SOURCE OF WEALTH: Gap, Manzanita Capital
FUNDING AREAS: Arts & Culture, Education
OVERVIEW: William and Sakurako Fisher move their philanthropy through the Sakana Foundation, which according to available tax filings, gave away about $3.4 million from 2017 to 2018. The couple’s grantmaking prioritizes the San Francisco Bay Area. The Sakana Foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals.
BACKGROUND: William S. Fisher is the son of Don and Doris Fisher, founders of the Gap retail clothing stores. He is a graduate of Princeton University and earned an MBA from Stanford in 1984. Fisher currently serves as a director at Gap. He is also a founder and managing partner of Manzanita Capital, a London-based private equity firm. Sakurako Fisher is a graduate of Stanford University. She worked as a grain merchant for Cargill, Inc. and a foreign exchange dealer at Citibank before becoming significantly involved in philanthropy.
ISSUES:
ARTS & CULTURE: The Fisher family has deep ties to the San Francisco Symphony, where Doris Fisher has served on the board since 1980, and Sakurako now serves as President. Other past arts and culture grantees include San Francisco’s American Conservatory Theater, the Centre Pompidou Foundation, San Francisco’s Exploratorium, the League of American Orchestras, Creative Capital, the Asian Art Museum, and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
EDUCATION: The Fishers education funding has prioritized higher education. The couple supports Stanford University, where they endowed the Sakurako and William Fisher Family Directorship of the Stanford Global Studies Division. Sakurako serves on the advisory boards of Stanford’s Department of Humanities and Sciences and the Freeman Spogli Institute of International Studies. Other past grantees include the Alliance Francaise and the University of California, Berkeley.
LOOKING FORWARD: The Fishers will likely to continue to support Stanford and the San Francisco Bay Area through their foundation.
CONTACT:
The Sakana Foundation does not provide a clear avenue of contact but below is an address:
Sakana Foundation
220 Montgomery St. Ste. 433
San Francisco, CA 94104
