Fund News by Walter J. Haas An Important Message from the Board of Directors of the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund Marking its 75th anniversary, the Fund will sunset its work in 2028. We will continue to support our key programs in Democracy, Immigrant Rights, and College Success at current grantmaking levels for the 2027 and 2028 calendar years.
Democracy by Raúl Macías How UC Berkeley Is Bringing Community Voices into Democracy Policy A Conversation with Meredith Sadin We spoke with the director of the Center on Civility and Democratic Engagement about UC Berkeley’s Democracy Policy Fellowship bringing community leaders & faculty together to develop solutions to some of California’s most pressing challenges.
by Monica Martinez Higher Ed’s New Normal: Delivering on the Promise of Online Learning Emerging “hybrid learning” models can expand access and opportunity Online learning is here to stay. The question isn’t whether it can replace the traditional college experience. It’s how we make it work better for the students who rely on it. Photo by Allison Shelley/Complete College Photo Library
Democracy by Raúl Macías Local Election Official Armando Salud-Ambriz is Helping Strengthen Democracy from the Ground Up How can systems build trust with communities they serve? Strong public institutions depend on leaders who bring diverse experiences and a deep commitment to service. But leaders also need skills and networks that support them to have an impact.
Immigrant Rights by Elica Vafaie What the Birthright Citizenship Decision Reveals About Philanthropy’s Path to Protect and Defend Democracy What the Next Wins Will Take This case demonstrated the importance of strategic efforts to build broader coalitions. Photo courtesy of John Sailer
First Person Story Jirayut “New” Latthivongskorn In Immigrant Rights 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. On November 12, 2019, Jirayut (“New”) Latthivongskorn testified in Washington, D.C., at a U.S. Supreme Court hearing as one of the plaintiffs fighting the ending of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, commonly k… Continue Reading
Letter from the President A Milestone in Grantmaking April 7, 2015 | by Ira Hirschfield in Fund News Spring 2015 Letter from the President As the Fund marks a grantmaking milestone, we also look to the tremendous work still ahead. A Milestone in Grantmaking… The Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund recently reached an important milestone when our total grantmaking over the past 62 years surpassed $500 million. That number is a testament to the… Continue Reading
Culture is Changing: Fundraising Needs to Change With It April 7, 2015 | by Cynthia Gibson in Leadership Is creating a “culture of philanthropy” the answer? As nonprofits struggle to secure resources, one approach that’s attracting attention is developing a “culture of philanthropy.” But what does that mean? And can it make a difference? Like many people in the nonprofit world, I started out as a fundraiser. I worked for a development director, however, who had very different ideas about how that job should be done. While her peers boasted about… Continue Reading
Wanted: Fundraising Bright Spots March 3, 2015 | by Jeanne Bell in Leadership What can we learn from organizations that fundraise well? How are some social change organizations beating the odds to achieve breakthrough results in individual giving? Help Jeanne Bell and Stephanie Roth, and the entire nonprofit sector, find out. Two years ago, when CompassPoint and the Haas, Jr. Fund set out to understand the ‘revolving door’ in the nonprofit development director role, I could never have anticipated the depth of emotion we would find: Devel… Continue Reading
Learning Out Loud February 27, 2015 | by Paula Morris in Leadership What will it take to break out of chronic fundraising challenges? Fundraising is critical to the success of every nonprofit, yet it's often also one of the biggest challenges an organization can face. This country needs a nonprofit sector that is vibrant and robust. Yet too many nonprofits struggle year in and year out to raise funds. The fundraising challenges they face are well documented. We know this because… Continue Reading
A Temporary Setback to Executive Action February 24, 2015 | by Cathy Cha in Immigrant Rights Despite uncertainty, now is the time for philanthropy to be bold Program director Cathy Cha talks about the temporary halt to President Obama's executive action and what it does, and doesn't mean. Last Monday, a federal judge in Texas put a temporary halt to President Obama’s executive action on immigration. Legal experts widely believe that President Obama’s executive actions are constitutional and will ulti… Continue Reading