Doris and Donald Fisher Fund

OVERVIEW: The Doris & Donald Fisher Fund supports charter schools, charter school networks and organizations that provide advocacy and research for the charter school movement in the U.S.

IP TAKE: The Doris and Donald Fisher Fund works mainly through existing partnerships. Most grants stay in California, although New York is also an important site of giving. This inaccessible and opaque funder does not accept unsolicited proposals or accept LOIs from new grantseekers. It tends to fund the same groups year after year and new recipients rarely show on the fund’s tax records.

PROFILE: Headquartered in San Francisco, California, the Doris and Donald Fisher Fund was founded by Doris and Donald Fisher, who together founded the Gap clothing retailer in 1969. This fund's priority is the charter school movement, and it invests in charter schools and networks, as well as research, advocacy and political campaigns that support charter school legislation.

Grants for K-12 Education

This foundation does not maintain a website or a significant media presence; however, tax records reveal that it considers support for K-12 education a priority. Among the charter organizations it has supported, KIPP (the Knowledge is Power Program) is by far the largest recipient, and according to the New York Times, KIPP, which runs more than 200 schools, has received over $60 million from the fund. Other past recipients include the Charter School Growth Fund, which supports the growth and expansion of quality charter networks, the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, which provides advocacy and research for charter schools and organizations, and Teach for All, an international organization that aims to improve school leadership in areas of high need.

The Doris and Donald Fisher Fund remains an essential KIPP partner and holds the top slot among KIPP supporters, awarding more than $60 million over the years. Doris Fisher sits on the KIPP Foundation board of directors. The Fisher Fund keeps a low profile, but gives big to charter schools, with KIPP being a particular favorite. An estimated half of the Fisher Fund’s grants have gone to KIPP schools.

Important Grant Details

Grants range from $2,000 to $2 million, but $50,000 is the most common amount. The Fisher Fund works with established organizations that are based in the U.S. This funder does not accept unsolicited proposals. General inquiries may be made by mail to the address below.

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CONTACT:

Doris & Donald Fisher Fund
One Maritime Plaza, No. 1550
San Francisco, CA, 94111