Wana Brands Foundation

The Wana Brands Foundation is a Boulder, Colorado-based private foundation launched in December 2021 by Nancy Whiteman, co-founder and former CEO of Wana Brands, one of Colorado's pioneering cannabis companies. Whiteman seeded the foundation with a $50 million contribution in FY2021, creating an endowed philanthropic vehicle that has since grown to $55.8 million in assets while distributing over $12 million to more than 150 nonprofit partners nationwide.

The foundation's operating philosophy is explicitly trust-based: it rejects the traditional power imbalance between funder and grantee, favoring partnerships built on mutual respect, open communication, and shared accountability. This translates directly into its application expectations — streamlined submissions are welcomed, audited financials are not required, and the foundation prioritizes understanding an organization's mission, structure, and impact strategies over documentation volume.

Four strategic pillars guide grantmaking: innovation (valuing creative problem-solving), intersectionality (recognizing how overlapping identities shape marginalized communities), capacity building (supporting organizations that multiply their own impact), and balance (funding both immediate relief and systemic change simultaneously).

The foundation does not operate a formal open-grant cycle with published deadlines. Instead, it functions through relationship-driven outreach and invitation. Organizations connected to Colorado's social justice, cannabis reform, and environmental ecosystems — particularly those with existing relationships in Boulder County or the Denver metro area — have the strongest access pathways. First-time applicants should invest in relationship-building through community events, shared networks (particularly in LGBTQ+, climate, food security, and cannabis advocacy spaces), and LinkedIn engagement with foundation staff before submitting.

The foundation holds a 2025 Candid Platinum Seal, indicating full financial transparency and a genuine commitment to the field. Its cannabis-industry DNA means it is exceptionally open to proposals from organizations operating in spaces other funders avoid — drug policy reform, harm reduction, psychedelics research, and cannabis equity.

Across 106 recorded grants totaling $2,819,670, the Wana Brands Foundation's median grant is estimated at approximately $10,000–$12,000, with an average of $26,601. The range spans from $5,000 (smallest recorded) to $600,000 (Johns Hopkins University, cannabis and psychedelics research), reflecting a deliberately tiered portfolio that combines modest unrestricted gifts with transformational anchor grants.

Grant size tiers observed: - Anchor grants ($100K–$600K): ~6 grants, comprising roughly 50% of total dollar volume. Recipients include Johns Hopkins ($600K), Out Boulder County ($230K), CCD Foundation ($206K), Our Academy ($166K), Project Drawdown ($150K), and The Delores Project ($115K). - Mid-range grants ($25K–$100K): ~20 grants, representing approximately 30% of dollars. Includes Unlimited Sciences ($112.5K), Safehouse Progressive Alliance ($76K), Fast Blackfeet ($75K), Medicine Horse Program ($61K), and Nuproject ($55K). - Small grants ($5K–$25K): The majority (~80 grants), primarily unrestricted at $10,000–$25,000 each.

Geographic concentration: Colorado receives 55 of ~94 geographically traceable grants (58.5%). Maryland accounts for 7 grants (7.4%), Michigan for 6 (6.4%), with Massachusetts, California, DC, Nevada, Montana, Hawaii, and Utah each receiving 2–4 grants.

By focus area (estimated dollar allocation): - Cannabis and psychedelics research: ~25% ($712,500), driven by the Johns Hopkins anchor - Education and scholarships: ~13% ($372,000) - LGBTQ+ and equity: ~14% ($396,000) - Basic needs (food, shelter, safety): ~14% ($405,000) - Environment and climate: ~7% ($194,000) - Mental health: ~5% ($136,000) - Other/intersectional: ~22%

Fiscal trajectory: The foundation distributed $40K in FY2021 (startup year), then scaled dramatically to $2.78M in grants paid in FY2023 (total giving $3.0M). FY2024 data shows $55.8M in assets but no giving figure yet reported, consistent with a foundation still in active grant deployment mode.

The foundation's five closest asset-size peers are all mid-size private foundations in the Philanthropy & Grantmaking category, with assets clustered tightly between $55.7M and $55.9M. None have published websites in the database, limiting direct comparison of grantmaking style, but approximate annual giving can be estimated at the standard 5% private foundation payout minimum.

Wana Brands Foundation stands out sharply among asset-comparable peers for several reasons. It is the only one with a publicly known founding story, a named founder (Nancy Whiteman), a live website with stated priorities, and a verified grant history exceeding $12 million. Its commitment to trust-based philanthropy, explicit intersectionality framing, and willingness to fund cannabis and psychedelics research place it in a distinct niche — more aligned philosophically with funders like the Libra Foundation or Linked Foundation than with similarly capitalized traditional family foundations. For grant seekers, this means Wana Brands Foundation is unusually transparent and approachable relative to its peer tier.

The most significant recent grant is the $100,000 award to Levitt Pavilion Denver (announced August 5, 2024) for capital improvements through the organization's Future Fund. This grant funded pathway extensions, improved lighting, expanded ADA accessibility seating, artificial turf completion, and a new audio booth — a signal that the foundation is open to capital campaign and infrastructure investments, not just programmatic grants. Founder Nancy Whiteman personally cited the importance of community gathering and equitable access in connection with this gift.

In December 2025, the foundation awarded $90,000 to Expunge Colorado, deepening a prior funding relationship with the organization (which appears in earlier 990 data at $27,500). This represents a more than 3x grant renewal, illustrating the foundation's willingness to significantly scale support for trusted partners.

The foundation received the 2023 Corporate Changemaker award from Rocky Mountain Equality, recognizing its LGBTQ+ grantmaking — including sustained support for Out Boulder County ($230,000 across two grants) and One Colorado Education Fund ($7,500).

In early 2025, the foundation achieved a Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency, the highest rating available from the nonprofit intelligence platform — indicating complete financial disclosure and current leadership information on file. As of this writing, no leadership transitions or program pivots have been publicly announced, and the foundation appears to be operating stably under Nancy Whiteman's continued direction with zero officer compensation reported through FY2023.

Understand the access model first. The Wana Brands Foundation does not publish open RFPs or rolling deadlines. Third-party grant databases describe it as not accepting fully unsolicited applications. The most reliable path is a warm introduction through the Colorado nonprofit, cannabis policy, or climate/environment networks where the foundation is most active.

Lead with mission alignment, not need. Trust-based funders like Wana Brands explicitly ask applicants to center organizational identity and values over financial need. Open with a crisp articulation of your mission, the community you serve, and why your approach is innovative — then move to budget context. Avoid the common mistake of leading with a funding gap.

Name your intersections explicitly. The foundation's intersectionality principle is not rhetorical — it means reviewers actively look for how your work connects homelessness to racial justice, or food insecurity to climate change, or mental health to LGBTQ+ experience. If your program sits at multiple intersections, articulate each one clearly.

Keep it concise. The foundation has explicitly acknowledged that resource-constrained nonprofits cannot produce lengthy applications. A two-to-three page letter of inquiry covering mission, structure, budget overview, and impact strategy is likely the right length. Do not submit a full grant proposal unless invited.

Reference their language precisely. Use the four pillars — Basic Needs, Mental Health, Environment, Access & Opportunity — to frame your work. Align to the strategic principles: innovation, intersectionality, capacity building, and balance between immediate and long-term solutions.

Cannabis and drug policy organizations have structural advantage. Given Nancy Whiteman's background as a cannabis industry pioneer, organizations working on cannabis equity, harm reduction, drug policy reform, or psychedelics research occupy uniquely favorable terrain with this funder — territory that few foundations at this asset level are willing to enter.

Build before you ask. Follow the foundation's Instagram (@wanabrandsfoundation) and LinkedIn. Attend Colorado nonprofit convenings where grantees like Out Boulder County, Expunge Colorado, and Outdoor Alliance participate. A prior encounter before a formal inquiry meaningfully improves positioning.