What Four Winds Foundation, Founder does

Four Winds Foundation (FWF) is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization founded in 1984 and headquartered in Oregon, dedicated to nurturing community and connection with nature and spirit through indigenous education and ceremony. It serves individuals, families, and youth seeking authentic Native American ceremonial experiences, organized around four persona segments: adults pursuing spiritual connection, adolescents in transition, men examining masculinity and brotherhood, and women exploring the Divine Feminine. The foundation is led by Sweet Medicine Nation (President and Spiritual Leader), with an executive board including Secretary Linda Grass and Treasurer Susan McIntosh, CPA, and operational stewards such as Lodge Host Tom Mann (Yellow Robe).

The organization's core offerings form a ceremonial portfolio: Sweat Lodges (monthly purification ceremonies), Vision Quests (four-day wilderness fasts), Hoop Teachings (community circles sharing indigenous knowledge from North and South America), Pipe Ceremonies, Women's Retreats, Men's Retreats, and gender-specific Rites of Passage for boys and girls. A two-year, four-phase apprenticeship program with Sweet Medicine Nation provides a deeper-commitment learning tier. Programs are delivered at the Hummingbird Hill lodge in Sherwood, OR, and Portland-area sites, with a free monthly Zoom teaching extending reach digitally and destination retreats in Baja California, Mexico.

FWF operates on a donations-and-contributions revenue model rather than fee-for-service pricing. Cash inflows come from charitable contributions accepted via PayPal, suggested donations at events ($20 per sweat lodge, with explicit policy of not turning anyone away), contribution-based pricing for workshops ($140-$200 drum-making, $160 for a six-class song and drumming series), and apprenticeship fees. The foundation maintains no parent company, no subsidiaries, no funding rounds, and no public listing; it is governed independently as a small community nonprofit with global affiliate relationships in Mexico, Guatemala, and Northern California.

Name

Four Winds Foundation, Founder

Legal name

Four Winds Foundation

Website

https://fwfoundation.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Four Winds Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1984 in Oregon that delivers indigenous ceremonial experiences — sweat lodges, vision quests, rites of passage, and retreats — to adults, youth, and families seeking spiritual connection, funded by donations and suggested contributions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Indigenous Spiritual Education Services

NAICS

Educational Services (61), Educational Support Services (61171), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Life Skills & SEL Camps (Confidence, Executive Function, Social Skills) (EDAMALAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Arts & Design Camps (Visual Arts, Crafts, Design Thinking) (EDAMALAH), Music Camps (Band, Choir, Instrument Intensive) (EDAMALAJ)

Keywords

• Indigenous spiritual education
• Native american ceremonies
• Rite of passage programs
• Nonprofit cultural services
• Community wellness programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Camp Sherman

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt not-for-profit organization, FWF is funded primarily by charitable contributions from the community. The organization accepts donations through PayPal.
2. Program Contributions and Suggested Donations: Participants contribute suggested donations of $20 for sweat lodge ceremonies and $160 for a 6-class song and drum-making series. Contribution-based pricing for drum-making workshops ranges from $140-$200 depending on size and skin.
3. Apprenticeship Program Fees: Two-year apprenticeship program exploring Indigenous Wisdom Way teachings and ceremonies, with classes divided into four parts building on each other every six months.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Four Winds Foundation delivers indigenous education programs and Native American ceremonial experiences including monthly sweat lodges, vision quests, hoop teachings, pipe ceremonies, women's and men's retreats, and rites of passage programs for boys and girls. Programming is led by Sweet Medicine Nation and experienced elders at lodge sites in Oregon, with destination retreats in Baja California, Mexico, plus a two-year apprenticeship program and free monthly virtual Zoom teachings. The foundation also offers drum-making workshops and a six-class songs and drumming circle series.

Product overview

Four Winds Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of indigenous education programs and Native American ceremonies. The core offerings include Sweat Lodges (traditional purification ceremonies), Vision Quest (four-day wilderness rite of passage), Hoop Teachings (community circles for indigenous knowledge sharing), Pipe Ceremonies (group prayer gatherings), Women's Retreats, Men's Retreats, Girls' Rite of Passage, and Boys' Rite of Passage. These programs are designed to nurture community, connection with nature and spirit, and personal transformation through indigenous wisdom traditions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Rosa Grande / Marina VillalobocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealing community in Morelia, Mexico that hosts sweat lodges and vision quests, connecting Four Winds teachings with Mexican indigenous communities.
• Earth Peoples UnitedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization led by Heddi Neale and Erick Gonzales offering Mayan teachings and ceremony/destination retreats in Northern California and Santiago, Guatemala. Four Winds acknowledges them as a sister community.
• Sweet Medicine NationcoreOthersThe spiritual leader and elder who founded and leads the Four Winds Foundation, providing the core indigenous wisdom and ceremonial teachings. Also offers the House of Flowers ceremony location in Baja California, Mexico.
• Max Ribner BandminorOthersGlobal Men's Mentor and Medicine for the People band member who collaborates with Four Winds Foundation on men's mentorship and healing work.
• Pohala ClinicminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliate health clinic in SE Portland, Oregon led by Julie Foster, providing a place for healing that complements Four Winds spiritual teachings.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Sunrise Ranch: Sunrise Ranch is a Colorado-based intentional community and nonprofit offering retreats, ceremonies, and spiritual programs rooted in universal and indigenous-inspired wisdom. Comparable to Four Winds Foundation as both are nonprofit spiritual communities offering retreats, ceremonies, and intergenerational wisdom transmission.
• Wilderness Awareness School: Wilderness Awareness School is an established Pacific Northwest nonprofit offering nature-based education, mentoring, and rites-of-passage programs for youth and adults. It is a broader incumbent to Four Winds Foundation in the same region, with overlapping curriculum in primitive skills and wilderness rites of passage, but a wider instructional portfolio.

Direct peers

• The Ojai Foundation: The Ojai Foundation is a nonprofit community in California offering council practices, ceremony, and retreat programs rooted in indigenous wisdom traditions. Directly comparable to Four Winds Foundation for shared emphasis on community circles, council/hoop-style gatherings, and ceremonial life as the core offering.
• Hawk Circle Wilderness Programs: Hawk Circle is a wilderness rites-of-passage nonprofit serving youth and adults in the Eastern US with vision quests, primitive skills, and indigenous-style mentoring. Comparable to Four Winds Foundation for shared focus on adolescent/young-adult rites of passage, wilderness fasting, and earth-based mentoring traditions.
• Animas Valley Institute: Animas Valley Institute is a nonprofit organization offering wilderness vision quests, rites of passage, and ceremonial programs in Colorado. Highly comparable to Four Winds Foundation as both deliver multi-day indigenous-style fasting vision quests, men's and women's ceremonial retreats, and community-based spiritual development for adults seeking transformation.
• School of Lost Borders: School of Lost Borders is a California-based nonprofit specializing in wilderness vision quests, rites of passage, and primitive skills training. It is a direct peer to Four Winds Foundation as both operate multi-day fasting vision quests on the land and train individuals through structured ceremonial and wilderness experiences.
• Sacred Fire Foundation: Sacred Fire Foundation supports communities worldwide practicing fire ceremonies and indigenous-inspired rituals as part of daily life. Comparable to Four Winds Foundation as both offer ongoing ceremonial practices (fire, pipe, sweat) intended for regular community participation rather than one-off experiences.

Emerging players

• PassageWorks Theatre: PassageWorks Theatre produces ritual theater and ceremonial performance rooted in rites of passage traditions. An emerging peer to Four Winds Foundation that intersects at the cultural-ceremonial edge, addressing similar audiences seeking meaningful initiation experiences, though delivered through theatrical rather than direct ceremonial format.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Four-Winds-Community-Foundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/four-winds-foundation-founder

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Four Winds Foundation, Founder