Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund Announces New President
The Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund’s Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Daniel Lee will become Haas Jr.’s next President and CEO, effective August 24, 2026. The former executive director of the Levi Strauss Foundation, Lee currently serves as director of philanthropic transformation at Solidaire Network.
“Daniel is a seasoned and visionary philanthropic leader with the values and experience to lead the Haas, Jr. Fund in this vital moment for the communities we care so deeply about,” said Wally Haas, board chair of the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund.
The Haas, Jr. Fund announced earlier this month that it will be sunsetting its grantmaking programs in 2028 after 75 years and more than $780 million in grants to organizations working for a more just and equitable world. In its final years, the Fund will continue supporting its core programs in Immigrant Rights, Democracy, and College Success at current grantmaking levels through 2027 and 2028—sustaining bold work at a moment when the communities it serves need it most. The Fund will also make significant long-term grants to three Bay Area institutions that represent the Haas family’s deepest and most enduring commitments: the Season of Sharing Fund, Crissy Field, and the Haas Pavilion at UC Berkeley.
"The Haas, Jr. Fund has long operated with a moral clarity and commitment to values that is rare in philanthropy—willing to go first, stay the course, and make gutsy bets when it matters. To be entrusted with stewarding its closing chapter—with integrity, boldness, and care for the communities and partners who have made this work possible—is the honor of a lifetime,” said Lee.
Lee spent 17 years in a variety of roles with the Levi Strauss Foundation, including a dozen years as executive director. In that role, he and the foundation regularly partnered with the Haas, Jr. Fund to support immigrant rights nonprofits and other shared interests. Under Lee's leadership, the Levi Strauss Foundation received an inaugural Impact Award from the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy and was named best corporate donor by Inside Philanthropy for its focus on marginalization, LGBTQ equality and worker rights.
“Daniel brings a deep understanding of high-impact philanthropy and the issues and communities at the heart of the Haas, Jr. Fund’s work,” said Wally Haas. “We have absolute confidence he will be able to hit the ground running and help us write a powerful closing chapter for the Haas, Jr. Fund after 75 years.”
In his current role with Solidaire, Lee has focused on changing the culture and practice of philanthropy towards long-term structural change. He has also engaged with foundations and donors seeking to strategically sunset their philanthropy.
Lee has personal experience with issues that have been core to the Haas, Jr. Fund’s work. His parents immigrated to the United States from Korea, he is a powerful advocate for LGBTQ rights, and he has been a philanthropic leader in the fight against HIV/AIDS, including as board chair of Funders Concerned About AIDS.
Before joining Solidaire in 2023, Lee was executive-in-residence at the Council on Foundations. He has served on numerous nonprofit and philanthropic boards, including Community Change, New Breath Foundation, the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, and the Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice. He received his AB in religion from Princeton University, his Master of Divinity from Harvard University, and an Honorary Doctor of Sacred Theology from Starr King School for the Ministry.