About Us

Together, we keep our Bay Area neighbors housed, nourished and cared for, because no one should have to choose between paying for rent, feeding their family, or having the medications they need.

In 1986, the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund co-founder, Walter A. Haas, Jr., and the Fund’s President, Ira Hirschfield, approached the San Francisco Chronicle with an idea: the Bay Area needed a charitable fund to help individuals and families in crisis.

Since our founding, the Chronicle Season of Sharing Fund has distributed $205 million, comprising $172 million in housing and critical needs assistance and $33 million in food assistance. These funds have gone to assist tens of thousands of households across the nine counties of the San Francisco Bay Area — Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma.

Nearly one in five Bay Area households has less than $400 in savings. This means that any unforeseen event, be it a global pandemic, sudden loss of job, or a medical emergency, can catalyze a downward spiral that leads to possible homelessness. Assistance from the Chronicle Season of Sharing Fund makes it possible for Bay Area households to keep a roof over their heads and food on their tables as they strive to get back on their feet.

All of the Fund’s administrative expenses are covered by the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund and the San Francisco Chronicle. As a result, 100 percent of the money raised by the Chronicle Season of Sharing Fund goes directly towards housing, food, and other basic needs of the Bay Area neighbors we serve. While most donations come in during the end-of-year holiday season, the Chronicle Season of Sharing Fund operates year round.

Financial Information

Our Partners

The Chronicle Season of Sharing Fund delivers assistance through a network of 150 community partners throughout the Bay Area.

County Partners

Chronicle Season of Sharing Fund aims to prevent homelessness through a network of 150 partner agencies in the nine Bay Area counties. A coordinating agency in each county receives and approves applications. Once applications are approved, fiscal agents disburse payments directly to suppliers of services, such as landlords or utility companies. Individuals do not receive direct cash assistance from the Fund.

Food Banks

Chronicle Season of Sharing Fund works to end hunger through partnerships with Bay Area food banks. We provide funds to food banks so they can purchase nutritious food like proteins and fresh produce. Our food bank partners manage complex operations that supply local pantries, provide healthy food in schools and community centers, and help Bay Area residents apply for supplementary nutrition assistance programs like CalFresh.