The California Health Care Foundation is dedicated to advancing meaningful, measurable improvements in the way the health care delivery system provides care to the people of California, particularly those with low incomes and those whose needs are not well served by the status quo. We work to ensure that people have access to the care they need, when they need it, at a price they can afford. 

At the California Health Care Foundation, we know that health care is a basic necessity. We work hard to improve California’s health care system, so it works for all Californians.

Because Californians with low incomes experience the biggest health burden and face the greatest barriers to care, our priority is to make sure they can get the care they need.

We are especially focused on strengthening Medi-Cal — the cornerstone of California’s safety net. We are also committed to finding better ways to meet the health care needs of the millions of people who remain uninsured in our state. And we are working to better integrate care for Californians who experience mental illness, alcohol or drug use issues, or other complex health conditions.

Read about how COVID-19 has affected CHCF grantmaking.

Our Goals

To make meaningful change possible in California’s health system, we organize our work around three main goals: (1) improving access to coverage and care, (2) promoting high-value care, and (3) laying the foundation.

Strategy at a Glance

Our three-year organizational goals are broken down into 10 focus areas.

Our Approach

To achieve our mission and goals, CHCF needs to be able to influence how health care for Californians with low incomes is financed, regulated, and delivered. Learn about the resources and capabilities we employ.

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

At CHCF, we aim to put into practice — through all aspects of our work, organizational policies, and culture — the values and principles that will move us toward a vision of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Learning & Impact

CHCF’s goal is to bring about measurable, sustainable change to California’s complex health care system in service of our mission. To achieve this goal, we deploy a broad range of tactics.

Fast Facts About CHCF

Purpose: Nonprofit independent philanthropy
Focus: Grantmaking to improve California’s health care system
Founded: 1996
Employees: ~50
Offices: Oakland and Sacramento
Assets: $791 million (3/31/2019)
Grants awarded: $24 million (fiscal year ended 3/31/2019)