Warten Foundation Inc.

The Warten Foundation Inc. is a Boca Raton–based private foundation honoring the legacy of its late founder, Fredrick Warten, with a clear and unapologetic mission: advancing social justice for all Americans with particular emphasis on LGBTQ+ individuals. Unlike many private foundations that maintain broad or ambiguous giving criteria, Warten's priorities are precisely defined — LGBTQ+ civil rights and advocacy, LGBTQ+-affirming arts and culture, human services for vulnerable populations (including people with HIV/AIDS), and selected social justice causes such as reproductive rights and immigrant justice.

The foundation operates as a relationship-driven grantmaker with no public application portal or formal RFP process as of mid-2026 (the website, wartenfoundation.com, currently displays a 'Launching Soon' page). The path to a grant runs through direct engagement with leadership: CEO and Chairman Clifford J. Cideko and Secretary/Treasurer Randolph H. James, both of whom have been compensated staff since the foundation's dramatic scale-up beginning in FY2021. With officer compensation of approximately $88,750 each in FY2025, these are engaged professionals making active program decisions — not passive trustees.

The typical engagement pattern visible across 180 documented grants involves multi-year unrestricted operating support. Most grant purpose statements use the phrase 'unrestricted operating donation,' a deliberate signal that Warten values organizational capacity and sustainability over project-specific outputs. First-time applicants should center their pitch on the strength of their work for LGBTQ+ communities rather than a specific deliverable.

Geographically, the foundation prioritizes Broward County and the Fort Lauderdale–Boca Raton corridor, though it also funds national LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations operating at issue-campaign scale. Organizations outside Florida should position themselves on national significance and demonstrated impact on LGBTQ+ communities rather than local presence alone.

A notable structural preference is collaborative grantmaking: the $250,000 Fat Ham theater grant was awarded jointly to three companies. Several grantees such as Our Fund serve as community intermediaries. First-time applicants with existing relationships to Warten's core grantees — Broward House, Our Fund, Lambda Legal — should leverage those connections for a warm introduction to foundation leadership.

The Warten Foundation's grantmaking has undergone a dramatic transformation since its founding. From 2011 through 2020, the foundation made modest annual grants totaling $2,000–$29,000 per year from a sub-$320,000 asset base. The death of founder Fredrick Warten triggered a transformational influx: FY2021 saw $20.1 million in contributions received, pushing assets to $19.6 million and annual giving to $449,008. By FY2022, grants paid had accelerated to $947,000 with total giving of $1.28 million. A second major contribution of approximately $15.3 million in FY2025 expanded total assets to $36.7 million, with charitable disbursements reaching $2.34 million that fiscal year.

Across the 180 documented grants ($3.52 million total), the average grant is $19,578 and the median is approximately $10,000. The range is wide: individual grants run from $5,000 (the floor for annual operating gifts to community organizations) up to $700,000 (Broward House Inc., the top cumulative grantee across four grants), and the December 2024 $1 million Lambda Legal commitment represents the single largest investment on record. This bimodal pattern reflects two distinct tracks: a high-volume small-grants program ($5,000–$35,000 per grant) serving approximately 50+ grantees per cycle, and a high-impact major-gifts track for strategic anchor partners ($80,000–$1,000,000+).

By cause area, LGBTQ+ civil rights and advocacy commands the largest share by dollar volume, encompassing Lambda Legal, Our Fund, Human Rights Campaign, GLAAD, ACLU, Equality Florida, and the LGBTQ Victory Institute. HIV/AIDS-specific services represent the second-largest category (Broward House alone accounts for $700,000). Performing arts — particularly LGBTQ+-affirming theater and music — represent roughly 20% of grant count. Human services (food banks, housing, disability services) account for approximately 15% of dollars. Geographically, 76% of grants flow to Florida, with Broward County as the epicenter. National organizations account for approximately 15% of dollar volume; New York and DC-based organizations receive about 8%.

The Warten Foundation's five closest database peers — matched by asset size in the Philanthropy & Grantmaking NTEE category — are all similarly-sized private foundations with assets ranging from $36.6M to $36.8M. None has a public web presence in the database, and none shares Warten's explicit LGBTQ+ mission focus.

Among this asset peer group, Warten stands out on three dimensions. First, its mission specificity is unusual — most similarly-sized private foundations maintain broad philanthropic mandates rather than a defined LGBTQ+ cause focus, which narrows the competitive field considerably. Second, its 180+ grant history provides exceptional transparency into giving patterns relative to foundations that report minimally. Third, its rapid asset growth — from $212,000 in FY2020 to $36.7 million by FY2025 — means applicants are engaging a foundation still scaling its annual payout, with charitable disbursements likely to grow in proportion to the expanded asset base.

The most significant recent development is the December 5, 2024 announcement of a $1 million gift to Lambda Legal for its Unstoppable Future campaign — the largest single investment in Warten's documented history and Lambda Legal's largest-ever fundraising effort, which targets $180 million to nearly double litigation capacity and engage 500,000 people annually. Treasurer Randy James publicly characterized the gift as continuing Fredrick Warten's personal commitment to LGBTQ+ rights at a moment of heightened legal threats to the community.

Earlier in 2024, the March 11 announcement of a $250,000 collaborative theater grant to Island City Stage, GableStage, and Brévo Theatre marked a landmark performing arts investment. CEO Clifford J. Cideko framed it as supporting authentic exploration of diversity, equity, and inclusion through live theater; the production premiered at Island City Stage in May 2025 before moving to GableStage.

On the financial side, FY2025 Form 990 data shows the foundation received approximately $15.3 million in new contributions during the fiscal year ending June 2025, in addition to $1.2 million in dividends. Total assets reached $36.7 million — nearly double the $18.5 million reported at end of FY2022. Charitable disbursements hit $2.34 million in FY2025, up substantially from $947,000 in grants paid during FY2022.

As of June 2026, the foundation's website (wartenfoundation.com) remains in 'Launching Soon' status with only a contact form and email-list signup available. No formal application portal has been published, confirming that all active grantmaking continues through direct outreach to Clifford J. Cideko and Randy James.

Lead with LGBTQ+ impact, not organizational history. Every documented Warten grant carries an explicit LGBTQ+ purpose statement. Even grants to general-service organizations (Boca Helping Hands, Arc Broward, Humane Society of Broward) frame LGBTQ+ access or inclusion. Open every inquiry with how your work specifically serves LGBTQ+ people — not as a side note but as the central value proposition.

Make first contact deliberately. With no application portal, a phone call to (561) 338-0028 or a message through the website contact form functions as your letter of inquiry. Keep it to one short paragraph: who you are, what you do for LGBTQ+ communities, where you operate, and what you are seeking. Avoid attachments on first contact. The goal is a brief introductory call with Clifford J. Cideko (CEO) or Randy James (Secretary/Treasurer).

Frame your ask as unrestricted operating support. The dominant grant language across 180 grants is 'unrestricted operating donation.' Structuring your request around general operating capacity rather than a project deliverable signals alignment with how the foundation thinks about impact.

Anchor in Broward County or South Florida. Florida-based organizations — especially those serving Fort Lauderdale, Wilton Manors, and the Boca Raton–Delray Beach corridor — represent 76% of the portfolio. If your work is local, name the communities served. If you are national, anchor your ask in specific impact on Florida LGBTQ+ populations.

Leverage grantee networks for introductions. The most effective entry point is a warm referral from an existing Warten grantee: Broward House, Our Fund, Lambda Legal, Island City Stage, or Arc Broward have long-standing relationships. Attend South Florida LGBTQ+ community galas, theater premieres, and HIV/AIDS advocacy events where foundation leadership is likely present.

Performing arts applicants: propose multi-organization collaborations. The Fat Ham grant went jointly to three companies. Structured co-productions or multi-organization collaborations that amplify LGBTQ+ visibility are more likely to attract major investments ($100K+) than solo operating grants.

Time major gift conversations to July–December. The foundation's fiscal year ends in June; the new planning cycle begins in July. Major-gift conversations initiated in Q1–Q2 of the foundation's fiscal year (July–December) allow time for relationship development before year-end disbursements.