Grants History

Intertwined with the history of Mount Zion Hospital and Medical Center, Mount Zion Health Fund has experienced several transitions that have brought the organization to its current status. Prior to 1990, philanthropic gifts to support activities at Mount Zion Hospital and Medical Center were received and utilized directly by the hospital. In 1990, as part of an integration agreement with the University of California at San Francisco, Mount Zion Health Systems, Inc. assumed responsibility for managing and distributing philanthropic funds given historically for the Mount Zion hospital campus.

With an endowment of approximately $20 million, income in the early years was used to support traditional needs of the hospital. This included, for example, assistance for Russian émigrés' health care needs, the chaplaincy program, and specialized medical equipment.

Over the next several years, as the endowment more than doubled (through philanthropic contributions and investment growth), MZHF's leadership recognized an expanded capacity to meet health needs in the community. In the mid-1990s, the Board undertook a strategic planning process to better articulate the mission and vision of the organization. This led to a more active role in community health grantmaking, as well as to a name change (from Mount Zion Health Systems, Inc. to Mount Zion Health Fund) to better reflect the organization's grantmaking focus.

Consistent with its new mission, MZHFs grantmaking in the larger San Francisco area grew, while it was still providing significant support for exciting new projects at the UCSF Mount Zion Campus.

In 2005, the MZHF Board of Directors voted to become a supporting foundation of the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties to increase operational efficiency, and thereby increase funds available for grantmaking. For several years MZHF continued to support a wide variety of community-based nonprofit organizations addressing health concerns within San Francisco, along with significant Mount Zion Campus activity in the areas of patient care, education and research.

In 2011, with the economic downturn limiting resources available for grantmaking, the Board reviewed the organization's funding focus and, in acknowledgement of MZHF's historical roots, approved revised funding priorities as of July 2011: Jewish Legacy Awards (core or innovative health-related programming at San Francisco community-based agencies with past or current Jewish roots); Mount Zion Campus - Community Partnerships (fostering collaborations between Mount Zion Campus programs working in partnership with San Francisco community-based agencies to provide innovative community health programming); Mount Zion Campus-based Awards focused on patient care and/or health education programs.

Click to view FY 2010 - 2011 grants made by Mount Zion Health Fund. To view past grants please visit MZHF’s archive.

In Partnership with our Donors

The MZHF Board of Directors acknowledges and thanks the individuals and families who have contributed so generously to improve the health of the community. MZHF is honored to play a role in allocating these important resources in accordance with donor's wishes.