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WICHANA FOUNDATION
IRVINGTON, NY · EIN 842881763 · Form 990EZ · FY2024 · NTEE W12 · Public & Societal Benefit · Micro (<$100K) · wichana.org
revenue
$74K
expenses
$76K
net assets
$21K
employees
—
mission · from form 990

TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY-BASED PROGRAMS IN ECUADOR THAT BENEFIT THE HEALTH, EDUCATION AND CULTURE OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS.

profile · synthesized from sources

The Wichana Foundation supports community-based programs in Ecuador focused on health, education, and cultural preservation, primarily serving indigenous communities in Imbabura and Cotacachi. It operates through two channels: providing technical and financial support to local partner organizations and administering direct initiatives such as medical brigades and cultural grants. The foundation emphasizes local leadership and empowers women and indigenous groups in under-resourced areas.

named programs · 9 · from sources

What they call their work

Cultural Grants
Provides small grants to Kichwa communities and other entities to support cultural celebrations, art, education, and public art projects.
Education for Ecuador
Partners with underfunded rural schools to support education through classroom supplies, technical education programs, and the La Querencia Community Library.
Imbabura Taytamamakuna Kawsay
Documents and promotes Kichwa cultural heritage through a book project featuring stories and images of indigenous elders in their native language.
Kinray Hub
Provides a US tax-deductible donation platform for an indigenous-led research organization conducting sustainable agricultural research and coordinating medical/dental brigades in rural communities.
Mojandita Curubi Centro de Salud
Supports a rural health clinic in Otavalo providing medicine, medical and dental care, and home visits to poor indigenous residents.
Muyumi Kanki Kichwa Cultural Center
Supports an indigenous-led organization in Cotacachi focused on revitalizing Kichwa language and culture through courses, workshops, research, and advocacy, including the documentary "Sapikuna".
Place of Hope (Sumak Paktarina Kuska)
Distributes daily meals to dozens of the poorest elders in Cotacachi and surrounding rural indigenous communities.
Siona Community of Cuyabeno
Conducts periodic medical and dental brigades to provide care to the isolated Siona indigenous people in the Amazon region of Ecuador.
Youth Workshops & Volunteer Mentoring
Hosts workshops and mentors young volunteers to develop leadership skills and engage in community development initiatives.
activities · 14 groups

What they do

  • Indigenous-Led Ecosystem Stewardship 1 activity
    • Conducting agricultural and indigenous rights research
      Conducts agricultural research with the Chichupamba clan to optimize native crop growth and test agroforestry practices for soil erosion mitigation; produced a full-length documentary film titled "Sapikuna" on the history of the indigenous rights movement.
  • Digital Literacy Training and Technology Access 1 activity
    • Delivering technical and vocational education programs
      Operates a technical education program in partnership with a rural school to teach basic carpentry skills; contracts with a blind tutor to provide weekly instruction in braille, computer use, and life skills for visually impaired students in Cotacachi.
  • Integrated Community-Led Development Programs 1 activity
    • Direct implementation of community empowerment initiatives
      Directly organizes and administers its own programs in Ecuador focused on empowering women, improving health, feeding the poor, enhancing education, and preserving indigenous cultural heritage.
  • Charitable Grantmaking to Specific Causes 1 activity
    • Funding community-based programs in Ecuador
      Funds initiatives in Ecuador focused on health, education, and cultural preservation, disbursing over $275,000 to support projects and receiving large tax-deductible donations from U.S. supporters for this purpose.
  • Healthcare Workforce Training & Career Pathways 1 activity
    • Implementing maternal and neonatal health training
      Runs the “Helping Babies Breathe in the Andes” program, training over 50 healthcare providers in neonatal resuscitation techniques by October 2023.
  • Youth Leadership Development Programs 1 activity
    • Mentoring youth and volunteers in leadership development
      Mentors young volunteers to develop leadership and community engagement skills as part of broader efforts to expand leadership capacity in indigenous communities.
  • Senior Congregate Centers 1 activity
    • Operating community health and elder care programs
      Provides daily breakfast, food delivery, showers, periodic medical services, and recreational day trips for low-income elders in Cotacachi and surrounding communities.
  • Public Access to Digital and Physical Library Collections 1 activity
    • Operating community libraries in Ecuador
      Develops and maintains the La Querencia Community Library in San Antonio del Punje, providing access to over 6,000 books in Spanish, Kichwa, and English; also operates a community library in Punge with multilingual collections.
  • Community Art Education Workshops 1 activity
    • Organizing arts and cultural programming for children
      Organizes periodic arts and culture workshops for children at the La Querencia Community Library through volunteer support.
  • Charity Event Organization 1 activity
    • Planning and producing public and fundraising events
      Plans and produces public events, including fundraisers, to support organizational initiatives.
  • Indigenous and Diaspora Cultural Preservation 1 activity
    • Preserving and promoting Kichwa language and culture
      Hosts workshops and cultural events in Cotacachi on Kichwa textile traditions, language, and indigenous resistance; conducts youth-focused art-based language and culture workshops; and funds cultural celebrations, public art, and traditional workshops including three solstice Raymi events.
  • Nonprofit Capacity Building Services 1 activity
    • Providing capacity-building support to partner organizations
      Provides fundraising administration, donation management, technical advice, training, project collaboration, and project management resources to 11 active partner organizations; supports partners through fundraising platforms and administrative assistance.
  • Direct Clinical Care Delivery 1 activity
    • Providing medical and dental care through brigades and local clinics
      Conducts periodic medical and dental brigades for remote indigenous communities such as the Siona in the Amazon region and supports local health clinics to deliver care to poor residents in Mojandita Curubi; also launched a rural home visit program in 2022 to provide medical care to elderly and disabled residents unable to travel.
  • Uncategorized 1 activity
    • Publishing cultural and educational materials
      Published a multilingual book featuring stories and images of Kichwa elders, sold hundreds of copies to strengthen Kichwa language and culture, and made it available through Amazon, bookstores, and its office.
financials · form 990EZ · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$74K
Contributions & grants$72K98%
Program service revenue——
Investment income——
Other revenue$2K
expenses
Total expenses$76K
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits—
Grants paid out—
balance sheet
Total assets$21K
Cash—
Investments—
Liabilities—
Net assets$21K
3 years on record · 2022–2024 · YoY revenue +30.5%
relationships · 24

Who they work with

  • Allison Tolbert Partner — Board member contributing expertise and leadership to the foundation.
  • Chichupamba clan Partner — Works with the Chichupamba clan on sustainable agriculture and agroforestry projects in the Andes of Ecuador.
  • Dr. Silvia Tixicuro Partner — Board member contributing expertise and leadership to the foundation.
  • Education for Ecuador Partner — Nonprofit partner assisting underfunded rural schools in the Cotacachi area through collaboration with local educators.
  • Education for Ecuador Partner — Wichana Foundation partners with Education for Ecuador to support education initiatives in rural Ecuadorian communities.
  • Facebook Partner — Social media platform used for outreach and engagement.
  • Imbabura Taytamamakuna Kawsay Partner — Partner project in which WICHANA FOUNDATION supports cultural and educational initiatives in Cotacachi communities.
  • Instagram Partner — Social media platform used for outreach and engagement.
  • Kichwa Cultural Center Muyumi Kanki Partner — Collaborative partner organization co-founded by a Wichana Foundation board member, focused on Kichwa cultural preservation.
  • Kinray Hub Partner — Collaborates with Kinray Hub on medical brigades and community-based programs in Ecuador.
  • Kinray Hub Partner — Collaborates with Kinray Hub on projects related to indigenous peoples, women, and health
  • Kinray Hub Partner — Partner organization supported through U.S. tax-deductible donation processing for elder meal distribution.
  • La Querencia Community Library Partner — Community library partner with a multilingual collection promoting literacy and cultural knowledge.
  • La Querencia Community Library Partner — Partner organization serving the Kichwa community in San Antonio del Punje, supported by Wichana Foundation.
  • Mojandita Curubi Centro de Salud Partner — Partner health center in Otavalo, Ecuador, supported through funding and organizational assistance.
  • Mojandita Curubi Centro de Salud Partner — Partner health clinic in Otavalo receiving support for medical and dental care delivery.
  • Mojandita Curubi Centro de Salud Partner — Supported by Wichana Foundation to deliver medical, dental, and pharmaceutical services to the indigenous community of Otavalo.
  • Muyumi Kanki Kichwa Cultural Center Partner — Indigenous-led organization partnered with Wichana Foundation to revitalize Kichwa culture and language in Cotacachi.
  • Muyumi Kanki Kichwa Cultural Center Partner — Indigenous-led partner in Cotacachi focused on Kichwa language and cultural revitalization.
  • Muyumi Kanki Kichwa Cultural Center Partner — Partner organization focused on Kichwa language and cultural education in Cotacachi, Ecuador.
  • Place of Hope (Sumak Paktarina Kuska) Partner — Partner organization supported by the Foundation (specific activities not detailed).
  • Place of Hope (Sumak Paktarina Kuska) Partner — Project partner providing services to elders in Cotacachi, supported by Wichana Foundation.
  • Unidad Educativa Bilingüe Nazacota Puento Partner — Collaborates with the school in San Pedro to implement a technical education program in carpentry.
  • YouTube Partner — Social media platform used for outreach and engagement.
strategies · 5

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Art-Based Cultural Education
    methodology: art-based_cultural_education
    By using art as a medium to teach Kichwa culture and language to youth, we foster cultural engagement because creative expression increases accessibility and emotional resonance, strengthening intergenerational cultural transmission.
  • Capacity-Building Through Technical Assistance
    methodology: capacity-building_through_technical_assistance
    By providing technical assistance in project management and fundraising to local organizations, we strengthen their operational capacity because enhanced skills and resources enable them to sustain and scale locally designed solutions.
  • Dual-Channel Implementation Model
    methodology: dual-channel_implementation
    By pursuing both partner support and direct initiative implementation, we achieve broader program impact because combining external amplification with internal action allows for both scale and targeted intervention.
  • Indigenous-Led Research
    methodology: indigenous-led_research
    By conducting in-situ scientific research on Indigenous Kultural-Agricultural Systems Heritage (I-KASH) with indigenous farmers, we address climate change and preserve ecological integrity because centering traditional knowledge ensures culturally grounded, sustainable environmental solutions.
  • Local-Led Empowerment
    methodology: local-led_empowerment
    By empowering communities—particularly women and indigenous groups—to lead initiatives using local knowledge and talent, we produce sustainable change because locally designed solutions are more culturally relevant, increase ownership, and lead to greater long-term impact.