Paul R. Haas, longtime Corpus Christi oilman and civic leader, passed away in 2008, but the Haas Foundation continued to award grants and scholarships. Haas was a member of the board of directors of the Coastal Bend Community Foundation from 1982 to 2006, and is its only director emeritus.
The Coastal Bend Community Foundation was established in 1981, with a donation of $150,000 from the Paul and Mary Haas Foundation. Since that original gift, the Coastal Bend Community Foundation has grown to more than $45 million in assets. In the past 30 years, more than $65 million has been awarded in grants to nonprofit organizations and scholarships to college and university students in CBCF’s seven county service area, including Bee.
“It is a true honor for the Coastal Bend Community Foundation to be the recipient of the Paul and Mary Haas Foundation funds,” said Karen W. Selim, president and CEO. “It is especially fitting that our founding donors are making this generous gift during our 30th anniversary year. All that we have been able to accomplish began with that initial grant from the Haas family.”
The current Haas Foundation grant totals $2 million. It is made by the trustees of the foundation, Mrs. Mary Haas, Rheta Haas Page, Raymond Haas and Rene Haas. The grant will establish a fund at CBCF, which will carry the Paul and Mary Haas Foundation name and will be used to continue to make grants to worthy community organizations.
“Granting the remaining assets of our foundation to CBCF is something we always intended to do,” said Mary Haas. “We knew that at some point, it would no longer be feasible to operate independently. My husband had a great dedication to the mission and work of the Coastal Bend Community Foundation and knew they would be good stewards of the funds and continue our charitable giving program.”
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