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About

History

From our roots as a health conversion foundation to our present-day focus on equity in aging, our history continues to guide us.

Our Journey Towards Health & Equity in Aging

Metta Fund is a private, nonprofit health foundation dedicated to advancing the health and wellbeing of older San Franciscans. Founded as a result of the hospital merger of Davies Medical Center with California Pacific Medical Center/Sutter Health, Metta Fund made its first grants in 1998. Since our inception, we have focused our funding on programs that improve health outcomes for San Franciscans. In 2016, Metta Fund shifted its grantmaking strategy to include a focus on older adults, given the vast need and the lack of funding in this area. We doubled down our commitment to the older adult population focus in 2021, and narrowed our grantmaking strategy through the lens of racial equity in 2023.

“Metta” is a Buddhist term drawn from an ancient Sanskrit language – chosen as our name because of its meaning: loving-kindness, benevolence. It was felt to capture the essence of the Foundation’s roots and inspires us in our efforts to forge inclusive and healthy communities where all can thrive and age with dignity and joy.

Our Journey Towards Health & Equity in Aging

Metta Fund is a private, nonprofit health foundation dedicated to advancing the health and wellbeing of older San Franciscans. Founded as a result of the hospital merger of Davies Medical Center with California Pacific Medical Center/Sutter Health, Metta Fund made its first grants in 1998. Since our inception, we have focused our funding on programs that improve health outcomes for San Franciscans. In 2016, Metta Fund shifted its grantmaking strategy to include a focus on older adults, given the vast need and the lack of funding in this area. We doubled down our commitment to the older adult population focus in 2021, and narrowed our grantmaking strategy through the lens of racial equity in 2023.

“Metta” is a Buddhist term drawn from an ancient Sanskrit language – chosen as our name because of its meaning: loving-kindness, benevolence. It was felt to capture the essence of the Foundation’s roots and inspires us in our efforts to forge inclusive and healthy communities where all can thrive and age with dignity and joy.