What better way to mark the 25th anniversary of the Albert Haller Foundation than to extol its strength and success?
That’s exactly what the well-known foundation did last week with an afternoon awards ceremony at Sequim High School, awarding 57 grants to charitable nonprofit organizations, schools and others, totaling $200,000.
Distributions throughout 2016 included the City of Sequim Carrie Blake Park improvements, Peninsula College Promise Scholarships, scholarships to graduating high school seniors, to name a few, totaling $409,116, and making the grand total a whopping $609,116.
“Foundation grants are given annually to charitable organizations in Clallam County, with priority to those organizations providing food, housing, clothing, medical care and other programs that enrich the lives of low income citizens,” said Sheila Everett, executive assistant, United Way of Clallam County.
She added that special consideration is given for grants to Volunteer Hospice of Clallam County and charitable organizations that distribute food to the poor and needy during the holiday season.
United Way of Clallam County serves as the screening process for charitable organizations. (To avoid any conflict of interest, United Way has an agreement with the Haller Foundation Board that United Way’s own grant application be considered completely separately and independently by the Haller Foundation Board.)
Gary Smith, president of the Albert Haller Foundation, said that United Way has been screening the charitable organization applications for a long time.
“Sheila Everett and her crew have great insight on all the nonprofits that apply,” Smith said. “They make recommendations accordingly, but every year some deserving agencies do not get funded or get only a portion of they applied for.”
This is a deep concern for Smith and the foundation board of directors, which includes Smith, Dick Schneider, vice president, Dave Blake, secretary/treasurer and the school superintendents from the Sequim and Port Angeles school districts.
“We are trying to grow our foundation,” Smith said, hoping to include more agencies in the disbursement. “We’ve never solicited before, but we are going to have to.”
Since its inception 25 years ago, the foundation has received $9.2 million from Albert Haller’s estate, has donated $8 million in grants and scholarships and is worth $9 million today, according to the foundation’s recently printed updated brochure.
“While our financial advisors have done a great job of keeping pace with inflation and the IRS required 5 percent of giving, demand has been steadily increasing over the years and I would like to see our foundation increase accordingly,” Smith reiterated.
Smith has more than a business connection with the foundation, having personally known Albert Haller. In fact, he and Haller were fishing buddies. Smith and his wife, Dianne, moved from New York to Sequim in 1986 and soon learned their neighbors were the Haller family along the Dungeness River. They soon became close friends, Smith said.
Dick Schneider, another board member, knew Haller for more than 30 years.
Schneider provided construction work for Haller when he was developing Dungeness Heights. He accepted Haller’s invitation to join the foundation board and has been member since the foundation’s beginning.
Haller himself
Albert Haller and his wife, Julia, are rooted in Sequim’s history. He was born in Port Angeles in 1903 to Sequim Valley pioneers Max and Anna Haller. The 10th of 13 children, Haller began working in the woods at an early age. He began logging in the era of horses and continued through steam donkeys and caterpillar tractors to the modern technology of the late 20th century.
Haller began selective logging in the Lost Mountain district in 1937 and built a reputation as a careful and competent logger.
“He out-conserves the conservation policy of the Forest Service,” said Carl Neal, USFS supervisor at the time. “We never worry when Albert Haller is logging inside the Olympic National Forest.”
Albert and Julia were both largely self-educated, their formal schooling having ended after fourth grade. According to historians, their marriage was a true partnership, with Julia participating in the decision-making and management of the logging business. She and their children often were called upon to help with logging operations
Dorothy Haller-Munkeby, who died in January of this year, remembered her father as a kind, hard-working man.
“Dad was quite busy with logging but when he came home he was definitely approachable,” she said.
“Money didn’t mean that much to him,” she said. “We were a close-knit, working family, we were taught to work hard.”
A family garden provided much of their food and both Albert and Julia loved to fish. Their sons were avid hunters. Theirs was a life of frugality and self-reliance, and in the beginning, a struggle financially.
With Julia’s support, Haller began buying land. He expanded his log sales beyond the Olympic Peninsula and at one time, was the largest independent land owner in Clallam County. The logging company was disbanded after his wife’s death in 1954 and Haller turned to land development. He sold acreage on Bell Hill and began developing eastern additions to the city of Sequim.
He was working on the Dungeness Heights development at the time of his death in 1992, at the age of 88.
Throughout their lives Albert and Julia developed a deep commitment to help others in the community. They never forgot being denied a loan for $400 in order to expand their early business; consequently, they made a great many loans to help businesses that could not qualify for bank financing. They also offered each of their children and grandchildren the opportunity for a college education, having regretted their lack of formal education.
In death as in life, the Haller legacy has continued to support the two ideals of education and helping others. Today, the Haller Foundation offers scholarships to Clallam County high school seniors and supports community aid to those in need.
The Albert Haller Foundation
Perhaps Haller’s daughter said it best when describing her father’s philosophy. “My father used his money to make money and to help other people, to better everyone else.”
According to his friends, Haller did things quietly, without a splash.
“It was hard to tell exactly how wealthy he was,” said Isabel Dunlap, who handled much of Haller’s real estate dealings during the last 10 years of his life. “If you treated him fairly, you couldn’t find a better friend in business,” she added. “The buck was not the final answer.”
In 1989, Haller proposed a foundation in his name. As provided in his will, the foundation was formed as a nonprofit 501(c) 3 “to be operated exclusively for charitable … or educational purposes whose activities most closely correspond with my intention as to furthering the welfare of the citizens of Clallam County.” The Albert Haller Foundation was finalized in 1991.
Each year, the foundation awards scholarship grants in the name of graduating seniors to their chosen institutions of higher learning. The grants help with tuition, books and room and board expenses.
From 2007-2016, the foundation contributed $627,784 to the Peninsula College Foundation for graduating seniors who qualify for the Clallam Promise Scholarship program. The foundation also makes grants to charitable organizations that qualify as such according the provision of the IRS Code. Under the auspices of United Way of Clallam County, the foundation receives requests stating the need and intended use of funds.
The foundation also gives grants to capital projects, such as public works, parks and other recreational facilities open to the public.
But most importantly — especially to Albert Haller — the board gives priority to projects that enrich the lives of the poor and needy in Clallam County. Specifically funded and mentioned in Haller’s will include the Clallam County food banks and Volunteer Hospice of Clallam County.
Twenty-five years is a long time to support a community. Just a sampling of the notable recipients include the Boys &Girls Club of Sequim, Clallam County Parks, Green Alliance for Veterans, Museum &Arts Center, Sequim Family Advocates and the Port Angeles Skills Center.
Another 25 years is not out of the question, especially with the hard-working board of directors such as the likes of Smith and Schneider who are honoring their good friend’s wishes.
“It is my wish to encourage individuals who benefit from the funds to help someone else should they have the opportunity to do so,” Albert Haller so eloquently made known after the foundation was developed.
To contribute to the Albert Haller Foundation or for more questions, contact the foundation at P.O. Box 2739, Sequim, WA 98382, or contact Alan Millet at 683-1119 and amillet@qwestoffice.net.
For more information, visit www.alberthallerfoundation.net.
Sequim Gazette editor Michael Dashiell contributed to portions of the story. Much of the historical information regarding Albert Haller and his legacy is credited to the Albert Haller Foundation.
Mary Powell is former editor of the Sequim Gazette.
