Founded in 1953, the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund has awarded more than $475 million in grants. The Fund, now managed by their three children, continues to sponsor organizations and initiatives that advance and protect the fundamental rights and opportunities for all minorities through the development of diverse civic and cultural assets. In 1994, the Fund launched the San Francisco Beacon Initiative to create safe community centers with programs tailored to the specific needs of neighborhoods. Now a collaborative effort among the City's Department of Children, Youth and Their Families, the School District, and private funders, the initiative has resulted in eight new centers housed in City public schools that serve nearly 5,300 participants each year. The Fund continues to provide leadership for the project, and since 1994 has made grants totaling more than $2.7 million to help expand and strengthen the initiative.