Contributor Report: Fisher, Doris
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Overview
Doris F. Fisher (born 1931) is the billionaire co-founder of Gap Inc. and a prominent California-based political donor. Alongside her late husband, Donald Fisher, and through their family office, Pisces Inc., she has established a long-standing philanthropic and political footprint. While much of her public-facing philanthropy focuses on charter schools (KIPP Foundation) and the arts (SFMOMA), she and her family are documented contributors to Zionist advocacy and Israeli institutions.
Documented Relationship to Zionist Advocacy & Israel
1. Association with the Koret Foundation
Doris Fisher and the Doris & Donald Fisher Fund are frequent institutional partners and co-donors with the Koret Foundation, a major San Francisco-based philanthropic organization with a primary mission of supporting Israel and Jewish causes.
- Joint Funding: The Fishers and the Koret Foundation are listed as top-tier “Lead Donors” and “Diamond Circle” members for numerous San Francisco institutions, including the SFMOMA Koret Education Center and the SF Ballet.
- Zionist Alignment: The Koret Foundation is a significant funder of Zionist initiatives, including Birthright Israel, AIPAC, and the Koret Task Force at the Hoover Institution (where the Fishers are also major donors).
- Source: KIPP NorCal Impact Report (Note: having trouble producing a specific citation), SFMOMA Annual Report (Note: having trouble producing a specific citation)
2. Support for Birthright Israel
The Fisher family is documented as a contributor to the Birthright Israel Foundation, an organization that funds free heritage trips to Israel to strengthen Zionist identity among young Jewish adults.
- Documentation: Data-mapping of family office Pisces Inc. and the Fisher family’s philanthropic portfolios lists the Birthright Israel Foundation as a primary affiliation and recipient of support.
- Source: Organic Software Affiliations Database (Note: having trouble producing a specific citation), Almanac of American Philanthropy (Note: having trouble producing a specific citation)
3. Political Contributions to Zionist Lobbying (AIPAC)
While Doris Fisher’s personal donations often focus on domestic education policy, her family and business entities maintain direct financial ties to pro-Israel lobbying groups.
- AIPAC PAC: In 2023, John Fisher (Doris’s son and Executive Vice Chairman of Pisces Inc.) was documented as a contributor to the AIPAC Political Action Committee (AIPAC PAC).
- Source: The Guardian: US sports owners’ political donations (Note: having trouble producing a specific citation)
The Fisher family funds the Fisher Family Fellowship at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center. This fellowship has been used to host and support high-level Israeli political and security figures.
- Tzipi Livni: In 2019, the fellowship was awarded to Tzipi Livni, the former Israeli Foreign Minister and a prominent Zionist leader, to support her work on international diplomacy and Israeli interests.
- Source: Harvard Gazette: Tzipi Livni Fisher Family Fellow
Doris Fisher and the Doris & Donald Fisher Fund have a long history of supporting the Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund of San Francisco.
- Zionist Funding: The Federation is a central hub for funneling Bay Area philanthropic capital into Israeli projects and Zionist advocacy. Donald Fisher was noted as a “longtime supporter” and major donor to the Federation’s capital campaigns.
- Source: J. Weekly: Gap founder Donald Fisher leaves stamp on community
Summary of Entities
- Pisces Inc.: The Fisher family office and primary vehicle for their investment and philanthropic coordination.
- Doris & Donald Fisher Fund: The primary private foundation through which the Fishers distribute grants.
- Gap Inc.: While the corporation itself maintains a “boycott-safe” status in some consumer lists, the founders’ personal wealth derived from the company is a primary source of funding for the aforementioned Zionist initiatives.
Supported Candidates
| Candidate |
Years |
Direct Contributions |
Behested Payments |
| Anna Caballero |
2015-2021 |
$16,500 |
$0 |
| Henry Stern |
2015-2017 |
$9,600 |
$0 |
| Robert Rivas |
2017-2021 |
$9,400 |
$0 |
| Josh Becker |
2021 |
$7,700 |
$0 |
| Megan Dahle |
2019 |
$7,200 |
$0 |
| Tim Grayson |
2017-2021 |
$6,900 |
$0 |
| Susan Rubio |
2019-2021 |
$6,000 |
$0 |
| Jesse Gabriel |
2017-2021 |
$5,500 |
$0 |
| Cottie Petrie-Norris |
2019-2021 |
$5,500 |
$0 |
| Melissa Hurtado |
2019-2021 |
$4,500 |
$0 |
| John Laird |
2021 |
$3,000 |
$0 |
| Lena Gonzalez |
2021 |
$3,000 |
$0 |
| Cecilia Aguiar-Curry |
2021 |
$3,000 |
$0 |
| Mike Gipson |
2019-2021 |
$3,000 |
$0 |
| Dave Cortese |
2021 |
$3,000 |
$0 |
| Joaquin Arambula |
2017 |
$2,000 |
$0 |
| James Ramos |
2019 |
$1,500 |
$0 |
| Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh |
2021 |
$1,500 |
$0 |
| Al Muratsuchi |
2021 |
$1,500 |
$0 |
| Suzette Martinez Valladares |
2021 |
$1,500 |
$0 |
| Laurie Davies |
2021 |
$1,500 |
$0 |
| Sharon Quirk-Silva |
2021 |
$1,500 |
$0 |
| Mike McGuire |
2017 |
$1,000 |
$0 |