Evelyn & Walter Haas, Jr. Fund

The Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund is a private foundation that provides grants primarily to left-of-center activist groups, with a focus on supporting liberal expansionist immigration policy, LGBT interests, education, and organizations in the San Francisco Bay area. 1

At-A-Glance

Ideological Alignment: Left of Center
Website: www.haasjr.org
Formation:

1953, tax exempt status in 1954

Location: San Francisco, CA View on map
Tax ID: 94-6068932
Most Recent Filing: 2024
Budget (2024): Assets: $484,032,861 Revenue: $43,288,420 Expenses: $38,257,158

Contents

    Walter Haas, who made his fortune as CEO of Levi Strauss & Co., 2 and his wife Evelyn, a prominent conservationist and museum curator in the San Francisco area, founded the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund in 1953. 3 To date, the Fund has awarded more than $600 million in grants, including nearly $24 million in 2018. 4

    The Fund also manages the Haas Leadership Initiatives,1 a program fiscally sponsored by the Tides Center. 5

    In 2025, the fund partnered with the Trust Based Philanthropy Project through their “Meet the moment” initiative. This initiative seeks to bring its supporters together “in solidarity with nonprofits.” The group claims that the political climate could pose risks to nonprofits through reductions in funding, legal concerns, and lack of staff. 6

    In 2026, the fund’s board of directors announced that the fund would close at the end of 2028, and any remaining assets would be transitioned into new philanthropic initiatives. 7

    Grantmaking

    Immigration

    The Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund is a prominent supporter of the New Americans Campaign, a project of the Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) designed to aid more immigrants in obtaining American citizenship. 8 The Fund has granted nearly $2 million to this project,9 which also sees funding from groups like the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Open Society Foundations (OSF), and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. 10

    LGBT Rights

    The Fund provides grants to organizations that support litigation against the Supreme Court to increase the legal privileges of LGBT people. 11 Haas Fund support for LGBT interests includes annual contributions of $200,000 to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Foundation and the National Center for Lesbian Rights, and large contributions to other groups like GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) and the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund. 9

    People

    Founders

    Walter A. Haas, Jr. co-founded the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund with his wife, Evelyn. Haas spent his career at Levi Strauss & Co., rising to work as CEO, president, and chairman of the board. During his lif, Haas Jr. formerly served on the boards of the left-wing Ford Foundation and the National Park Foundation. As part of his philanthropy, Haas purchased the then-struggling Oakland Athletics in 1980. 2

    Evelyn D. Haas co-founded the Fund, and was a prominent conservationist and museum curator in the San Francisco area. She served on the board and fundraised extensively for the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the San Francisco Symphony. She was also a leading voice in raising funds for the San Francisco Chronicle’s annual Season of Sharing Fund. 3

    Staff and Officers

    Cathy Cha was the former president and CEO of the Foundation as well as a former vice president of programs at the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund. Cha announced in April 2026 she would be stepping down from her position to become a Senior Fellow at the Freedom Together Foundation. 12 Prior to Haas, Cha was a former program officer at the Hyams Foundation, and worked in collaboration with other groups like the Carnegie Foundation, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, and the Grove Foundation. Cha serves on the board of Coaching Corps, and has previously served on the boards of Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees (GCIR), and the Asian Pacific Environmental Network. 13

    Derek Tynes is the director of talent and culture at the Fund, and has served in senior human resources roles at the Glide Foundation and the Tides Center. 14

    Gil Aurellano is an executive assistant at the Fund. He formerly worked for the Aspen Institute, and is a co-founder of the Asian and Pacific Islander Partnership for Health. 15

    Ira Hirschfield is president emeritus of the Fund, having served as president from 1992 to 2016. He is a former director of philanthropy for Rockefeller Family and Associates and former executive vice president of the Levi Strauss Foundation. Hirschfield co-founded and formerly served as president of the F.B. Heron Foundation. He also has served on the boards of the Council on Foundations, Independent Sector, the National Center for Family Philanthropy, and the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy. 16

    Linda Woods is the senior director of the Tides Center-funded Haas Leadership Initiatives. 17

    Matt Foreman is the senior program director of Gay and Lesbian Rights at the Fund. Foreman is the former executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, and former co-chair of the Civil Marriage Collaborative, a campaign group for state recognition of same-sex marriages. 18

    Monica Pressley is the CFO of the Fund, and is the former CFO of the San Francisco Foundation. 19

    Raquiba LaBrie is the program director of Equality Education, and formerly managed grantmaking programs at the Open Society Foundations. 20

    Robert Joseph is the Vice President of Programs, a former a program officer with the S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation, and currently serves on the board of SPUR Oakland. 21

    Several employees of the Tides Center work with the Fund as part of the Haas Leadership Initiatives, a program that is fiscally sponsored by the Tides Center. These people include Chana Fitton, Luigi Fu, Rachel Baker,22 and Holly Delany Cole, a former program officer at the New York Community Trust, and current board member of the New York Foundation. 23

    Board of Directors

    Betsy Haas Eisenhardt joined the board in 1992, with a focus on the Fund’s support of children and families. Eisenhardt serves on the board of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, and formerly served on the board of the Levi Strauss Foundation. 24

    Elise Haas focuses her philanthropy on liberal expansionist immigration policy, and responsible for the establishment of the Haas Dreamer’s Resource Center at University of California, Berkeley. Elise Haas sits on the boards of the Levi Strauss Foundation and Define American, as well as on the Leadership Council of Immigrants Rising. 25

    Jesse Eisenhardt is a filmmaker whose clients include Facebook, Yahoo, YouTube, Meals on Wheels, and the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, among others. 26

    Robert J. Haas joined the board in 1992. Haas is the former CEO of Levi Strauss and Co., and was named chairman emeritus of the company’s board in 2008. Haas is a former trustee of the Brookings Institution and the Ford Foundation, and formerly sat on the National Advisory Committee of the League of Women Voters Education Fund. 27

    Walter A. Haas III formerly worked in global marketing at Levi Strauss. He is a founding board member of Populace, a left-of-center think tank, and an ad hoc member of the communications committee with  Fund grantee Coaching Corps. 28

    Walter J. Haas is the chairman of the board, having joined the board in 1972, and formerly served as co-chair with Evelyn D. Haas from 1996 to 2010. Haas presently serves as the chairman of the board of Coaching Corps. He formerly served on the board of Levi Strauss and as a member of the company’s Corporate Ethics and Social Responsibility Committee. 29

    Financial Statistics

    Total Assets

    Total Revenue

    Total Expenses

    YearTotal AssetsTotal RevenueTotal ExpensesFiling
    2024 $484,032,861 $43,288,420 $38,257,158 View
    2023 $469,121,844 $10,244,968 $39,898,742 View
    2022 $458,109,056 $25,410,486 $38,364,975 View
    2021 $548,162,194 $62,229,155 $35,481,861 View
    2020 $492,505,820 $19,789,080 $29,679,407 View

    Prior year filings: 2019, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011

    Expenses Detail

    Employee Compensation

    Highest Earning Employees

    EmployeeTitleTotal Compensation
    Cathy ChaPRESIDENT AND CEO$462,540
    Marcos Orozco IIISECRETARY AND TREASURER$264,600
    Ira HirschfieldPRESIDENT EMERITUS$250,000
    Robert JosephVICE PRESIDENT OF PR$249,949
    Raul MaciasPROGRAM DIRECTOR$183,349
    Maliha SadiqDIRECTOR OF COMMUNIC$179,010
    Michael GreenDIRECTOR OF FINANCE$158,374

    Grant Activity

    All-time grants given statistics from Candid dataset:

    • Total Grant Value: $358,350,942
    • Number of Grants: 4,201
    • Number of Recipients: 851

    Selection of highest value grants given from the last seven years:

    AmountYearFunderSubject
    $3,312,5002024 Tides Center PAFOR THE MOVE THE VALLEY PROJECT TO ENGAGE VOTERS IN THE CENTRAL VALLEY. FOR THE LEADERSTRUST TO PROVIDE FLEXIBLE LEADERSHIP AWARDS TO HJF GRANTEES AND SUPPORT ITS GROWTH AS A SELF-SUSTAINING ENTITY, FOR EMERGING PRACTITIONERS IN PHILANTHROPY MEMBERSHIP DUES.
    $2,404,5002023 University of California Berkeley FoundationTO TRANSFORM THE STUDENT POPULATION AND CREATE A MORE WELCOMING AND INCLUSIVE CAMPUS; FOR THE INSTITUTE FOR GOVERNMENTAL STUDIES PROJECT TO CONDUCT POLLING AND HOST EVENTS ON DEMOCRACY IN CALIFORNIA; TO MAINTAIN THE UNDOCUMENTED STUDENT PROGRAM'S WEBSITE AND MAKE STIPENDS TO DREAMERS TO SUPPORT THE PROGRAM'S DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS; FOR THE CHANCELLOR'S OFFICE, FOR THE FUND'S 70TH ANNIVERSARY; TO DEEPEN STUDENT AND STAFF BELONGING AND BRIDGING PRACTICES AND TO SHARE LESSONS LEARNED WITH THE BROADER COMMUNITY; FOR THE NEW DEMOCRACY POLICY INITIATIVE AT THE GOLDMAN SCHOOL OF PUBLIC POLICY; FOR THE CALIFORNIA HIGHER EDUCATION BASIC NEEDS ALLIANCE; FOR THE UNDERGROUND SCHOLARS PROGRAM; FOR THE BASIC NEEDS SECURITY PROGRAM; FOR THE UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS / DREAMERS PROGRAM.
    $2,299,5002022 University of California Berkeley FoundationTO TRANSFORM THE STUDENT POPULATION AND CREATE A MORE WELCOMING AND INCLUSIVE CAMPUS.
    $2,289,5002023 Positive Coaching AllianceTO SCALE OPERATIONS AND EXPAND THE NUMBER OF COACHES AND YOUTH REACHED IN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES; FOR THE FUND'S 70TH ANNIVERSARY; TO SCALE IMPACT AND EXPAND THE NUMBER OF COACHES AND YOUTH REACHED, AND ONE-TIME SUPPORT FOR THE ACCELERATION FUNDRAISING PLAN; FOR THE 2024 GAME CHANGERS AWARDS; FOR GENERAL SUPPORT.
    $2,179,4002024 Golden Gate National Parks ConservancyVOLUNTEER SERVICES GRANT; TO THE HAAS, JR. FUND SINGLE ENTITY BENEFICIARY FUND AT GGNPC FOR FUTURE IMPROVEMENTS. FOR GENERAL SUPPORT. FOR THE TRAILS FOREVER DINNER CELEBRATION. FOR THE TRAILS FOREVER DINNER CELEBRATION AND ANNUAL RENEWAL.
    $1,982,0002023 Tides CenterFOR FLEXIBLE LEADERSHIP AWARDS TO HAAS, JR. FUND GRANTEES AND TO LAUNCH THE LEADERSTRUST AS INDEPENDENT ENTITY; FOR EMERGING PRACTITIONERS IN PHILANTHROPY MEMBERSHIP DUES; FOR THE FUND'S 70TH ANNIVERSARY; FOR GENERAL SUPPORT; FOR THE MOVE THE VALLEY PROJECT TO SUPPORT COALITION BUILDING; FOR THE MOVE THE VALLEY PROJECT TO SUPPORT THE TRANSITION OF THE ORGANIZATION TO NEW LEADERSHIP; FOR THE ORANGE COUNTY CIVIC ENGAGEMENT TABLE PROJECT, FOR VOTER ENGAGEMENT, LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, AND POLICY ADVOCACY; FOR THE ADVANCE NATIVE POLITICAL LEADERSHIP EDUCATION FUND PROJECT TO INCREASE NATIVE LEADERSHIP REPRESENTATION IN CALIFORNIA; FOR THE FUND'S 70TH ANNIVERSARY, FOR OCCET; FOR THE ADVANCE NATIVE POLITICAL LEADERSHIP PROJECT TO LAUNCH ITS INITIAL CALIFORNIA COHORT OF THE NATIVE LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE.
    $1,615,1142022 Golden Gate National Parks ConservancyFOR THE NEXT PHASE OF CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS AT CRISSY FIELD.
    $1,607,5002024 Positive Coaching AllianceTO SCALE IMPACT AND EXPAND THE NUMBER OF COACHES AND YOUTH REACHED, AND ONE-TIME SUPPORT FOR THE ACCELERATION FUNDRAISING PLAN. BOARD SERVICES GRANT; FOR GENERAL SUPPORT.
    $1,600,0002022 Tides CenterFOR FLEXIBLE LEADERSHIP AWARDS TO HAAS, JR. FUND GRANTEES AND LAUNCH OF THE LEADERSTRUST AS AN INDEPENDENT ENTITY.
    $1,600,0002021 Tides CenterFOR FLEXIBLE LEADERSHIP AWARDS TO HAAS, JR. FUND GRANTEES AND LAUNCH OF THE LEADERSTRUST AS AN INDEPENDENT ENTITY.
    $1,524,5002024 Season of Sharing FundTO SUPPORT SEASON OF SHARING'S RESEARCH AND INNOVATIVE MARKETING EXPERIMENTS TO ENGAGE YOUNGER AND MORE DIVERSE DONORS, AND IMPLEMENTATION OF REFRESHED BRANDING, POSITIONING AND FUNDRAISING STRATEGIES. TO HELP RAISE AND DISTRIBUTE EMERGENCY SUPPORT TO FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS IN THE BAY AREA. FOR GENERAL SUPPORT.
    $1,349,6672023 Season of Sharing FundTO HELP RAISE AND DISTRIBUTE EMERGENCY SUPPORT TO FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS IN THE BAY AREA; FOR THE FUND'S 70TH ANNIVERSARY; FOR GENERAL SUPPORT.
    $1,250,0002020 Silicon Valley Community FoundationTO THE CALIFORNIA BLACK FREEDOM FUND, TO INCREASE THE CIVIC ENGAGEMENT OF BLACK CALIFORNIANS AND SUPPORT BLACK-LED NONPROFITS WORKING TO ADVANCE EQUALITY AND JUSTICE
    $1,200,0002020 Tides CenterTO SUPPORT THE HAAS LEADERSHIP INITIATIVES PROJECT TO STRENGTHEN THE LEADERSHIP OF FUND GRANTEES
    $1,100,0002022 Season of Sharing FundFOR EMERGENCY SUPPORT TO FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS IN THE BAY AREA.
    $1,100,0002021 Season of Sharing FundFOR EMERGENCY SUPPORT TO FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS IN THE BAY AREA.
    $1,000,0002022 Positive Coaching AllianceTO SCALE OPERATIONS AND EXPAND THE NUMBER OF COACHES AND YOUTH REACHED IN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES.
    $1,000,0002021 Asian American FuturesTO ESTABLISH ACTIVATE CALIFORNIA, A NEW INITIATIVE TO ENGAGE ASIAN AMERICANS AND PACIFIC ISLANDERS AS ADVOCATES, LEADERS, AND DONORS DEFINING THEIR OWN COMMUNITY NARRATIVE.
    $800,0002021 Freedom for All Americans Education FundFOR PUBLIC EDUCATION TO INCREASE UNDERSTANDING OF AND SUPPORT FOR THE NEED FOR A FEDERAL SOLUTION TO PROTECT LGBT PEOPLE FROM DISCRIMINATION.
    $800,0002020 Spark Sf Public SchoolsTO STRENGTHEN EARLY EDUCATION FOR LOW-INCOME STUDENTS OF COLOR AND DUAL-LANGUAGE LEARNERS AND SUPPORT PREK-3 ALIGNMENT IN BAYVIEW SCHOOLS
    $750,0002024 NEO PhilanthropyTO THE FOUR FREEDOMS FUND TO EDUCATE AND ENGAGE A NATIONAL NETWORK OF FUNDERS, PROMOTE IMMIGRANT CIVIC PARTICIPATION AND HUMANE BORDER POLICIES, AND COORDINATE RAPID RESPONSE FOR IMMIGRANT RIGHTS. TO THE FOUR FREEDOMS FUND FOR RAPID RESPONSE SUPPORT TO ADVANCE NARRATIVE/STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS AND ENSURE THE SAFETY AND WELLBEING OF BLACK MIGRANTS.
    $725,5002021 University of California Berkeley FoundationTO TRANSFORM THE STUDENT POPULATION AND CREATE A MORE WELCOMING AND INCLUSIVE CAMPUS.
    $690,0002024 Foundation for California Community Colleges2024 FDN CA CMTY COLLEGES, ARTHUR S. MARMADUKE AWARD (CLG); FOR CALIFORNIA COLLEGE GUIDANCE INITIATIVE TO BEGIN TO DEVELOP RESOURCES AND MATERIALS FOR CLASSROOM USE THAT WILL SYSTEMATIZE A BASELINE OF COLLEGE AND CAREER GUIDANCE FOR MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. FOR CCGI TO PILOT RESOURCES AND MATERIALS IN A RANGE OF 9TH-GRADE CLASSES BY TEACHERS THAT WILL SYSTEMATIZE A BASELINE OF COLLEGE AND CAREER GUIDANCE. FOR CALIFORNIA STUDENT AID COMMISSION TO CONTINUE TO IMPLEMENT A STUDENT-FACING AND FAMILY-FACING COMMUNICATIONS PLAN AND TOOLS THAT PROMOTE COMPLETION OF THE FAFSA AND CADDA. FOR CONFERENCE; FOR CSAC TO AMPLIFY THE EXTENSION OF THE CA FINANCIAL AID DEADLINE AND PROVIDE UPDATED GUIDANCE TO STUDENTS FROM MIXED-STATUS FAMILIES ON HOW TO MEET THE DEADLINE.
    $675,0002020 University of California Berkeley FoundationTO TRANSFORM THE STUDENT POPULATION AND CREATE A MORE WELCOMING AND INCLUSIVE CAMPUS
    $650,0002024 California Calls Education FundFOR VOTER ENGAGEMENT AND DEMOCRACY REFORM. TO SUPPORT THE CONVENING OF WE ARE CALIFORNIA/PROJECT DAY ONE COALITION, AND NARRATIVE AND AGENDA DEVELOPMENT. FOR THE MILLION VOTERS PROJECT OF CALIFORNIA CALLS TO ENGAGE VOTERS IN THE 2024 ELECTION.

    References

    1. “Issues & Impact.” Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund, 2020. Accessed January 12, 2020. https://www.haasjr.org/issues-impact.
    2. “Walter A. Haas, Jr.” Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund, 2020. Accessed January 12, 2020. https://www.haasjr.org/about/our-founders/walter-haas-jr.
    3. “Evelyn D. Haas.” Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund, 2020. Accessed January 12, 2020. https://www.haasjr.org/about/our-founders/evelyn-haas.
    4. “Financials.” Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund, 2020. Accessed January 12, 2020.  https://www.haasjr.org/about/financials.
    5. “Project Directory.” Tides, 2020. Accessed January 12, 2020. https://www.tides.org/impact-partners/explore-our-partners/#project-directory.
    6. “Meet the Moment – Trust-Based Philanthropy.” Trust Based Philanthropy . Accessed September 29, 2025. https://www.trustbasedphilanthropy.org/meet-the-moment#signatories.
    8. “Immigrant Rights.” Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund, 2020. Accessed January 15, 2020. https://www.haasjr.org/issues-impact/immigrant-rights.
    9. “Grants Database.” Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund, 2020. Accessed January 15, 2020. https://www.haasjr.org/grants/search.
    10. “Regional and Local Funders.” The New Americans Campaign. Accessed January 15, 2020. https://www.newamericanscampaign.org/about/funders/.
    11. “Gay & Lesbian Rights.” Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund, 2020. Accessed January 15, 2020.  https://www.haasjr.org/issues-impact/gay-lesbian-rights.
    12. “Haas, Jr. Fund President Cathy Cha Announces Departure.” Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund, April 2, 2026. https://www.haasjr.org/perspectives/letters-from-the-president/president-cathy-cha-announces-departure
    13. “Cathy Cha.” Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund, 2020. Accessed January 12, 2020.  https://www.haasjr.org/about/staff/cathy-cha.
    14. “Derek Tynes.” Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund, 2020. Accessed January 12, 2020. https://www.haasjr.org/about/staff/derek-tynes.
    15. “Gil Aurellano.” Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund, 2020. Accessed January 12, 2020.   https://www.haasjr.org/about/staff/gil-aurellano.
    16. “Ira Hirschfield.” Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund, 2020. Accessed January 12, 2020. https://www.haasjr.org/about/staff/ira-hirschfield.
    17. “Linda Wood.” Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund, 2020. Accessed January 12, 2020. https://www.haasjr.org/about/staff/linda-wood.
    18. “Matt Foreman.” Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund, 2020. Accessed January 12, 2020. https://www.haasjr.org/about/staff/matt-foreman.
    19. “Monica Pressley.” Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund, 2020. Accessed January 12, 2020. https://www.haasjr.org/about/staff/monica-pressley.
    20. “Raquiba LaBrie.” Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund, 2020. Accessed January 12, 2020. https://www.haasjr.org/about/staff/raquiba-labrie.
    21. “Robert Joseph.” Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund, 2020. Accessed January 12, 2020. https://www.haasjr.org/about/staff/robert-joseph.
    22. “Staff.” Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund, 2020. Accessed January 12, 2020. https://www.haasjr.org/about/staff.
    23. “Holly Delany Cole.” Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund, 2020. Accessed January 12, 2020. https://www.haasjr.org/about/staff/holly-delany-cole.
    24. “Betsy Haas Eisenhardt.” Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund, 2020. Accessed January 9, 2020. https://www.haasjr.org/about/board/betsy-haas-eisenhardt.
    25. “Elise Haas.” Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund, 2020. Accessed January 9, 2020. https://www.haasjr.org/about/board/elise-haas.
    26. “Jesse Eisenhardt.” Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund, 2020. Accessed January 9, 2020.  https://www.haasjr.org/about/board/jesse-eisenhardt.
    27. “Robert Haas.” Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund, 2020. Accessed January 9, 2020. https://www.haasjr.org/about/board/robert-haas.
    28. “Walter A. Haas III.” Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund, 2020. Accessed January 9, 2020.   https://www.haasjr.org/about/board/walter-haas-iii.
    29. “Walter Haas.” Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund, 2020. Accessed January 9, 2020.  https://www.haasjr.org/about/board/walter-haas.