Inverness Research has conducted a "legacy study" focusing on a series of philanthropic investments aimed at improving science education in the San Francisco South Bay Area that extended for over 15 years. Roughly nine school districts enjoyed a steady stream of support for science education improvement that began with funding from the Hewlett-Packard Foundation for the K-6 Hands-On Science Program in the early 1990s; launched a more comprehensive endeavor with Bay Area Schools for Excellence in Education (BASEE), a National Science Foundation (NSF) Local Systemic Change (LSC) grant in 1997; extended into the Partnership for Student Success in Science (PS3 ), a NSF Math Science Partnership (MSP) grant funded from 2003-2008; and finally ended with the Noyce Master Teacher Program (NMTP), a NSF Noyce grant funded from 2008- 2013. The broad goal of the study was to assess, understand and portray the lasting benefits of an unusually long-term, sustained funding effort in science education. A retrospective study is a rare opportunity to explore the residuals, or enduring benefits, of grants made in science improvement. Two major questions framed this legacy study: (1) What residual effects and capacities remain years after the completion of these grants?; and (2) What are the implications of the findings for funders? Research activities included reviewing pertinent background material on the projects; conducting interviews with project leaders; conducting interviews with 21 teachers and nine district and school administrators from districts that had been or still were involved in BASEE, PS[superscript 3] and/or NMTP; and, analyzing transcripts to identify key themes and issues. Findings include the following: (1) A convergence of contextual factors severely diminished the long-term residuals of what BASEE, PS[superscript 3] and NMTP achieved; (2) There are assets that remain; and (3) There is a resurgence of interest in science education. Recommendations of areas of focus for funders are provided.