OUR ACTION
Wisedāna Foundation is a philanthropic foundation inspired by the values and principles of the Buddhist tradition. We connect individuals and institutions who want to give with organizations working to address the root causes of today’s social challenges.
We guide philanthropists toward more intentional giving, so that generosity can also become an opportunity for personal growth. At the same time, we support organizations by providing resources, expertise and opportunities for dialogue, while respecting their autonomy. We believe trust is the foundation of these relationships and essential to fostering meaningful, lasting change.
HOW WE WORK
Our approach to philanthropy
SELECTION
RELATIONSHIPS
TRUST
AWARENESS
We help philanthropists identify organizations to support through a careful process of listening, analysis and dialogue. Guided by each donor’s values and priorities, we consider factors such as sound administrative practices, ethical communication, openness to collaboration and the potential to contribute to systemic change.
We work with a broad network of individual philanthropists, businesses, foundations, institutions, nonprofit organizations and experts from different fields. By bringing together different perspectives and areas of expertise, we create new opportunities for collaboration and shared learning.
We believe trust should be at the heart of every philanthropic relationship. Building it over time creates space for open dialogue and flexible support that can respond to complex realities, recognizing that change rarely follows a straight line. This allows decisions to be revisited as circumstances evolve, while staying focused on shared goals.
We promote a culture of generosity inspired by Buddhist philosophy, recognizing that giving is not only an act of care for others, but also an opportunity for personal growth. Through gatherings and moments of reflection, we invite people to explore the deeper meaning of a simple yet powerful idea: giving is receiving.
SELECTION
We help philanthropists identify organizations to support through a careful process of listening, analysis and dialogue. Guided by each donor’s values and priorities, we consider factors such as sound administrative practices, ethical communication, openness to collaboration and the potential to contribute to systemic change.
RELATIONSHIPS
We work with a broad network of individual philanthropists, businesses, foundations, institutions, nonprofit organizations and experts from different fields. By bringing together different perspectives and areas of expertise, we create new opportunities for collaboration and shared learning.
TRUST
We believe trust should be at the heart of every philanthropic relationship. Building it over time creates space for open dialogue and flexible support that can respond to complex realities, recognizing that change rarely follows a straight line. This allows decisions to be revisited as circumstances evolve, while staying focused on shared goals.
AWARENESS
We promote a culture of generosity inspired by Buddhist philosophy, recognizing that giving is not only an act of care for others, but also an opportunity for personal growth. Through gatherings and moments of reflection, we invite people to explore the deeper meaning of a simple yet powerful idea: giving is receiving.
INTERVENTION
Focus areas
Compassion Culture
We are committed to protecting and supporting human cultures that place compassion at the center of their values. Among them are Buddhism and Tibetan culture, both deeply rooted in worldviews based on nonviolence, interdependence and respect for all forms of life.
We support essential services that help these cultures endure over time and thrive, along with the communities that embody and transmit them.
Care
Accepting illness, aging and death as part of life is not easy. Yet learning to face these universal experiences with clarity and compassion is essential. We are especially challenged when suffering touches the lives of our loved ones or our own.
We support a shift away from the Western obsession with performance, youth and perfection toward a gentler, more tolerant and contemplative way of being.
Ecology
Rather than talking about the environment, a term that puts humans at the center, we prefer to speak of ecology. For us, nature is not a reservoir of resources but a source of life to respect and protect. We act on a simple truth: we are not separate from nature, we are nature.
Inspired by Deep Ecology, we work in three directions: defending natural ecosystems, protecting animals and advocating for new legal tools that safeguard nature.
Education & Research
Accepting illness, aging and death as part of life is not easy. Yet learning to face these universal experiences with clarity and compassion is essential. We are especially challenged when suffering touches the lives of our loved ones or our own.
We support a shift away from the Western obsession with performance, youth and perfection toward a gentler, more tolerant and contemplative way of being.
Do you want to share your ideas with us?
