NET WORTH: Unknown
SOURCE OF WEALTH: Goldman Sachs; TPG Capital
FUNDING AREAS: Environment, Other
OVERVIEW: Timothy Dattels and his wife Kristine move their philanthropy through the Kingfisher Foundation, which focuses on helping to restore healthy marine ecosystems through sound fisheries management. Kristine serves as executive director of the foundation. Kingfisher does not accept unsolicited proposals, and its website provides limited information about recent grants.
BACKGROUND: Timothy David Dattels received his bachelor's degree from University of Western Ontario, and his MBA from Harvard Business School. He started at Wood Gundy in Toronto, and later moved to Goldman Sachs in the 1990s where he served as partner and managing director. Dattels joined TPG Capital in 2004. He currently serves as partner and co-head of Asian business.
ISSUES:
ENVIRONMENT: The Dattels family founded the Kingfisher Foundation in 1998. Kingfisher's goal is to "restore and preserve the health and resilience of marine fish populations through the reduction or elimination of illegal, destructive and economically unviable fishing practices." Kristine serves as executive director of Kingfisher and serves on such boards as Sustainable Conservation, a California organization, and the Environmental Defense Fund.
Kingfisher is particularly interested in projects that combine "sound scientific, economic, social, and political realities and have a potential conservation impact substantially exceeding the amount of time and capital invested." The foundation's conservation work currently involves the pacific coast of the United States, and Pacific tropical coral reef fisheries. Recent foundation grantees include Nature Conservancy, Environmental Defense Fund (the recipient of a recent $300,000 grant),Defenders of Wildlife, Blue Ridge Center in Virginia, and Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, located outside San Francisco's Golden Gate surrounding the Gulf of the Farallones. Kingfisher has also recently supported University of Washington's School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences.
OTHER: Dattels and Kristine have supported Kristine's undergraduate alma mater Whitman College, helping fund athletics at the school. They've also funded Dattels' school, University of Western Ontario, and Pitzer College in suburban Los Angeles. The couple are Pitzer parents. Dattels and Kristine also have an interest in the arts and have recently supported outfits like Asian Art Museum, Merola Opera, San Francisco Ballet. Dattels is a trustee of SFJAZZ.
LOOKING FORWARD: Dattels is only in his 50s and still very much engaged in business but the couple's conservation work should be watched carefully.
LINK: Kingfisher Foundation