From the President

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Portrait of the Haas, Jr. family Letter from the President

Reflecting on 70 Years of Impact

| by Cathy Cha

Marking our 70th Anniversary by Celebrating the Power of People

Since our founding in 1953, the Haas, Jr. Fund’s grantmaking has revolved around the people and organizations on the front lines of social and community change.

From the beginning, Evelyn and Walter Haas had a commitment to, and belief in, the power of people to drive positive change.It was the leadership and enthusiasm of people around them—people who were organizing their…

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Demonstrators rallying for racial justice Letter from the President

Imagine a California Where We All Belong

| by Cathy Cha

We need to keep pushing for belonging for people that historically have not had equal access

Reflecting on the good work happening across many fronts to make our state more inclusive.

When I walked into the Fannie Lou Hamer Center for the first time, I instantly felt the warmth and comfort of this community space for Black students at UC Berkeley. Tucked away in a lesser-known part of campus, it’…

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Scene outside of an Oakland polling place during the 2022 midterm elections Letter from the President

Beyond the Midterm Elections: Next Steps to a Stronger Democracy

| by Cathy Cha in Democracy

Year-round dedication is needed to ensure our democracy leaves no one behind

We may have avoided the worst-case scenario during the midterms, but our work is not yet done.

In the weeks since the 2022 elections, I’ve had one main response: phew. The anti-democratic nightmares we’ve all been having didn’t come true. We generally saw sanity prevail across the country with the defeat of a…

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Students entering campus Letter from the President

Back to School is a Time of Possibility

| by Cathy Cha in College Success

For Far Too Many Students, the New School Year is Linked to Anxiety and Concern

Through our College Success program, Haas Jr. is working to level the playing field for all higher education students.

It’s back to school time. I’ve been busy getting my two kids settled into the school year. Nervousness and butterflies are in the air, but at the same time there is a powerful sense of possibility about the year ahe…

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Letter from the President

The Power of Community Leadership

| by Cathy Cha in Leadership

Across California, our civic and local leaders too often are not reflective of the communities they are supposed to serve.

After working in party politics at the national and state levels, James Woodson decided the real route to change lies in communities closer to the ground. “Building up grassroots leaders is how you build power, and that’s not really what political parties are made to do,” he said.

After working in party politics at the national and state levels, James Woodson decided the real route to change lies in communities closer to the ground. “Building up grassroots leaders is how you build power, and…

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Letter from the President

What I’m Thankful For

| by Cathy Cha in Fund News

Catalyzing this Moment for Justice and Equality

I feel a deep gratitude, for being able to emerge, however tentatively, from the isolation and separation of Covid-19, and for the shifts we’re seeing in institutional racism and the stark inequalities around us.

One of the silver linings of the pandemic has been that I’m more grateful for the everyday things in life. That my kids are attending school in person. Going trick-or-treating with my 9-year-old even with masks on.…

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Letter from the President

Introducing The LeadersTrust

| by Cathy Cha in Leadership

Haas Jr. Joins with Other Funders to Bring More Support to Nonprofit, Movement Leaders

The LeadersTrust carries forward the Fund’s longstanding commitment to investing in leadership for social change.

Across the country, people are standing up for equality and justice. In California, our grantee partners are reaching out to communities across the state to get out the vote for the recall election. From the Movemen…

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