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.
Rachel Baker

Rachel works to strengthen the field of leadership development for social change.
Cathy Cha

Cathy leads the Fund’s work to advance rights and create opportunities for all people.
Denis Chicola

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

Holly directs the Fund’s flagship leadership investment program, which helps grantees to build the leadership they need to reach their goals.
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

Stepping Up

October 11, 2018 | by

California Campuses Expanding Services for Undocumented Students and Families

A new fund supports campus efforts to help undocumented students persevere and succeed.

Across California, 25,000 undocumented young people graduate from public high schools every year. Estimates are that more than 70,000 undocumented students are enrolled in the state’s public colleges and universitie…

Lessons from California

August 30, 2018 | by

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

CEO of The California Endowment, Robert Ross, and Vice President of Programs at the Haas, Jr. Fund, Cathy Cha offer insight on Manuel Pastor's book, State of Resistance.

This piece was originally published in The Chronicle of Philanthropy. There is a lot of talk these days about how California provides a counternarrative to the divisive, ill-considered policies of the federal gov…

The Hero’s Journey

July 12, 2018 | by

Students Reflect on How They Made It to a Four-Year Degree

Undocumented graduates’ stories show the value of investing in critical supports and services for a very vulnerable population.

People who study storytelling know that one of the universal themes found in the ancient stories of many cultures is the “hero’s journey.” During this journey, heroes grapple with fear, encounter guides who he…

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Welcoming Sepi Aghdaee

July 5, 2018 | by

Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund Hires New Program Officer

Sepi Aghdaee will support the Fund’s grantmaking across programs and issues, including longtime community partnerships in the Bay Area.

The Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund announced today that it has hired Sepi Aghdaee as program officer. Sepi joins the Fund after a two-year fellowship with the San Francisco Foundation for emerging leaders in phila…

Statement on Family Separation and Detention

June 22, 2018 | by

Philanthropy Responds to Inhumane Family Separation and Detention Policies.

More than 200 institutions sign a statement in support of children and families seeking refuge in the United States.

This statement was originally published by Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees (GCIR). In an effort to punish immigrants crossing the Southern border of the United States, the current adminis…

LGBT Rights After Masterpiece

June 11, 2018 | by

Federal Law Protecting LGBT People is Realistic and a Long-Overdue Goal

Supreme Court decision shows the work of protecting LGBT families from discrimination is not done.

We have made significant progress for LGBT equality in our country in recent years. Many of us hoped last week’s Supreme Court Masterpiece Cakeshop decision would help blaze another trail to end the discri…

Voices from the Field

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

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Cynthia Buiza

Executive Director, California Immigrant Policy Center

Recognizing trailblazing Asian American women who are leading and influencing social justice movements in California.

Read this Story

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.

Read this Story

Cynthia Buiza

Executive Director, California Immigrant Policy Center

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

Every Voice Shines New Light