Equity & Innovation Grants

The Equity and Innovation Grants (EIG), formerly known as Hearts Grants, are administered by the San Francisco General Hospital Foundation (SFGHF) in partnership with Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital (ZSFG). Since its inception in 2004, this philanthropic program has awarded over $13.5 million in funding, serving as a strategic mechanism to propel innovative and equitable health initiatives that directly impact the health and well-being of San Franciscans. The program has become instrumental in enabling flexible and responsive funding to ZSFG’s varied needs. The EIG program is built on a commitment to equity and transformative healthcare. For 2025, the grant will focus on two main priorities. The first, "Care for All: Equity and Inclusion," promotes the integration of social determinants of health into clinical practices, aiming to mitigate structural inequities. This includes partnerships that support underserved communities, such as programs for Spanish-speaking patients and holistic care for individuals with complex social and medical needs. The second priority, "Transforming Health Care: Innovation and Leadership," supports experimental and effective models of care that are team-based, patient-centered, and quality-improving. Previous initiatives included mental health programs and care coordination systems that significantly improved patient outcomes. The goals of the grant program are threefold: promoting health equity, fostering innovation in healthcare delivery, and building robust community and interdepartmental partnerships at ZSFG. Applicants are expected to align their proposals with these goals, and proposals should not include requests for new personnel salaries, professional contracts, or basic research. The application process for the 2025 cycle opens on May 15 and closes on June 30, 2025, at 11:59 PM. Applicants must submit a Proposal Notification Form (PNF) in Word format and a Budget Form in Excel format. Additionally, they must receive project approval from a ZSFG Executive and a UCSF Service Chief (unless the project pertains solely to Department of Public Health services) by June 16, 2025. For assistance with the PNF, applicants may contact James Glik at james.glik@sfdph.org and copy grants@sfghf.org. Two grants of $100,000 each will be awarded for a two-year period starting March 1, 2026, and ending February 28, 2028. Interested applicants are encouraged to attend an informational webinar on May 23, 2025, or office hours on June 5, 2025, for guidance. Questions may be submitted via email with the subject line “EIG 2025” to grants@sfghf.org. All applications must be submitted through the designated SFGHF link and not via UCSF or other hospital departments.