Leadership Council

Tim Hanstad leads the Chandler Foundation as the Chief Executive Officer. Prior to joining the foundation, Tim co-founded and was the long-time CEO of Landesa, the world’s leading land-rights organization. Tim led its growth from a two-person team to a leading global NGO with more than 20 offices around the world. He launched Landesa’s programs in China, the former Soviet Union, and India, where he lived for five years. Tim is a Skoll Social Entrepreneur Awardee, a World Economic Forum Outstanding Social Entrepreneur, a Leap of Reason Ambassador, and a Co-Founder of Catalyst 2030. He has authored books and book chapters on economic and social development. His work has appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Financial Times, Stanford Social Innovation Review, Foreign Affairs, Scientific American, and beyond. He holds two law degrees (with Honors) from the University of Washington, a bachelor’s degree (magna cum laude) from Seattle Pacific University where he was Male Athlete of the Year, and has completed certificate programs at Harvard Business School and Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. His greatest learning, however, has come from spending time with those on socioeconomic margins in more than 20 countries around the world. Tim is the proud spouse of Chitra and a father to four adult children from from whom he draws inspiration.