golden Bear Extension building. To schedule an in person meeting, please contact cfr_office@berkeley.edu.