A Pivotal Year for Our Communities

The March elections in California recorded historically low voter turnout for a primary election. As we look ahead to November, it’s one more piece of evidence that the time is now for funders in California and beyond to invest in strengthening our core democratic systems and building the power and voice of underrepresented communities.

At Haas Jr., we have always believed in getting people and communities involved in offering solutions and shaping a better future together. With the launch of our Democracy program in 2021, we decided to take this work to another level by investing in community engagement, greater representation, expanded access to voting, and grassroots leadership. Just last week, we announced that we’ve joined with other funders to support the launch of the new Democracy Policy Initiative at UC Berkeley’s Goldman School of Public Policy. The initiative’s focus: to inspire and support policy innovation, research, and leadership that can move us towards an inclusive, representative, and multiracial democracy. 

Today, the Haas, Jr. Fund's grantmaking is focused on some of the key issues up for debate in the 2024 election. It’s not just our Democracy program, but for our Immigrant Rights and College Success programs too, it is not a stretch to say this is a pivotal year for the communities we care about.

And we know we are not alone. In California and across the country, more funders are coming to see the that our democracy is facing real, existential threats—from misinformation to voter suppression and racial gerrymandering—and that philanthropy and our nonprofit partners cannot achieve our goals if we don’t have strong, healthy, and functioning democratic systems.  

In this newsletter, we report on how Haas Jr. is working with grantee partners to advocate for the communities we care about, bring about systemic changes that increase opportunities for all to thrive, and continue the work of advancing equity and justice at a time when so much is on the line. We’re also focused on highlighting innovative solutions in California for strengthening our democracy, so they can be applied in more communities in our state and beyond.  

As we look ahead to November, let’s work together to help build a more representative and participatory democracy where everyone has a voice and a vote, and where government is truly responsive to the needs and concerns of all people. 

In community,  
Robert Joseph