Wend Collective
OVERVIEW: The Wend Collective, co-led by James Walton, is not a traditional grantmaker. This organization makes strategic investments that pursue “pathways toward a better world.” So far, its work has prioritized climate change, indigenous rights, racial equity, land rights, social justice, rapid response grants, conservation and renewable farming, recreation, youth development and social media policy.
IP TAKE: The Wend Collective is not a traditional grantmaker nor does it have a website that outlines grantmaking initiatives in specific areas of interest. Instead, this funder prefers to conduct its work through targeted impact investing. This foundation is still in the early stages of its development, but it’s not clear what the future will hold. Overall, this funder, as IP has reported, has a robust network. As told to IP, Ben David, director of campaigns and sustainability, says that, “We maintain a low operational profile because we prefer the spotlight remain on the work and partners we support instead of on our organization. In general, we’re self-effacing. I think you’ll find that makes us as modest as the world will allow us to be,” wrote Davis. This is funder takes a “trusting and risk-tolerant approach,” and is unafraid of supporting progressive causes.
As with several other foundations run by Walton heirs, it secretive about its activities: it has no website to publish its past grants, no non-profit status to force it to report its grantmaking, and it even requests that its grantees keep the source of their funding anonymous. This is a far from accessible funder, as it has no publicly available website, contact information, or application process.
However, it appears that the Wend Collective may be working on a public web presence. Various program officers can be found by LinkedIn only, at present, until Wend’s presence evolves. It appears to have ramped up hiring program officers, as well as giving, in recent years. Until then, this is a black box.
PROFILE: Based in Denver Colorado, the Wend Collective is a social impact fund that provides fundraising services, operating support, and project grants to organizations of interest to the Walton family. Co-led by James Walton, a member of the family behind the Walmart fortune and member of the board of trustees of the Walton Family Foundation, the collective appears to be in the earliest stages of development.
The Wend Collective does not name specific grantmaking initiatives, and while it appears to employ a formal staff, there is no evidence of recent grantmaking. The collective appears to make large strategic investments in a range or projects that concern climate change, democracy, racial equity, youth development, and social media policy.
Grants for Racial Justice, Journalism and Democracy
Rather than grantmaking, the collective appears to make strategic investments in promising projects. The Wend Collective, as outlined on LinkedIn, intersects grantmaking and conducts through a racial equity lens, focusing on: “initiatives and partners dedicated to diverse areas of social impact and policy change, including: youth and education, social justice, Indigenous rights, healing, land reclamation, conservation and renewable farming, green transportation, arts and culture, democracy, and rapid response cash gifts during the pandemic.”
While the organization does not yet have a website to guide grant seekers, traces of programs exist on LinkedIn, indicating that the Wend Collective invests in democracy through Civic (Re)Solve, which provides “patient, risk-tolerant capital to a network of effective pro-democracy leaders and organizations.” Wend seeks to support “innovative initiatives that foster a democracy in which all Americans thrive. We fight for democracy outside of the boom-bust cycle of federal elections.” Additionally, this funder invests in democracy through accurate and fair journalism.
The Wend Collective backs the Democracy Frontlines Fund, a new collaborative effort to support Black-led movement organizations. An earlier iteration of Wend also supported a report on the lessons learned from Standing Rock. Ben Davis’ participation in a series called Racial Equity Truthtellers gives some additional perspective on organizational culture.
Grants for Community Development and Climate Change
The Wend Collective makes grants for climate and community through an equity lens. Environmental and climate grantmaking appears to intersect with social justice, as evidenced by support to the Hive Fund for Climate and Gender Justice. Other related grantmaking focuses on sustainable and regenerative farming, land reclamation, conservation and renewable farming, green transportation. Community development work often intersects with clean energy or youth.
- According to the real estate industry news outlet The Real Deal, in 2021 Wend purchased three camp facilities in Huguenot, New York for a price that was $2 million over market value from a YMCA-affiliated organization. According to the article, Wend suggested that it intended to “continue the camps’ longtime mission of serving disadvantaged youth.”
- An article in the Washington Post reported a donation to the newly launched Council for Responsible Social Media, which brings together “former U.S. lawmakers and federal officials, advocates, scholars, industry leaders and whistleblowers” to discuss the effect of social media on children’s mental health and national security.
- And according to MomentumMag, the Wend Collective collaborated with the nonprofit PeopleForBikes to install 300 miles of bike path networks in the cities of Austin, Denver, New Orleans, Pittsburgh and Providence.
Important Grant Details:
Grants generally range from $25,000 to $250,000. Grantseekers may review the foundation’s tax filings for more information on its grantmaking habits. Grants ultimately range from several thousand dollars to more than $1 million and most were structured as general support.
- The Wend Collective conducts grantmaking across the United States, but prioritizes Colorado. Grantmaking also occurs at the international level.
- Wend does not accept unsolicited proposals or requests for funding.
Grantees may reach out to the foundation at 479-464-1570 for inquiries about grant opportunities.
PEOPLE:
Search for staff contact info and bios in PeopleFinder (paid subscribers only).
CONTACT:
Wend Collective
Attn: James Walton
PO Box 1860
Bentonville, AR 72712-1860
United States