Empowering African Nations Since 1981
News Room
The Haas Family Commitment to Self Help
Since 1981, John C. Haas and his family have supported the work of IFESH contributing more than $1 million directed through the William Penn Foundation and the John C. and Chara C. Haas Charitable Trust.
The Haas family, which has Pennsylvania roots dating back a century, has a long history of charitable giving to many charities and causes. Otto Haas, John's father, partnered with Otto Rohm to develop and sell a chemical that prepared leathers for tanning. Their company, Rohm and Haas, was established in Germany and in 1909 their first U.S. branch was opened in Philadelphia. Today the company develops specialty and performance materials in 100 facilities in more than 27 countries worldwide.
The Haas family support of Reverend Leon H. Sullivan and his self-help movement in the U.S. and Africa began more than 40 years ago during the civil rights movement. Reverend Sullivan championed for equality and civil rights and also believed that in order for civil rights to be successful here and abroad, people had to help themselves through acquiring education and skills. He converted an abandoned Philadelphia jailhouse into a center where people developed self esteem and received industrial skills training.
"His work appealed to my parents and they supported him," said Mr. Haas. The 90-year-old philanthropist enthusiastically recounted the lasting impact of his parents' contribution to Reverend Sullivan's self-help movement. "She [Mr. Haas' mother] sent him a check for $50,000, which was a lot of money in those days. He [Reverend Sullivan] carried the letter from Mrs. Haas that enclosed the check around with him and he always talked about it," he said.
Haas is a founding donor of IFESH and he, along with others such as George Soros, Walter Hewlett, Donald Kendall and Brooks McCormick, contributed the initial seed money making it possible for the establishment of IFESH and our subsequent work in Africa.
"I feel good about it!" exclaimed Haas, on how his contributions are making a difference on-the-ground in sub-Saharan Africa through the work of IFESH.
March 2009
