Every Voice Shines New Light

The value of an idea increases exponentially when it’s shared. From our staff, partners and grantees to the people impacted by their efforts, each perspective offers new insight into the critical issues at the heart of our work.

Our Contributors

Sepi Aghdaee

Sepi supports the Fund’s grantmaking across programs and issues, including longtime community partnerships in the Bay Area.
Cathy Cha

Cathy oversees the Haas, Jr. Fund’s grantmaking and the development of program strategies.
Denis Chicola

Denis works to ensure that communications are at the core of the Fund’s efforts to advance rights and create opportunities.
Matt Foreman

Matt oversees the Fund’s extensive support for the drive for equal rights and opportunities for LGBT people.
Victor Garcia
Walter J. Haas

In his leadership of the Haas, Jr. Fund, Walter J. Haas is guided by a commitment to serving the community and to creating opportunities for all people to succeed.
Ira Hirschfield

Ira oversees the Fund’s investments and leads its work on selected community partnerships.
Jennifer Kirschenbaum
Paula Morris

Paula has worked with the Fund’s Flexible Leadership Awards program since its inception in 2005, and was its program director until January 2015.
Beth Rayfield

Beth Rayfield is the director of institutional advancement at the Center for Community Change (CCC) and former development director at CHIRLA.
Robert Ross
Jennie Lehua Watson

Jennie leads the Fund’s work to advance rights and create opportunities for all people.
Evan Wolfson

Evan is the founder and President of Freedom to Marry, a longtime Fund partner and key player in the campaign to win marriage equality nationwide.
Linda Wood

Linda leads the Fund’s work to strengthen leaders, organizations and movements that are advancing social change.
Sylvia Yee

Sylvia served as the Fund’s Vice President of Programs

Maricela Gutiérrez

“This Moment Calls for Us to Step Up.”

SIREN Executive Director Maricela Gutiérrez talks about the stress and uncertainty facing immigrant communities, and the support people need to stay safe and successful.

With anti-immigrant sentiment on the rise following the 2016 elections, Bay Area immigrants began to look for safe havens where they could find solidarity and support. Many ended up contacting SIREN (Services, Immig…

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Investing in Nonprofit Talent

October 30, 2017 | by

A Toolkit by Fund the People

A toolkit by Fund the People provides information that helps funders, nonprofits, and others maximize their investments in talent and leadership.

Just the other day, I sat down with a group of foundation leaders visiting from Australia. They said they want to do more to support the people working in the nonprofit sector in their country, and they were looking…

Inside Out Fundraising

October 11, 2017 | by

How to Create a Culture of Philanthropy by Treating Systems Instead of Symptoms

Five primary points of intervention for identifying problems and moving toward change.

In Inside Out Fundraising, Mark Rovner and Alia McKee are calling for nothing short of a transformation in how fundraising is valued and held in organizations. Transformation is change that is profound, radical and…

Cristina Jiménez

Advancing the Dream of Dignity for All Immigrants

The co-founder and executive director of United We Dream talks about how to move from fear to power in immigrant communities.

Cristina Jiménez, a 2017 MacArthur Genius Fellow and one of TIME Magazine's 100 Most influential People, grew up undocumented as the child of U.S. immigrants from Ecuador. In this video, she reflects on her imm…

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California Funders Stand Up for DREAMers

September 7, 2017 | by

Joint statement highlights “devastating impact” of ending DACA for California and the nation

Haas, Jr. Fund and other funders denounce White House DACA decision, call on philanthropy to speak out and do more for DREAMers.

This statement was originally published by Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees (GCIR). Statement The Trump Administration announced the termination of Deferred Action for Childho…

Nadine Smith

Lessons from Florida’s Defense of LGBT Rights

Equality Florida Co-founder and CEO Nadine Smith talks about the challenges facing the movement, and how her state has achieved pro-LGBT wins in a tough climate.

Nadine Smith is co-founder and CEO of Equality Florida, the state’s largest organization dedicated to ending discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. In this video, the Florida native recalls…

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Voices from the Field

Hear insights, challenges and breakthroughs from our grantees’ inspiring work.

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Cristina Jiménez

Advancing the Dream of Dignity for All Immigrants

The co-founder and executive director of United We Dream talks about how to move from fear to power in immigrant communities.

Watch this Video

First Person Stories

See the issues at the heart of our work through the eyes of those most closely affected.

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Jirayut “New” Latthivongskorn

Future (undocumented) doctor

New once kept his undocumented status a secret from everyone outside his family. Today, he is proudly the first undocumented medical student at UCSF.

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A Park For All

An Immigrant’s Perspective on Crissy Field

Lessons from California

Successes of California's Grass-Roots Activists Offer Lessons for All Grant Makers

Statement on Family Separation and Detention

Philanthropy Responds to Inhumane Family Separation and Detention Policies.

Cristina Jiménez

Advancing the Dream of Dignity for All Immigrants

Inside Out Fundraising

How to Create a Culture of Philanthropy by Treating Systems Instead of Symptoms

Every Voice Shines New Light