What Chacruna Institute does

Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2013 by Dr. Bia Labate and headquartered in San Francisco, California. The organization promotes safe, ethical, and sustainable engagement with psychedelic plant medicines by bridging Indigenous knowledge, academic social-science research, and public education. Its core products include Chacruna Chronicles (a publishing platform with original articles and essays), the Education Center (courses, workshops, and certificate programs with continuing-education credits), the Indigenous Reciprocity Initiative (IRI) which redistributes resources to Indigenous-led organizations across the Americas, Chacruna Latinoamérica (CLA) serving Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking audiences, the Psychedunal Culture Conference, and Chacruna Alliance (a tiered membership program). The organization also provides fiscal sponsorship to allied groups (e.g., Sacred Plant Alliance, Church of Eagle and Condor) and operates a Religious Freedom Program, harm-reduction resources, and a merchandise shop.

Chacruna operates as a content- and community-led nonprofit with no proprietary technology platform; its infrastructure consists of multiple web properties (chacruna.net, chacruna-iri.org, chacruna-la.org, psychedelic-culture.net), social channels, and a Patreon-hosted membership stack. Revenue is generated through five streams: (1) tax-deductible donations from individuals, businesses, and philanthropists; (2) philanthropic grants from foundations including Dr. Bronner's, Open Society Foundations, Educational Foundation of America, Nikean Foundation, and Jurvetson Foundation; (3) recurring membership subscriptions across six tiers from $5 to $250 per month; (4) paid courses, workshops, and conference registration fees; and (5) merchandise sales. Customers and beneficiaries span general public audiences, practitioners and clinicians seeking culturally grounded training, Indigenous communities receiving reciprocity funding, academic researchers, and emerging psychedelic organizations receiving fiscal sponsorship and mentorship. The organization's stated reach encompasses a global community of 70+ people working on its mission, with operations spanning the United States, Brazil, Mexico, Peru, and other regions.

Name

Chacruna Institute

Legal name

Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines

Website

https://chacruna.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Chacruna Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers psychedelic plant medicine education, research dissemination, Indigenous reciprocity programs, and community-building through publishing, courses, conferences, and membership. It serves the general public, practitioners, Indigenous communities, and researchers across the Americas.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Psychedelic Education and Cultural Preservation

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121)

akta.pro primary industry

Indigenous, Ethnic & Folk Arts/Heritage Organizations (BPAGAHAI)

Keywords

• Psychedelic education
• Plant medicine research
• Cultural preservation
• Harm reduction resources
• Indigenous reciprocity

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: Chacruna accepts one-time and monthly donations from individuals, businesses, organizations, and philanthropists. Donations can be made via Zelle, PayPal, or Venmo. The organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, making contributions tax-deductible.
2. Membership Program: Chacruna Alliance is a membership program with six tiers ($5-$250/month) offering progressive discounts on courses, workshops, conferences, and community forums. Higher tiers include free event access and monthly calls with team members.
3. Educational Courses and Workshops: The Education Center offers paid courses, workshops, and training programs on psychedelics, plant medicines, and related topics. Courses include fees for enrollment and offer optional continuing education credits.
4. Merchandise Shop: Chacruna operates an online shop selling merchandise (t-shirts, apparel) featuring psychedelic art and their branded designs. All proceeds support the organization's mission.
5. Conference and Event Fees: The Psychedelic Culture conference and other events generate revenue through registration fees. Events include in-person gatherings and virtual sessions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Chacruna Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers public education, research dissemination, and community-building programs focused on psychedelic plant medicines and Indigenous cultural preservation. Its core offerings include the Chacruna Chronicles publishing platform, the Education Center's paid courses and certificate programs, the annual Psychedelic Culture conference, the Chacruna Alliance tiered membership program, the Indigenous Reciprocity Initiative, and Chacruna Latinoamérica for Spanish/Portuguese audiences. The organization also publishes books through the Chacruna Library, operates an online merchandise shop, and provides harm reduction and religious-freedom resources.

Product overview

Chacruna Institute operates as a nonprofit organization offering a unified platform of educational products and services focused on psychedelic plant medicines and cultural preservation. The core offerings include Chacruna Chronicles (a content publishing platform), the Chacruna Library (a publications collection), and the Education Center (a learning management system with courses, workshops, and certificates). The organization also operates regional platforms like Chacruna Latinoamérica for Spanish/Portuguese audiences, the Indigenous Reciprocity Initiative for Indigenous reciprocity programs, the Psychedelic Culture Conference for annual gatherings, the Events Hub for ongoing programming, Chacruna Alliance as a membership program, a Religious Freedom program for legal guidance, Harm Reduction Resources, and a Shop for merchandise. These products work together to bridge Indigenous knowledge, scientific research, and public education while advancing psychedelic justice.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Indigenous Reciprocity Initiative (IRI): Program supporting Indigenous-led organizations across the Americas through decolonial philanthropy, moving resources directly to communities protecting sacred plants, land, culture, and biocultural heritage.
• Chacruna Latinoamérica (CLA)
• Psychedelic Culture (PCU)
• Chacruna Chronicles
• Chacruna Library
• Chacruna Education Center
• Chacruna Alliance

Products and services

• Chacruna Chronicles A publishing platform featuring original articles, essays, and reflections by scholars, researchers, ethnographers, and practitioners exploring cultural, scientific, and social dimensions of psychedelics and plant medicines, targeted at the general public and psychedelic community.
• Chacruna Library

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core partner, university partner, community partner, fiscal sponsorship, program partner, legal counsel and media partner.

• Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS)core partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerMAPS is a core partner organization. Dr. Bia Labate serves as Senior Advisor for Culture and Strategy at MAPS, creating significant cross-organizational collaboration in psychedelic research and advocacy.
• Pacific Pacifica Graduate Schooluniversity partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner collaborating on psychedelic research, education programs, and knowledge dissemination in the psychedelic studies field.
• UCSF (University of California, San Francisco)university partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic research collaboration with UCSF on psychedelic science, clinical research, and public health initiatives.
• Stanford Universityuniversity partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic collaboration with Stanford on psychedelic research, neuroscience, and related fields.
• Naropa Universityuniversity partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerNaropa's psychedelic-assisted therapies certificate program collaborates with Chacruna on educational content and research.
• University of Saskatchewanuniversity partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner with Dr. Erika Dyck serving on Chacruna's Advisory Board and collaborating on psychedelic history research.
• Harvard Petrie Flom Centeruniversity partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerLegal policy collaboration with Harvard's health law and bioethics initiative on psychedelic regulatory frameworks.
• Beckley Foundationcore partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Beckley Foundation on psychedelic research, policy advocacy, and international drug policy reform.
• Heroic Hearts Projectcommunity partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerVeteran-focused psychedelic therapy organization. Jesse Gould, Founder of Heroic Hearts Project, sits on Chacruna's Advisory Board.
• Sacred Plant Alliancefiscal sponsorshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerChacruna provides fiscal sponsorship to Sacred Plant Alliance, supporting their work on ceremonial plant medicine practices.
• Church of Eagle and Condorfiscal sponsorshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerChurch organization with legal protections for psychedelic religious practice. Chacruna provides fiscal sponsorship support.
• Soltara Healing Centerprogram partnerChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPlant medicine retreat center. Dr. Bia Labate serves as advisor, and Chacruna collaborates on educational content.
• Synthesisprogram partnerChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPsilocybin retreat and training organization in the psychedelics space.
• Numinusprogram partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerMental health company focused on psychedelic therapy. Chacruna collaborates on educational and research initiatives.
• Calyx Law LLPlegal counselImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerGraham Pechenik serves as Outside General Counsel for Chacruna, providing legal guidance on IP, regulatory, and organizational matters.
• DoubleBlind Magazinemedia partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia collaboration on psychedelic journalism and content distribution.
• Lucid Newsmedia partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerPsychedelic media outlet providing coverage and content collaboration with Chacruna.
• NEIP (Interdisciplinary Group for Psychoactive Studies)core partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrazil-based research group co-founded by Dr. Bia Labate. Chacruna staff and affiliates are associated researchers, creating ongoing collaboration.
• Berkeley Center for Psychedelic Researchuniversity partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerUC Berkeley research center on psychedelics. Brian Anderson MD serves as founding investigator, with collaboration on psychedelic research.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Heroic Hearts Project: Heroic Hearts Project is a nonprofit connecting veterans to psychedelic therapy programs. Listed as a community partner of Chacruna, with the founder sitting on Chacruna's advisory board, operating in the same psychedelic advocacy/therapy space.
• Usona Institute: Usona Institute is a nonprofit psychedelic research and education organization that sponsors psilocybin research and runs public-education programming. Comparable to Chacruna in nonprofit-funded psychedelic education and scientific dissemination.
• ICEERS (International Center for Ethnobotanical Education, Research, and Service): ICEERS is a nonprofit focused on ayahuasca and other plant medicines, Indigenous reciprocity, biocultural conservation, and international drug-policy reform. Closely mirrors Chacruna's IRI/CLA programming and ethical framing around sacred plant protection.
• Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS): MAPS is a nonprofit research and educational organization operating in psychedelic science, policy reform, and clinician training. Directly comparable to Chacruna on psychedelic education, public engagement, and foundation funding — and Dr. Bia Labate serves as MAPS Senior Advisor for Culture and Strategy.
• Beckley Foundation: Beckley Foundation is a UK-based psychedelic research and policy-reform nonprofit that funds psychedelic science, disseminates findings publicly, and advocates drug-policy reform. Listed as a core partner of Chacruna, with closely overlapping mission in psychedelic education and international drug-policy advocacy.
• Naropa University Psychedelic Studies: Naropa's Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies certificate program is a university-based psychedelic education offering. Listed as an academic partner of Chacruna with overlapping practitioner-training audience.

Emerging players

• Lucid News: Lucid News is a psychedelic news and educational outlet that produces long-form journalism and coverage. Listed as a media partner of Chacruna and operates in the adjacent cultural-coverage niche.
• DoubleBlind Magazine: DoubleBlind is a media company covering psychedelic culture, science, and policy. Listed as a media partner of Chacruna and competes for share-of-voice with Chacruna Chronicles in the same readership.
• Third Wave: Third Wave is a for-profit/educational platform offering psychedelic training and microdosing content to consumers and practitioners. Overlaps with Chacruna's Education Center in target audience (practitioners, general public) and course-based monetization, though narrower in cultural/Indigenous framing.

Broad incumbents

• Compass Pathways: Compass Pathways is a commercial psilocybin therapy developer that also funds clinician education and patient-access initiatives. Competes for mindshare among clinicians and researchers with substantial capital Chacruna cannot match.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Chacruna_Inst
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCxs6_dPUF7IoP0AwaTAxrxA
• Facebookfacebook.com/chacruna.institute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chacrunainstitute
• Instagraminstagram.com/chacruna.institute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles28 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Chacruna Institute