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
Building Better Nonprofit Boards November 5, 2014 | by Paula Morris in Leadership Strong boards don't come out of nowhere The nonprofit sector must challenge itself to push past ambivalence and realize the vital leadership role that boards can play. You’ve heard it a hundred times: strong organizations need strong boards. Few would deny this basic principle. But (spoiler alert) one of the worst-kept secrets in the nonprofit world is that you’re much more lik… Continue Reading
What Does a Fair and Inclusive Society Look Like? September 23, 2014 | by Sylvia Yee in College Success How research and community collaboration are coming together at Cal The Haas Institute for a Fair and Inclusive Society at U.C. Berkeley is asking hard questions, and transforming research into impact. I recently had the pleasure of spending my Monday evening on the Cal campus, in beautiful fall weather at the foot of one of the university’s most recognizable landmarks, the Campanile. I was there to hear about a n… Continue Reading
Less Than One Percent September 11, 2014 | by Ira Hirschfield in Leadership Why leadership development should be a core part of grantmaking In this SSIR article, Fund president Ira Hirschfield talks about how investing in leadership is critical to accelerating philanthropic impact. This blog was originally published on the Stanford Social Innovation Review website as part of the Talent Matters series. View the entire series, including the collection curated by Linda Wood featuring additional f… Continue Reading
Equal Effort August 21, 2014 | by Sylvia Yee in LGBT Equality How intentionality and collaboration have helped gay rights progress In this SSIR article, Sylvia Yee talks about the decade of careful planning and diligent collaboration that helped further marriage equality. Ten years ago, the fight for marriage equality for gay and lesbian couples in the United States looked like a lost cause. When Massachusetts became the first state to extend the freedom to marry to same-sex couples,… Continue Reading
Sharing Perspectives July 22, 2014 | by Ira Hirschfield in Fund News Welcome to the Haas, Jr. Fund blog Haas, Jr. Fund President Ira Hirschfield introduces Perspectives, the Fund's blog, and talks about why we are communicating in this new way. What does the future hold for marriage equality and immigration reform? What can San Francisco schools do to help close the opportunity gap in a place where income disparities are growing faster than in any other ci… Continue Reading
Movement Building from the Ground Up July 18, 2014 | by Cathy Cha in Immigrant Rights Lessons from supporting California's immigrant rights movement As funders, letting policy issues bubble up from the grassroots rather than come in with preconceived solutions can make all the difference. California is a big and diverse state. That’s what makes it such an exciting place to live and work. But our size and geographic diversity also make it hard to bring people together to work on shared priorities, esp… Continue Reading