From the Executive Director

Have you ever wondered what makes a non-profit organization unique - compelling - magical - different? My answer is simple. It is the people who are involved that make an organization special. The Haas Foundation is, in fact, a special organization.

As you explore this site, you will notice that a lot is happening. We have a blog, an online auction, events, press releases, and more. We seem really big... perhaps because we have a BIG heart. The truth is, we manage our mission through our very capable volunteers. The foundation is staffed by one full-time person (myself), and four part-timers (equivalent of one full-time person). The key is that we have over 60 volunteers who annually contribute thousands of hours, saving the foundation over $85,000 each year.

Our office culture is structured to provide meaningful roles and responsibilities for our volunteers. All of our IT, graphic design, grant development, mailings, press releases, auction procurement, fundraising, editing, and event support is completed through the efforts of our talented and trusted volunteers. We have a unique system in which we have established volunteer leads who truly have ownership in their areas of expertise. We have a diverse workforce, with volunteers from over a dozen countries and ranging in age from 16 to 80 years. Their experience ranges from students building their resumes to people who have owned their own companies and had successful careers. The sharing between all these people is our magic formula. We are bonded by the idea that we can work together towards a common vision to help the immediate needs of students.

Our Board of Directors has 26 members. Two are from Spokane, one is from Kitsap County and the rest are from King County. There are four open spots on the board. We welcome applicants statewide who are interested in serving on a non-profit board and want to help create awareness of the Haas Foundation in their local communities with an emphasis on fund-raising.

In the schools we partner with Washington State secondary school personnel to administer micro-grants (ranging from $200 to $5,000). School coordinators use an efficient web-based system to select from a pre-determined menu of funding categories. Most school personnel are able to help students the same day a need is discovered. To our knowledge we are the only 501-c3 private non-profit foundation that offers this simple, non-bureaucratic approach to meeting the immediate needs of students. There are no application forms for the students and no waiting - just caring adults in schools who have been empowered to help.

HEAP (Haas Educator Ambassador Program) allows educators to get involved in our foundation in a deeper, more meaningful way. See the description of HEAP to learn more (http://www.haasfoundation.org/heap.asp). We are seeking representatives from the Vancouver, Wenatchee, Spokane and Olympia areas for the HEAP program.

Building capacity for schools to meet the needs of students is our goal. We provide the software for schools to easily track expenditures and be accountable to the school auditor. We also provide a second grant called a Challenge grant, which provides up to an additional one-half of schools' yearly micro-grant amount, based on local fund-raising efforts. Many of our schools raise more than the amount needed to generate a Challenge grant. We think that this is not only wonderful, but necessary. We encourage schools to raise awareness about the needs of students in their communities and raise funds locally that, in fact, stay local.

Our donors understand the simplicity of our mission and our grant process. Our Board even voted to cover online credit card charges so that 100% of all funds donated go directly to the schools.

During 2008, the Haas Foundation is celebrating its 45th year of service. Pretty amazing! Even more amazing are the people involved. Please consider linking our site to yours, referring a friend, or joining us as a volunteer or a donor. You can also help our cause when you make a comment on our blog, sign up for our newsletter, or adopt your local school.

Call, write and let us know what you think. I hope you will consider getting involved with us!

Bonnie Hilory
Executive Director