Fund News by Maliha Sadiq Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund Announces New President Former Levi Strauss Foundation Leader Daniel Lee to Guide Haas Jr.’s Closing Chapter Lee brings deep roots in the Haas family’s philanthropic legacy and 25 years of field leadership.
by Elica Vafaie Let the Games Begin The World Cup is an Opportunity to Showcase Core Values and Democratic Principles Haas Jr. partners are working to promote joy, welcome, and safety for fans, immigrant communities.
by Cathy Cha Looking Ahead in Uncertain Times The Time Has Come to Build What’s Next In 2026, the Haas, Jr. Fund is advancing our ambitions by focusing on root causes, bold ideas, greater agility, and deeper collaboration with funding and community partners to drive innovative solutions. Photo courtesy of Theo Rigby
Immigrant Rights by Elica Vafaie Standing Up for Immigrants, Standing Up for Democracy What This Moment Is Calling on Us to Do Community organizations are showing us what it means to build community, stand up for each other, link arms across issues, and stand up for democracy Photo courtesy of Peg Hunter
Democracy by Raúl Macías Protecting the Right to Vote New Partnership Seeks to Safeguard, Expand Californians’ Democratic Rights The California Democracy Partnership unites a growing network of funders and organizations around a shared agenda to establish California as a model of inclusive, multiracial democracy Photo by Sue Peri
Letter from the President Time to Celebrate the Season December 2, 2011 | by Ira Hirschfield in Season of Sharing Winter 2011 Letter from the President Fund president Ira Hirschfield reflects on the Chronicle Season of Sharing Fund’s role as a Bay Area institution, now in its 25th year. Every year, 5,000 individuals and families in the San Francisco Bay Area get help from the Chronicle Season of Sharing Fund so they can weather unexpected crises. Over the last quarter century, the fundraising campa… Continue Reading
First Person Story Ju Hong In Immigrant Rights Cal Dreamer finds his voice, and helps others do the same Ju came to the United States with his family on a tourist visa when he was 11. He learned of his undocumented status when he was applying for college. Update: May 2016 “I will never allow my immigration status to hinder me from achieving my dreams.” Ju is now 26 years old, and recently graduated from San Francisco State University with a master’s degree in publ… Continue Reading
Six Questions About the Flexible Leadership Awards Program November 4, 2011 | by Paula Morris in Leadership Paula Morris describes how the FLA works, and the impact it can have Read about what the FLA is, and how it helped NCLR manage the twin challenges of organizational growth and movement leadership. Paula Morris is the former program director of the Haas, Jr. Fund's Flexible Leadership Awards program. She worked as a Plan Consultant with the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) and a number of the Fund's o… Continue Reading
Letter from the President Daring to DREAM October 9, 2011 | by Ira Hirschfield in Immigrant Rights Fall 2011 Letter from the President Tens of thousands of undocumented students across California know the U.S. as home. Learn about the huge gains Dreamers have made, and the daily struggles many still face. When Governor Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill 131 on October 8, 2011 he cleared the way for undocumented students who graduate from California high schools (and who demonstrate both merit and financial need) to app… Continue Reading
First Person Story Angel In Immigrant Rights Coming out, twice After overcoming the challenges of coming out as gay and coming out as undocumented, Angel is looking to create a career out of helping others. Angel was 12 when his mother hired a coyote to bring the family across the Mexico-U.S. border in 1999. They settled in Florida and planned to stay only briefly—to work, save, and then go back to Mexico for a better… Continue Reading
First Person Story Gabriela In Immigrant Rights Finding her inner drive, UC Berkeley Dreamer rises to the top An undocumented immigrant from El Salvador excels at school, and becomes a voice for advancing the cause of Dreamers. Gabriela is a third-year student at UC Berkeley who immigrated to the United States from El Salvador at age 15. After arriving in the United States, she lived with her father and his girlfriend near Los Angeles whil… Continue Reading