Mimi Haas

FUNDING AREAS: Early Childhood Development, Arts, Education, Public Affairs, Health & Human Services

OVERVIEW: Mimi Haas conducts philanthropy through the Mimi and Peter Haas Fund, which primarily focuses on early childhood development, particularly support towards San Francisco's young low-income children and their families with access to high-quality early childhood programs.

BACKGROUND: Mimi Haas graduated from George Washington University. She is the widow of former Levi Strauss & Co. CEO Peter Haas, and owns about a 17 percent stake in the famed jeans company.

ISSUES:

EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT: The fund’s grantmaking particularly keys in on the Bay Area and low income children. The fund also “recognizes the importance of connecting the work of its direct service grants to the ongoing discussions of public policy” and aims to collaborate with other organizations to improve early childhood outcomes. Grantees have included San Francisco Unified School District, Compass Family Services, South of Market Child Care Inc., Family Services Agency of San Francisco, and California Child Care Resource & Referral Network.

OTHER: The fund also makes trustee-initiated grantmaking to arts, education, public affairs, and health and human services organizations. Mimi Haas is a member of the national Advisory Board of the Haas Center for Public Service at Stanford University, and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. She’s also vice chair of SFMOMA, a vice chair of MoMA, and on the board of Lincoln Center, all of which she’s supported. Other grantees have included San Francisco State University, and California Academy of Sciences

LOOKING FORWARD: The Haas Fund has been digging into early childhood development for years. Expect this steady grantmaking to continue.

CONTACT:

Mimi and Peter Haas Fund
201 Filbert St., 5th Fl.
San Francisco, CA 94133