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Garrison Institute

EIN 01-0597067 · Garrison, NY

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthWeak33 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

THE GARRISON INSTITUTE'S MISSION IS TO APPLY THE SKILLS AND WISDOM CULTIVATED THROUGH CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICE, TOGETHER WITH THE INSIGHTS EMERGING FROM SCIENCE, TO TODAY'S URGENT SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES, LEVERAGING TRANSFORMATIONAL CHANGE AND HELPING BUILD A MORE COMPASSIONATE, RESILIENT FUTURE. WE ENVISION A FUTURE IN WHICH CONTEMPLATION IS WIDELY RECOGNIZED AND PRACTICED AS A PATHWAY TO SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSFORMATION. CONTEMPLATION INFUSES OUR ACTIONS WITH THE AWARENESS THAT WE LIVE IN A RELATIONAL WORLD, WHERE EVERYONE AND EVERYTHING IS CONNECTED AND INTERDEPENDENT. TOGETHER WITH INSIGHTS FROM SCIENCE AND ETHICS, THIS AWARENESS WILL INCREASINGLY BE CULTIVATED AND APPLIED TO CHANGING BEHAVIORS AND MINDSETS, SHIFTING THE CURRENT PARADIGM TOWARDS A HOLISTIC, INTERCONNECTED ONE.

Income
$4.1 million
Spending
$4.2 million
Spent on programs
77%
Reserves
-0.9 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 53%
Employees
19
Volunteers
5
Highest pay
$262,625, executive director to 6/2024

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Weak: 33 out of 100. Higher than 8% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    0 of 35

    Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.

  • Debt

    5 of 20

    It owes 52% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    8 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 2% of income.

  • Income trend

    5 of 15

    Income fell 15% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    77% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 18 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 74% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    5 of 5 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Impact evidence

Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.

Programs described in its return (4)
  1. $2.1 million spent. THE RETREAT CENTER AT GARRISON INSTITUTE HOSTED OVER 50 IN PERSON RETREATS AND EVENTS AS WELL AS 6 VIRTUAL RETREATS/COURSES WITH AN ARRAY OF SPIRITUAL MASTER TEACHERS TEACHING ON TOPICS FROM THE WORLD'S WISDOM TRADITIONS. THE CENTER'S WORK FOCUSES ON EXPLORING THE INTERSECTION OF PERSONAL AND SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION. THIS YEAR WE HOSTED OVER 3,000 ATTENDEES AND WELCOMED PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE US AND INTERNATIONALLY.
  2. $356,067 spent. THE CONTEMPLATIVE BASED RESILIENCE PROGRAM (CBR) OFFERS RESILENCE TRAINING IN MIND-BODY CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICES TO SUPPORT THE WELL-BEING OF HELPING PROFESSIONALS AND CHANGEMAKERS SUCH AS HEALTH CARE WORKERS, SOCIAL WORKERS, HUMANITARIAN STAFF, AND OTHERS. ONE OF THE FIRST PROGRAMS OF ITS KIND, CBR OFFERS EVIDENCE-BASED TOOLS TO DEEPEN SELF-AWARENESS AND SELF-CARE, SO ATTENDEES CAN "BE WELL TO SERVE WELL." IN VIEW OF THE VAST NEED AND DEMAND, THE CBR PROJECT NOW OFFERS LEADERSHIP COURSES FOR NONPROFIT LEADERS WHO CAN HELP THEIR ORGANIZATIONS ADOPT CBR TOOLS. AS CBR EMBARKS ON ITS THIRD DECADE, THE PROGRAM CONTINUES ITS DEDICATION TO THOSE PEOPLE AND ORGANIZATIONS WHO DEDICATE THEMSELVES TO SERVING OTHERS.
  3. $216,817 spent. THE PATHWAYS TO PLANETARY HEALTH INITIATIVE RECOGNIZES THAT THE WELLBEING OF PEOPLE AND EARTH ARE DEEPLY INTERCONNECTED. ITS WORK BUILDS UNDERSTANDING OF PLANETARY HEALTH THROUGH SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY AND CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICE ACROSS TRADITIONS, THROUGH CONVENING LEADERS, CONDUCTING APPLIED RESEARCH AND STRATEGICALLY ENGAGING WITH DECISIONMAKERS, DEVELOPING LEADERSHIP PROGRAMS, AND WEAVING CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICE THROUGHOUT THE WORK.
  4. $507,714 spent. OTHER PROGRAMS INCLUDE FELLOWSHIPS, VIRTUAL PROGRAMS, SPIRITUALITY AND SOCIAL IMPACT, AND FISCAL SPONSORSHIP FOR THE HEALING-CENTERED PROJECT.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.

    Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  2. Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.

    Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.

    Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.

  3. Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.

    On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.

    Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 10, 2026.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since June 2002.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  6. Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.

    Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.

    Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.

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