ABOUT US

Founded in December 2021, the Wana Brands Foundation has donated over $6 million dollars to more than 150 non-profits.

OUR PRINCIPLES

Intersectionality
Innovation
Capacity Building
Balance Immediate Needs and Long-term Solutions

Photo Credit: Gilberto Tadday / TED

Balance Immediate Needs and Long-term Solutions

At the Wana Brands Foundation, we take a thoughtful and comprehensive approach to evaluating non-profits through the lens of intersectionality. We recognize how overlapping identities shape the experiences of marginalized communities, and we prioritize organizations that not only address specific issues but also understand the interconnectedness of these challenges.

This holistic perspective is crucial, especially in areas like homelessness, domestic violence, food insecurity, mental health, and climate change. By supporting non-profits that integrate social justice into their programs, we ensure that resources are directed toward initiatives that truly reflect the complexities of the communities they serve.

We believe this approach empowers the organizations we fund and fosters more effective solutions that can lead to meaningful, lasting change.

Our world faces many significant challenges, and our communities need leaders and organizations that can think outside the box to solve problems in new and innovative ways.

We have been impressed and inspired by the creativity that numerous organizations display in addressing their focus areas.

Some organizations excel at finding ways to tackle multiple challenges through their programs and services, while others discover unique approaches to maximize their impact with the resources available to them.

Regardless of the impact area an organization focuses on, the reality is that community and global needs will always surpass the resources of any organization, regardless of its size. That’s why we value organizations that incorporate capacity building into their programs.

At the Wana Brands Foundation, we believe that organizations engaged in capacity building not only enhance their own effectiveness but also empower others to do the work. This approach leads to a wider reach and greater impact, making our investment even more powerful and multiplying the impact of our support.

Desmond Tutu, the South African archbishop and human rights activist, famously said, “There comes a point where we need to stop just pulling people out of the river. We need to go upstream and find out why they’re falling in.” This quote resonates deeply with a core value of the Wana Brands Foundation.

While there are urgent needs that must be addressed, we also prioritize organizations that demonstrate the ability to balance immediate responses with long-term change for individuals and communities.

In some cases, a single organization can design its services to achieve both objectives. In other situations, the organizations we support may focus primarily on systemic change. It is our responsibility to balance our giving to ensure that we not only support immediate needs but also fund longer-term initiatives that address the root causes, effectively “going upstream.”

TRUST-BASED PHILANTHROPY AT THE WANA BRANDS FOUNDATION

At the Wana Brands Foundation, we are committed to the principles of trust-based philanthropy. We believe in transforming the traditional dynamics between funders and nonprofits, moving away from outdated practices where funders held all the power. Instead, we strive for partnerships rooted in mutual respect and accountability.

Our approach emphasizes collaboration and open communication. We prioritize understanding the broader context of an organization’s work, rather than focusing solely on audited financials. While we do not engage in micromanagement, we value insights into an organization’s progress and methods for assessing performance and impact.

We don't need audited financials but we do need to understand the overall big picture to ensure that our resources will be used wisely. We don't believe in micro-managing the nonprofits we fund, but we are interested in their progress and how they assess their own performance and impact.

Key principles guiding our partnerships include:

Collaborative Learning: We recognize that we are not always the experts in every area of impact. Our goal is to enhance our knowledge over time, and we approach nonprofit organizations with questions designed to foster understanding and collaboration.
Streamlined Applications: We acknowledge that many nonprofits lack the resources to complete extensive applications or lengthy impact reports. Therefore, we focus on concise applications that prioritize understanding an organization’s mission, structure, and impact strategies.
Mutual Accountability: While we do not require audited financials, we seek a clear understanding of an organization’s budget and resource allocation to ensure our support is utilized effectively.
Building Personal Relationships: We believe in the power of personal connections and shared values. Our partnerships are built on integrity and a collective commitment to creating a more equitable world.