Another Haas Fund Worth Getting to Know in the Bay Area

Support has gone toward services for undocumented students. Photo: Sheila Fitzgerald/shutterstock

When someone mentions the “Haas Fund,” Bay Area nonprofits instantly think of the prominent and powerful San Francisco-based Water and Elise Haas Fund, with its hundreds of millions of dollars in assets. However, the Haas legacy of giving in California runs deep, and it should come as little surprise that there are additional Haas organizations making grants in the state. One such foundation is the Ginnie and Peter Haas Jr. Fund, which is based in Novato.

Here are a few essential details that Bay Area grantseekers should know about the Ginnie and Peter Haas Jr. Fund.

All about Peter E. Haas Jr.

Like other members of the Haas family, Peter E. Haas Jr. has strong ties to the Bay Area. Born in San Francisco, he worked with the family business from an early age. He was manager at the Levi Strauss Company and held various other roles there over the years. Haas and his wife, the late Joanne Christensen, had three children together. Haas remarried after her death to Ginnie Haas, and also has two siblings. Peter Haas has been involved with numerous organizations as a director or trustee, including the Red Tab Foundation, the Novato Youth Center Honorary Board, the San Francisco Foundation and the Walter and Elise Haas Fund.

Priority issue areas for grants

These days, the Ginnie and Peter Haas Jr. Fund is best known for its collaborative efforts with other local foundations. For example, it contributed to the Chronicle Season of Sharing Fund, which provides temporary assistance to local individuals and families in need, with an emphasis on housing assistance and food banks. The Ginnie and Peter Haas Jr. Fund is also involved with the California Campus Catalyst Fund, which supports undocumented students and their families at colleges and universities.

Thus far, education appears to be this foundation’s top priority, with many grants going to county offices of education, children’s centers and local school districts and colleges. Meanwhile, other grants have been flowing steadily to efforts that promote youth leadership and outdoor recreation. Many of the foundation’s grants have been administrated by the Marin County Foundation.

Limited transparency and accessibility

Unlike the Walter and Elise Haas Fund, which boasts an entire section of its website dedicated to transparency and links to IRS returns and audited financials, the Ginnie and Peter Haas Jr. Fund is less transparent and considerably more challenging for nonprofits to engage with. This foundation does not have a website and maintains a low public profile.

However, this is still a very important Bay Area funder to keep an eye on. Total grantmaking has exceeded $2.5 million lately, while the funder’s assets stand at more than $355 million. The foundation does not appear to accept unsolicited funding requests and does not share information about its grantmaking guidelines or procedures.

Read more about how this funder operates and who to contact for general questions in IP’s full profile of the Ginnie and Peter Haas Jr. Fund, which is part of our Bay Area & NorCal funding guide.

Featured