Josh Kesselman launches foundation with $2.2 million endowment

Josh Kesselman, the RAW Rolling Papers founder and High Times publisher, has launched a new charitable foundation with more than $2.2 million in initial funding. The group will back nonprofit work on clean water, humanitarian aid and support for families affected by cannabis enforcement.

Why it matters: - The Josh Kesselman Foundation for Making the World a Better Place gives Kesselman’s giving a permanent nonprofit structure. - The foundation is set up to fund both global aid work and local community support. - The launch puts a cannabis-industry figure behind a formal charity platform at a time when stigma around such philanthropy still exists.

What happened: - Josh Kesselman announced the foundation on July 9, 2026. - The new foundation opened with an initial endowment of more than $2.2 million. - The foundation is a registered 501(c)(3). - The foundation will issue grants to nonprofit organizations whose missions align with humanitarian aid, community support and global impact. - Kesselman is the founding force behind RAW Rolling Papers and the publisher of High Times Magazine.

The details: - The first grant, worth $40,000, went to Freedom Grow. - Freedom Grow supports people incarcerated for cannabis-related offenses and their families. - A second grant of $79,601.97 went to Senai Global. - Senai Global is using the money for clean water rehabilitation projects in Ethiopia. - Kesselman said his prior company and personal donations exceeded $3.5 million. - Those earlier gifts funded orphan support programs, clean water initiatives in East Africa and direct community assistance. - Kesselman’s work in Ethiopia has included support for well construction and water restoration projects with local humanitarian groups, including Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity. - The foundation plans to serve as a centralized vehicle for sustained giving, transparency and long-term strategic investment. - For more information, visit the foundation’s website.

Between the lines: - The foundation’s deliberately cheeky name is meant to pair humor with humanitarian giving. - The launch also appears aimed at normalizing cannabis entrepreneurs as nonprofit donors. - Kesselman said the 501(c)(3) structure can get in the way of giving directly from the heart, but he expects the foundation to help him do more good over time. - The structure also signals a more formal and durable version of philanthropy that can outlast individual donations.

What’s next: - The foundation expects future grants to expand international water rehabilitation projects. - More funding is expected for people and families affected by cannabis enforcement policies. - Kesselman said he hopes the work continues long after he is gone.

The bottom line: - Kesselman is turning years of personal and company giving into a dedicated foundation with immediate funding, named beneficiaries and a plan for broader long-term impact.