On a campus long dedicated to educating Californians of every background, a major effort was announced to establish the University of California, Berkeley, as a national leader in research, teaching and public service related to equity and inclusion. (February 2010)

Evelyn D. Haas, wife of the late Walter A. Haas, Jr., and a prominent Bay Area civic leader who touched the lives of millions of people through her philanthropy and public service, passed away in San Francisco at the age of 92. (February 2010)

A new project dedicated to making federal agency policies and practices more responsive to the rights and needs of the LGBT community has been announced by Public Interest Projects (PIP), the effort's fiscal sponsor. (January 2010)

With the 2010 census count around the corner, a group of private foundations are working with nonprofit partners across California to make sure everyone is counted. As the Contra Costa Times reports, the group is focusing their outreach efforts to connect with hard-to-reach communities who are often left out of the critical count. (December 2009)

While enormous inequities for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people remain a painful reality in the U.S., the past ten years have included remarkable progress in the struggle for equal rights. The San Francisco Chronicle covers the release of a new report on the decade's gains, and the challenges that still lie ahead. (December 2009)

A new season of the San Francisco Symphony's Keeping Score program brings the wonder of classical music to all. Haas, Jr. Fund President Ira Hirschfield talks about the inspiration behind the public outreach project in its earliest stages. (October 2009)

22 leaders have been selected to take part in the 21st Century Fellows Program, a year-long leadership development program for people of color managers at lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) organizations. (September 2009)

Shelton Johnson, an African American storyteller, musician and interpretive specialist at Yosemite National Park, talks about race and the national parks. Johnson appears in Ken Burns' upcoming film, "America's Best Idea." (August 2009)

As opponents of California's Prop 8 continue to strategize about next steps for making marriage equality a reality across the state and country, the Haas, Jr. Fund's Program Director Matt Foreman weighs in on the challenges ahead. (July 2009)

The Council on Foundations has honored Let California Ring with their top award in Public Policy communications. The campaign, which aimed to create dialogue and build public support for marriage equality, included groundbreaking ethnic media ads in print, radio and online news. (March 2009)