Walter and Elise Haas Fund
The Walter & Elise Haas Fund is a private foundation based in San Francisco, California, established in 1952. The fund operates as a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to philanthropic grantmaking and thought leadership. The foundation was established by Walter Haas, who served as president of Levi Strauss & Co., and his wife Elise, who served as vice-president of the fund until her death in 1990. Walter Haas passed away in 1979.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$262.0M
+3.8% YoY
Annual Giving
$11.6M
-14.0% YoY
Grant Count
242
-17.1% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$48K
+3.7% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The mission of the Walter & Elise Haas Fund is to help build a healthy, just, and vibrant society in which people feel connected to and responsible for their community. Through grantmaking, collaboration, storytelling, and thought leadership, the fund invests in organizations whose work aligns with its values and supports community well-being.
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.
Core Values:
- Family: Caring for each other as a human family, forging connections, and creating continuity of culture and practice
- Possibility: Embracing what could be, dreaming big, and fostering a society in which all thrive
- Shared Responsibility: Striving to heal the world and lead or join efforts as necessary
- Accountability: Being responsive and in deep relationship and partnership with communities
Primary Program Areas:
Social Well-Being: Includes the Creative Power Awards and the WE Initiative. The Creative Power Awards help individual artists and arts nonprofits stabilize the arts ecosystem, bolstering stronger community connections and capacity to imagine a better future. The program celebrates the role of artists as problem solvers and the making of art as a profound contribution to intellectual inquiry and strengthening of communities.
Community Well-Being: A cornerstone for the fund's strategic direction
The fund is a signatory to Philanthropy's Promise, an initiative of the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, committing to allocate the majority of its grantmaking dollars to marginalized communities and at least 25 percent to social justice strategies, including advocacy, community organizing, and civic engagement.
Grantmaking
Typical grant awards range from $100,000 to $500,000. The fund offers multiple grant programs including:
Grant Range
s and Types:**
How to Apply
**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The fund primarily focuses its grantmaking in the Bay Area and California, with some activity in New York and the District of Columbia.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of December 2024:
- Total Assets: $262,004,213
- Total Revenue: $26,449,628
- Total Expenses: $16,944,267
- Net Income: $9,505,361
- Total Liabilities: $1,700,000
- Total Giving: $11,532,458
The fund has been tax-exempt since March 1953.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $262,004,213 | $252,512,662 | $240,889,163 |
| Revenue | $26,449,628 | $30,500,482 | $-33,483,244 |
| Expenses | $16,944,267 | $18,366,401 | $16,338,216 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $15,294,225 | $16,672,168 | $15,538,429 |
| Net Investment Income | $8,321,077 | $10,794,235 | $35,173,931 |
| Distributable Amount | $12,390,285 | $11,959,788 | $12,509,046 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
152 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
4 open opportunities from Walter and Elise Haas Fund
Creative Work Fund Grants
WALTER AND ELISE HAAS FUND
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Walter and Elise Haas Fund: Policy Grants
WALTER AND ELISE HAAS FUND
Amount
US $300,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Walter and Elise Haas Fund: Possibility Grants
WALTER AND ELISE HAAS FUND
Amount
US $100,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Executive Director: Jamie Allison
Staff: The fund employs 10 staff members.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| PETER E HAAS JR | TRUSTEE EMERITUS | 2 | — |
| CHARLOTTE H PRIME | TRUSTEE | 2 | — |
| JAMIE ALLISON | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 40 | $458,000 |
| JENNIFER C HAAS | TRUSTEE | 2 | — |
| BRADLEY J HAAS | TRUSTEE/PRESIDENT | 5 | — |
| ALEJANDRO FOUNG | TRUSTEE | 2 | — |
| ALLISON M EISENHARDT | TRUSTEE | 2 | — |
| RACHEL GELMAN | TRUSTEE | 2 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The Walter & Elise Haas Fund has announced several major initiatives and commitments:
Walter & Elise Haas Fund Invests in 24 Organizations Advancing Belonging**WE Initiative:** Launched a $12.5 million investment in Bay Area social cohesion, with 24 organizations selected as inaugural awardees advancing belonging across the Bay Area.
Walter & Elise Haas Fund Invests in 24 Organizations Advancing Belonging**Creative Power Awards:** Announced the inaugural Creative Power Awards, representing an evolution of the Creative Work Fund, providing $1.575 million in unrestricted funding to support artists and arts nonprofits.
**Civil Society Protection:** Increased payout and committed $3.25 million to protect civil society and communities facing federal threats, demonstrating the fund's commitment to sustaining nonprofit capacity during challenging times.
Walter & Elise Haas Fund Increases Payout; Commits $3.25M to Protect Civil**Learning Organization:** The fund is working to become an equitable learning organization, sharing its approach to building learning practices and how this drives relationships with grantees.
**Grantee Support:** Published a report titled "Nonprofits Don't Win Alone: Seven Lessons from the Endeavor Fund," sharing insights on nonprofit success and sustainability.
Contact Information
Address: 1 Lombard Street, Suite 305 San Francisco, CA 94111
Phone: (415) 398-4474
Website: haassr.org
Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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