ABOUT THE BERNARD OSHER FOUNDATION

The Bernard Osher Foundation was founded by Bernard Osher in 1977. Through the foundation, his philanthropy has benefited a wide range of educational, cultural, and other nonprofit organizations. Recognizing that the proportion of older people in the United States is growing rapidly, and with it, the demand for lifelong learning programs, the Osher Foundation began to encourage the development of vibrant learning communities of older adults. The foundation felt that these older students were interested in learning for the joy of learning—without homework or examinations.

Today the Foundation is supporting 93 Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes (OLLI) on university and college campuses in 39 states (plus the District of Columbia), as well as a National Resource Center for the Institutes at the University of Southern Maine. The Osher foundation provides each program with an initial grant of $100,000 for each of three years with an eventual endowment of one million dollars should the program demonstrate potential for success and sustainability. This allows the programs to offer a variety of courses and programs at an affordable cost to members.