In The News

In pursuing our vision, we believe that it is important to provide the best and most up-to-date information possible about our work , what drives it, and the grantees and partners who move it forward—as well as to make connections among people and organizations who are working toward common goals.

U.S. Should Follow California’s Lead on Immigration

Philanthropy leaders, including the Fund's president, Ira Hirschfield, speak out in support of immigration reform. As they state in their joint op-ed, "Getting reform right means keeping our core values front and center, and Californians are showing the way forward." (April 2013)
A Different Side of the Immigration Debate

In this article, Eric Cohen discusses a crucial element of the immigration story that is too often ignored – the barriers preventing millions of eligible immigrants from becoming American citizens. (April 2013)
California Forward: Collaborating to Fix Government

Five funders, including The James Irvine Foundation, The California Endowment, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, and the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund are teaming up in a bold effort to tackle the underlying causes of California’s political dysfunction. (October 2012)
It Takes Dedicated Funding to do Leadership Development Right

Senior Director of Leadership and Grantmaking, Linda Wood, recently wrote a guest blog post for the Center for Effective Philanthropy on the critical importance of providing dedicated funding for nonprofit leadership development. In the post she describes describes how the Haas, Jr. Fund remains committed to providing unrestricted general operating support to grantees. At the same time, she notes that this type of support is not enough if foundations want their grantees to focus on strengthening board and staff leadership. (October 2012)
Cal's Diversity Initiative Integrates with New Technologies at Berkeley

Cal's Office of Equity and Inclusion partners with a new cutting-edge data management system, where myriad data on diversity at Berkeley is captured and made easily accessible to administrators, staff and students. (September 2012)
Californians' Rare Chance to Reform Government

California Forward is a nonpartisan group working to develop solutions to California's broad range of governance challenges. In this Special to the Sacramento Bee, president and CEO of the James Irvine Foundation, James Canales, calls on all Californians to join this important conversation. "We see before us a confluence of forces that is creating one of those unique — perhaps once-in-a-generation — opportunities to rise above the political fray and shape the future of our state." (February 2011)
Team-Up for Youth Shines a Light on Oakland Girls in Need

February 2, 2011 marked the 25th anniversary of National Girls and Women in Sports Day. Across the country, people celebrated the great strides women and girls have made in the sports world. But one group that didn’t have much to celebrate are girls living in low-income communities and communities of color. This year, Team-Up for Youth honored National Girls and Women in Sports Day by shining a spotlight on this most vulnerable population. (February 2011)
Series Examines Immigration Reform

On March 24, HBO began broadcasting How Democracy Works Now, a series examining the personal struggles and political challenges behind today's immigration reform movement. Six years in the making, the series opened with The Last Best Chance, the inside story of the final battle for Senator Kennedy's dream of immigration reform. (March 2010)
Foundations Invest in Census Outreach

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)
Report Released on LGBT Rights

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)