Following a long family tradition of involvement with the University of California, Berkeley, the Haas, Jr. Fund has supported several major efforts to help Cal enhance its commitment to athletic and academic excellence.

The Haas, Jr. Fund is supporting the planning phase of a major multiyear initiative for progress on diversity, equity and inclusion for the UC Berkeley campus. This initiative will focus on creating the sustainable, institutional change necessary to embrace the core values and practices encouraged by the University. The planning process includes conducting a data-driven study as well as developing broad-based community engagement. The Equity and Inclusion website helps create dialogue in the community about these issues. Since 2005, the Haas, Jr. Fund has invested $900,000 toward this groundbreaking effort.

Also, through the generosity of the Levi Strauss Foundation, the University has established the Robert D. Haas Chancellor's Chair in Equity and Inclusion. It honors Robert Haas, a trustee of the Haas, Jr. Fund and a UC Berkeley alumnus, who recently stepped down as chief executive officer and chairman of San Francisco-based Levi Strauss & Co., where he built on the company's tradition of progressive workplace practices.

In 1994, the Fund made the lead gift to help rebuild its sports facility for student athletes, the Walter A. Haas, Jr. Pavilion. The home of men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball teams, the Haas Pavilion seats more than 12,000 fans and hosts numerous sports, recreational and speaking events. Reflecting the late Walter A. Haas, Jr.’s love for sports and his alma mater, a gift of $11 million pledged in 1994 was made for the $57 million athletic and activities center.

To ensure student athletes build strength on the field as well as in the classroom, the Haas, Jr. Fund stepped up to make a $15 million challenge grant pledge in 2005 to help construct Cal’s Student Athlete High Performance Center. This state-of-the art facility will house both sports training equipment and academic resources for students who play football as well as other men’s and women’s sports.

While the Fund’s support of the University spans three decades for numerous efforts, two recent projects in particular reflect the Haas, Jr. family’s connection to this respected public institution. The University’s Bancroft Library, a vital custodian of California’s historical and cultural heritage, received a $500,000 grant in 2004 for its building renovation and improvements to create greater access for students, scholars and the public. The Haas School of Business received grants totaling $350,000 in 2003 and 2004 to research the effectiveness of socially responsible corporate business practices and for general support.