The Pennsylvania Bar Foundation, the 501(c)(3) charitable affiliate of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, was incorporated in 1984 in response to the organized bar's desire to become more involved in public service.

A Board of Directors consisting of 12 elected directors, 13 designated directors manage the Foundation. The elected directors represent a geographical cross-section similar to the zone representation of the Pennsylvania Bar Association Board of Governors. The designated directors include all living past presidents of the Foundation, one lawyer and one non-lawyer appointed annually by the Pennsylvania Bar Association Vice-president, one lawyer appointed by the Pennsylvania Bar Institute President, the Chair of the Pennsylvania Bar Association Young Lawyers Division or his/her designee, the President of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, one dean of a Pennsylvania law school and the officers of the Foundation. All terms are three years in length except for those designated directors who serve by virtue of holding a one-term office. Only Fellows, Life Fellows and Charter Members are eligible to be elected as officers of the Foundation.

Articles of Incorporation and the Bylaws guide the Foundation directors. The full Board meets quarterly and relies on its Executive Committee to address management issues between meetings. Full membership meetings are held annually in conjunction with the Annual Meeting of the Pennsylvania Bar Association.

The financial support of Foundation is generated almost exclusively from voluntary lawyer contributions. In addition to the contributions Pennsylvania Bar Association members make through their annual dues renewal form, there are five categories of membership.