Dear Friends,

At the Walter & Elise Haas Fund, we continuously strive to match the work we do to the emerging needs and requirements of our community.

In 2021, the pandemic continued, the gulf of economic inequality grew wider, and the struggle for racial justice inched ahead. Amid — and as part of — this landscape, we reflected on what the times require of us. As one result of our introspection, we redefined the Fund’s values.

Values are the seeds we commit to grow within and around our organization. We plant them by laying claim to them. We nurture them by practicing them. We share them by showing them. Values are always aspirational and never only aspirational. They must be in evidence not because of what we say but because of who we are and how we are and what we do.

They speak to our history, and they guide us to our future. They are consequential.

These are the four values the people who make up the Walter & Elise Haas Fund choose to live by:

Family:
To care for each other as a human family, forging connections, creating continuity of culture and practice; to learn from the past and to protect, care, and plan for future generations today.

The Walter & Elise Haas Fund’s commitment to family is demonstrated in our COVID response, and in our support for the childcare economy and eviction protection. It can be felt in the love we express for our community through our work and our lives.

Shared Responsibility:
To do our part to heal the world (as in the Jewish concept of tikkun olam), leading when necessary and joining when possible; to acknowledge our shared fate; to embrace collective action that strengthens our community.

An example of the way we share responsibility is seen in our collaborative support of the Generational Recovery Fund, which works to support today’s youth in their recovery from the loss of opportunity and connection caused by COVID-19.

Belonging:
To seek equity and justice; to embrace and celebrate our differences; to be in community with others, building trust that makes a “we” possible.

In 2021, we undertook a top-to-bottom review of our JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) practices, seeking to understand where and how we could improve. This was paired with the creation of a Strategist for Justice, Equity & Learning position and other changes, such as changing the title of “program officer” to “program lead” — a change that addresses an imbalance of power dynamics so that all who encounter the Fund feel a greater sense of belonging.

Possibility:
To embrace what could be; to dream big, aspiring to foster a society in which we all thrive.

Despite another challenging year, we remain full of hope and eager to foster possibility. We continued hosting Learning Labs and other convenings with philanthropic sector partners. One of our dynamic B.A.Y. Fellows, Kathya, aptly defined philanthropy as essentially a “transfer of privilege.” That is the possibility we aim to actualize.

We wish you all a year of belonging. We hope you will join us in sharing responsibility for making the Bay Area a more just, vibrant, and healthy place that is full of possibility.

Sincerely,
Jamie Allison and Charlotte Haas Prime

The board and staff members of the Walter & Elise Haas Fund extend their heartfelt thanks to our nonprofit partners and to our community of peer funders, government contributors, and individuals — all those who have kept us inspired to foster a more just, healthy, vibrant society in the Bay Area during this and every year.

As we look back at 2021, we want to recognize our Coro Fellow, Mara Hoplamazian, and our two B.A.Y. Fellows, Kathya and Sam, all three of whom contributed greatly to the work of the Walter & Elise Haas Fund. We appreciate all the ways their questions and insights sparked our own continued learning.

We thank, also, all the participants in our two Learning Labs and in our Learning Lab Summit. Those who engaged include youth and adults from the Bayview community, from Ms. Jade Rivera’s Teaching for Social Justice class at Balboa High School in San Francisco, and colleagues of ours in the philanthropy, education, and nonprofit sectors.

To all those who joined in the creation of the Generational Recovery Fund, and to those who shared their expertise and intelligence with us at board and staff meetings: thank you.

In 2021, after 26 years on the Walter & Elise Haas Fund board, Elizabeth Haas Eisenhardt retired as Trustee Emeritus. Her contributions of intelligence, leadership, and heart helped the Fund continue to reach across the Bay Area and offer support to as many as possible. Thank you, Betsy, for all of the ways you have lifted us up over these decades.