A Letter From President Cathy Cha

I am honored and humbled to step into my new role as President of the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund. 

Whether in the Bay Area or in other places across the country, our communities and our democracy are facing extraordinary challenges. I am eager to work with the Fund’s Board, staff, and partners to explore new opportunities for affirming and advancing the values we share.

How can we lift up a positive vision for our country that includes everybody? How can we affirm once and for all that the diversity of California and the nation makes us stronger? How can we face today’s challenges not with anger or anxiety but with a determined commitment to solve problems, take risks, and bring people together to work for fairness, equality, and justice?

These are some of the questions we are thinking about at the Haas, Jr. Fund as we consider the road ahead. Amid the turbulence and the turmoil in the country over the last two years, we have taken important steps to position our organization for a bold new phase of collaborative and strategic philanthropy. 

We have expanded the Board of Directors to include members of the next generation of the Haas, Jr. family who are bringing wonderful new perspectives and experiences to help drive our work. We have bolstered our diverse and talented staff with great new additions, and we have built an experienced senior leadership team. We also will be launching a process in the weeks ahead to explore how the Fund and our partners can strengthen our impact as we work to advance rights and create opportunities for all people.

These are fearful and difficult times for many communities across the country. The Haas, Jr. Fund stands ready to work collaboratively to protect and defend human rights and dignity while pushing forward with a positive vision for change. 

Thank you to the Fund’s Board of Directors for their partnership and their confidence in me and our staff team. Together with our partners, we will strive to move our communities and our society closer to the vision of the Fund’s founders, Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr.: a just and compassionate society where all people have the opportunity to live, work, and raise their families with dignity.  

Cathy Cha
President, Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund