FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 28, 2025
Contact:
Anthem Salgado
Strategist for Communications
[email protected]
NEWS RELEASE
Walter & Elise Haas Fund Embraces Community Well-Being as Cornerstone of New Strategic Direction
Fund introduces Social Well-being program to complement Economic Well-being work, creating a comprehensive approach to community thriving
Photos Available: A gathering of Endeavor Fund grantees
San Francisco, CA — The Walter & Elise Haas Fund today announced Community Well-being as its overarching purpose, culminating a three-year journey to clarify the Fund’s vision while unveiling a new Social Well-being program to complement its existing Economic Well-being program.
“Our purpose is to support and enable community well-being in Oakland and San Francisco so that all people can reach their fullest potential with dignity and joy,” said Jamie Allison, Executive Director of the Walter & Elise Haas Fund. “This framework connects our past work with our future vision, creating a cohesive approach to addressing our region’s most pressing challenges.”
Community Well-being: A Holistic Approach
Community input was always a priority for the Fund, which held numerous engagement events including nonprofit retreats, focus groups, surveys, and one-on-one conversations to gather thoughts, insights, and experiences from both current and former grantees on a range of issues.
The Fund’s team maintained a collaborative approach, bringing in local consultants with program expertise for portfolio reviews, cultivating dialogue between trustees and staff, and activating the entire team to research, analyze, ideate, and iterate.
In September 2024, after this extensive research and dialogue between trustees and staff, the Fund formally adopted Community Well-being as its guiding purpose. This framework recognizes that thriving communities require both economic stability and social cohesion—elements that have become increasingly fragmented in today’s Bay Area.
The Community Well-being approach emerged from the Fund’s commitment to continuous improvement and strategic experimentation. By integrating previously separate programs into more cohesive strategies, the Fund aims to make larger, more substantive grants while addressing interconnected challenges.
The Social Immune System: Artists, Youth, and Nonprofit Workers
Moving forward, the Fund’s grantmaking will focus on supporting three key groups that form what the Fund describes as a “social immune system” that helps repair tears in the community fabric:
- Artists who transform neighborhoods and preserve cultural memory amid rapid change
- Youth who bring creative problem-solving and energy to community challenges
- Nonprofit workers who address critical needs that markets and governments often miss
Together, these groups play an essential role in fostering the sense of belonging that is fundamental to community well-being, even as they navigate challenges like the growing wealth divide in the area.
Two Pillars: Economic and Social Well-being
The Fund’s first programmatic integration combined three existing programs (Economic Security, Education, and Safety Net) into a stronger, more focused Economic Well-being program. This integration has already enabled the Fund to increase its impact through more substantial commitments to its Endeavor Fund grantees.
The newly announced Social Well-being program joins the profound legacies of the Fund’s Arts, Jewish Life, and Racial Justice grantmaking to address the growing crisis of belonging in the Bay Area, where economic precarity and social stratification have led to community fragmentation. The program recognizes that while the racial and gender wealth gap is often framed as an economic problem, its implications extend deeply into social cohesion.
“Too many people do not feel they are included in the Bay Area’s brighter future,” said Relationship Manager, Pui Ling Tam. “We are living within a crisis of belonging that threatens the fabric of our communities. Still, despite this polarization, we are fortunate to have a powerful inheritance: a rich history and evolving tapestry of mutual aid and courageous advocacy within local organizations and nonprofit leadership. They continue to light the path toward healing and building deeper connections across all neighborhoods and social spheres.”
New Grantmaking Strategies
Under the Community Well-being framework, the Fund will implement several new and updated grantmaking strategies:
- Creative Power Awards help individual artists and arts nonprofits to stabilize the arts ecosystem, bolstering stronger community connections and capacity to imagine a better future.
- The WE Initiative supports organizations that celebrate culture and bring people together in solidarity to work towards positive community change.
- The Endeavor Fund supports nonprofits working to close the racial and gender wealth gap while improving nonprofit worker well-being.
- Leader Well-being focuses on the wellness of nonprofit leaders so they may embody quality leadership and build robust organizations.
- Placemaking acknowledges the value of the physical spaces that people and organizations need to live and do their work.
- Policy addresses the systemic barriers and changes that accompany and enable long-term community well-being.
Further announcements will happen throughout 2025, offering more strategy-specific details and invitations to participate as relevant.
Welcoming New Team Members to Advance Our Mission
As part of this evolution, the Walter & Elise Haas Fund is strengthening its team with two key hires who will help advance the Fund’s expanded vision.
Melissa Nop Joins as Relationship Manager
Melissa Nop will join the Walter & Elise Haas Fund as the new Relationship Manager, bringing valuable expertise from the philanthropic sector, most recently working with Northern California Grantmakers (NCG). She possesses an extensive background developing collaborative networks and facilitating leadership cohorts for shared learning.
“I’m confident that Melissa will be a fantastic addition to our team,” says Jamie Allison, Walter & Elise Haas Fund Executive Director. “The skills and relationships she formed at NCG and GCIR have prepared her perfectly for this new chapter, and we’re grateful to welcome such a thoughtful leader to our staff.”
Melissa’s role will focus on strengthening grantee relationships and advancing the Fund’s commitment to trust-based philanthropy, a core element of the Community Well-being approach.
Anthem Salgado Appointed as Strategist for Communications
The Fund is also welcoming Anthem Salgado as the new Strategist for Communications. With decades of experience in the arts, arts administration, and entrepreneurship in the San Francisco Bay Area’s cultural landscape, Anthem brings unique insights to help amplify the voices and missions of the Fund’s many communities.
“We understand that grantmaking alone isn’t enough to support the transformative changes our communities are creating. We want to tell their stories and engage as many people as possible in our work,” said Suki O’Kane, Administrator. “Anthem’s experience makes him the ideal person to help us communicate the impact of our Community Well-being framework.”
Meeting the Moment
The Fund’s focus on Community Well-being comes at a critical time in the Bay Area, aiming to create more resilient communities that can weather economic and social challenges.
“This isn’t just an unfortunate reality—it’s a challenge we can meet head-on, guided by the Fund’s legacy and our commitment to those we champion,” said Anna Hernandez, Strategist for Justice, Equity, and Learning. “Our Community Well-being framework provides the roadmap for creating a Bay Area where all can thrive.”
About the Walter & Elise Haas Fund
The Walter & Elise Haas Fund is a leading voice in trust-based philanthropy. Established in 1952 by Walter A. Haas, Sr. and Elise Stern Haas, the Fund is a demonstration of its founders’ appreciation for the San Francisco Bay Area and their commitment to opportunity and access for all.
The Fund’s vision is a Bay Area where all people can reach their fullest potential and live with a sense of purpose, dignity, and joy. The organization’s values center around Family, Shared Responsibility, Belonging, and Possibility.
Media Resources
For additional media assets or to schedule an interview, please contact Anthem Salgado at [email protected].
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This is great news for us all.
As a leading Arts organization that provides Community Wellness programs we are excited about this new opportunity.
Grateful to see the Walter & Elise Haas Fund’s continued commitment to advancing community well-being through a holistic, equity-centered lens. This new strategic direction is timely and looking forward to seeing how it uplifts systems and communitiees.