Introducing the 2026 Equity and Innovation Grantees

The Foundation celebrated 21 years of Equity & Innovation Grants and welcomed two new projects to the cohort of grantees advancing public health in our city.

Foundation supporters and Hospital staff came together to honor the 2026 Equity & Innovation Award grantees: RISE (Rehabilitative In-room Support and Engagement) and Closing the Gap. Thanks to a multi-year partnership with BMO, each grantee was awarded a $100,000 capacity-building grant, allowing for critical investment in new initiatives that will have a widespread impact on patient care at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center. 

This special occasion allowed us to celebrate the incredible achievements of more than two decades of grantmaking and reinforced our shared commitment to advancing equity and innovation at ZSFG.

Learn more about the innovation and compassion our team provides each day to patients in need.

RISE (Rehabilitative In-room Support and Engagement)

This program will train nursing assistants as Restorative Coaches. These coaches will help patients recover from serious brain injuries and return to their communities sooner. RISE also builds career pathways for frontline workers from San Francisco’s communities of color.

Closing the Gap

This initiative aims to reduce readmissions for Family Health Center patients admitted to the Family Medicine Inpatient Service. It focuses on disparities facing Black/African American patients and patients with substance use disorders, and make sure patients leave the hospital with what they need to stay well at home.