Peter E Haas Jr Family Fund - Grant Information & Application Details

Quick Stats

Annual Giving: $17,685,351 (2024)
Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed (invitation-only)
Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
Grant Range: $10,000 - $1,000,000+
Typical Grant: ~$50,000
Geographic Focus: Marin County, Sonoma County, Bay Area (California), and national for democracy initiatives

Contact Details

Address: 5 Hamilton Landing #200, Novato, CA 94949

Phone: 415-464-2500

Website: Not publicly available (operated through Marin Community Foundation)

Note: This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. Contact through the Marin Community Foundation may be appropriate for relationship development.

Overview

The Peter E. Haas Jr. Family Fund was established as a California nonprofit public benefit corporation organized as a supporting organization of the Marin Community Foundation and became tax-exempt in September 2007. Founded by Peter E. Haas Jr. (great-great-grandnephew of Levi Strauss) and his wife Virginia "Ginnie" Haas, the fund manages over $600 million in assets. The fund's mission is to mobilize the power of community and the resources of philanthropy to advance equity for people, places, and the planet. In 2020, the fund significantly shifted its strategic focus to invest in democracy-related work, broadening from locally-focused grants in Marin County to include national advocacy while maintaining key partnerships in Marin and expanding into Sonoma County following the founders' move to Petaluma. The fund awarded 55 grants totaling $17.7 million in 2024.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The fund does not operate formal grant programs with fixed application cycles. Instead, grants are awarded through a proactive, invitation-only process where the fund identifies organizations aligned with its strategic priorities.

Grant Amounts: $10,000 to over $1,000,000, with most grants around $50,000

Notable Funding Areas:

Democracy & Civic Engagement: $100,000 - $500,000 grants to organizations like New Venture Fund, Protect Democracy Project, State Voices, and Voto Latino
Education: Substantial multi-year support to Novato Unified School District, Marin County Office of Education, Career Technical Education Foundation Sonoma County, Pivot Learning, and California Campus Catalyst
Health: Stanford University (cancer research), Healthcare Foundation Northern Sonoma County, Marin Community Clinic, North Marin Community Services
Human Services and Social Justice: Community development and human services organizations in Marin and Sonoma Counties

Priority Areas

Primary Focus (2020-Present):

Democracy protection and civic participation
Voter education, registration, and turnout
Election security and free and fair elections
Democracy policy development

Ongoing Focus:

Innovation and equity in education
Health equity and access
Social services and community development
Transformation of community norms
Youth development

Geographic Priorities:

Marin County (historic focus)
Sonoma County (expanded 2020)
Bay Area regional issues
National democracy initiatives

What They Don't Fund

The fund's specific exclusions are not publicly documented. However, as an invitation-only funder focused on systemic change, they typically do not fund:

Organizations outside their strategic focus areas
Organizations without established track records
Projects lacking alignment with equity and social justice principles

Governance and Leadership

Executive Director: Ralph Lewin - Leads the strategic direction of the fund and oversees grantmaking. Lewin is also a board member of Community Foundation Sonoma County.

Organizational Structure: The fund is operated by the Marin Community Foundation but incorporated as a standalone family foundation. Staff of the fund are full-time employees of the Marin Community Foundation. The fund provides over $11 million annually to MCF in exchange for administrative support.

Marin Community Foundation Leadership:

President & CEO: Rhea Suh
Former Contact: Thomas Peters, Ph.D. (previously listed as principal officer)

Founders: Peter E. Haas Jr. and Virginia "Ginnie" Haas

Key Leadership Quote:

Ralph Lewin on the fund's change philosophy: "The idea of incremental change is a slow grind, but I believe that if we work across institutions, work across other funders, and align the necessary investments with the strength and persistence, we can create long-term and durable change."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process.

The Peter E. Haas Jr. Family Fund operates on an invitation-only basis and does not accept unsolicited grant applications. Grants are awarded through a proactive grantmaking strategy where fund leadership identifies and invites organizations that align with their strategic priorities.

According to available sources, the fund "does not appear to accept unsolicited grant applications from nonprofits" and "lacks transparency limiting information about its grantmaking practices."

Getting on Their Radar

The fund employs a highly research-driven approach to identifying potential grantees. When expanding to Sonoma County, Executive Director Ralph Lewin and his team "began talking with people in Sonoma County about what we should know about what the needs were, who was doing good work," and interviewed thirty leaders across Sonoma County before making investments.

Specific strategies based on the fund's documented approach:

Community leadership connections: The fund actively seeks input from community leaders and conducts extensive interviews to identify effective organizations. Building relationships with established community leaders in Marin or Sonoma County who might be consulted by the fund could increase visibility.
Collaborative funder networks: The fund works closely with other Haas family foundations (Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund), the Levi Strauss Foundation, and participates in initiatives through the Marin Community Foundation. Organizations funded by these related entities may be more visible to the Peter E. Haas Jr. Family Fund.
Marin Community Foundation connection: Given the operational relationship, organizations already working with or known to the Marin Community Foundation may have increased visibility to the fund's leadership.
Funders' Committee for Civic Participation: The fund participates in democracy-focused funder networks where they identify potential partners in civic engagement work.

Decision Timeline

Decision timelines are not publicly disclosed. As an invitation-only funder with significant strategic planning processes, the timeline from initial contact to funding can vary considerably based on strategic priorities and organizational fit.

Success Rates

Success rates are not publicly available. As the fund does not accept unsolicited applications, traditional success rate metrics do not apply.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - the fund operates on an invitation-only basis.

Application Success Factors

Since this is an invitation-only funder, traditional application success factors do not apply. However, based on the fund's documented grantmaking approach and priorities, the following factors appear important:

Strategic Alignment with Current Priorities:

Organizations working on democracy protection, voter engagement, and election security are strongly prioritized in the current strategic focus
Education initiatives emphasizing innovation and equity, particularly in Marin and Sonoma Counties
Health equity programs addressing systemic barriers to access
Community development work that fosters "transformation in community norms"

Research-Driven Approach: Ralph Lewin's statement about their Sonoma County expansion reveals their methodology: extensive community research, interviews with 30+ leaders, and data-driven decision-making. Organizations with strong reputations among community leaders and data demonstrating impact are more likely to be identified.

Collaborative Philosophy: Lewin emphasized working "across institutions, work across other funders, and align the necessary investments." Organizations that partner effectively with other funders and institutions, particularly other Haas family foundations, the Levi Strauss Foundation, or the Marin Community Foundation, align with their approach.

Long-term Systemic Change: The fund's focus is on "long-term and durable change" rather than short-term projects. Organizations demonstrating strategies for sustained community transformation, not just service delivery, fit their model.

Equity and Social Justice Foundation: All funded work centers on advancing "equity for people, places, and the planet" and addressing disparities and structural impediments.

Geographic Commitment: The fund practices "giving where you live" and prioritizes organizations deeply rooted in Marin and Sonoma Counties for local work, while supporting national organizations for democracy initiatives.

Recent Grantees as Examples:

Democracy: New Venture Fund, Protect Democracy Project, State Voices, Voto Latino, Democracy Policy Initiative at UC Berkeley Goldman School of Public Policy
Education: Novato Unified School District, Marin County Office of Education, Career Technical Education Foundation Sonoma County, Pivot Learning
Health: Stanford University (cancer research), Healthcare Foundation Northern Sonoma County, Marin Community Clinic

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

This is an invitation-only funder - Do not submit unsolicited proposals; focus instead on building visibility through community networks and related funders
Democracy work is the current top priority - Since 2020, the fund has significantly expanded investment in voter engagement, election protection, and democracy policy, moving from primarily local to include national advocacy work
Relationship-driven grantmaking - The fund identifies partners through extensive community research, leader interviews, and consultation with trusted networks rather than open applications
Collaborative approach valued - Organizations working effectively with other funders, particularly Haas family foundations and the Levi Strauss Foundation, are more likely to be on their radar
Typical grants around $50,000, but democracy grants larger - While most grants average $50,000, democracy and civic engagement work receives grants of $100,000-$500,000
Geographic expansion to Sonoma County - Organizations in Sonoma County now have increased access following the founders' relocation and strategic expansion in 2020
Long-term systemic change over service delivery - The fund seeks partners focused on "transformation in community norms" and "long-term and durable change" rather than traditional service programs
Founded by Levi Strauss family descendants - Understanding the legacy of corporate social responsibility and social justice that characterizes the Haas family philanthropy provides context for their values-driven approach

References

Instrumentl. "Peter E Haas Jr Family Fund | Novato, CA | 990 Report." Accessed January 14, 2026. https://www.instrumentl.com/990-report/peter-e-haas-jr-family-fund
ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer. "Peter E Haas Jr Family Fund." Accessed January 14, 2026. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/141962681
InfluenceWatch. "Peter E Haas, Jr. Family Fund." Accessed January 14, 2026. https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/peter-e-haas-jr-family-fund/
Northern California Grantmakers. "Peter E. Haas Jr. Family Fund." Accessed January 14, 2026. https://ncg.org/profile/org/15290
Inside Philanthropy. "Ginnie and Peter Haas Jr. Fund." Accessed January 14, 2026. https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/find-a-grant-places/bay-area-grants/ginnie-and-peter-haas-jr-fund
Community Foundation Sonoma County. "Co-Investing in Change with the Peter E. Haas, Jr. Fund." Accessed January 14, 2026. https://www.sonomacf.org/blog/co-investing-in-change-with-the-peter-e-haas-jr-fund/
Cause IQ. "Peter E Haas Jr Family Fund | Novato, CA." Accessed January 14, 2026. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/peter-e-haas-jr-family-fund,141962681/
Philanthropy News Digest. "Levi Strauss Descendants' Philanthropy a Family Affair." Accessed January 14, 2026. https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/levi-strauss-descendants-philanthropy-a-family-affair
Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund. "Why All Funders Should Be Democracy Funders." Accessed January 14, 2026. https://www.haasjr.org/resources/why-all-funders-should-be-democracy-funders