irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $65KPlant Spirit Medicine includes several offerings: An introductory on-demand online course-Growing Awareness of Nature. designed to give people a direct experience of the aliveness of nature and natures ancestral relationship with humans. Healer Training hybrid course: online and in person courses. Our ancestors lived in this way, where nature was alive and there was no illusion of separation from nature. They had a relationship with the spirits of nature and would call upon them for healing and wisdom. This ancient practice, long forgotten in the modern world, was remembered, revitalized, and reintroduced by Blue Deers Founder, the late teacher and healer, Eliot Cowan, and has proven to be as effective in todays world as in past times.
- #2 $23KHEALING INTENSIVE- Healing Intensive is a residential 5-day retreat only offered at Blue Deer Center. A Healing Intensive is composed of Indigenous spiritual healing in the Huichol tradition, a time for contemplation and reflection in the natural world, and gatherings around the fire. Adult men and women of all ages and backgrounds discover that the medicine of Ancestral Traditions runs deep and exerts a powerful spiritual benefit. The Healing Intensive provides a rare opportunity to experience a healthy village life.THE CAMP AND PROVIDES THE RIGHT CONDITIONS FOR HEALING TO OCCUR.
named programs · 5 · from sources
What they call their work
Healing Camp
Seasonal 5-day healing camps held in spring, summer, and fall, providing Indigenous healing in the Huichol tradition, reflection, community fire gatherings, and connection with nature.
Healing Intensive
Residential 5-day retreat at Blue Deer Center featuring Indigenous spiritual healing in the Huichol tradition, contemplation in nature, and community gatherings around the fire.
Huichol Art Project
Initiative to make Huichol art accessible through markets and the Huichol Art Boutique at Blue Deer, managed in collaboration with the Huichol Art Council.
Plant Spirit Medicine
Offers an on-demand online course called Growing Awareness of Nature and a hybrid Healer Training course combining online and in-person instruction, based on ancestral relationships with nature and revitalized by founder Eliot Cowan.
Wisdom of the Divine Natural World
5-day immersive program exploring the living natural world and ancestral traditions, designed to deepen participants' relationship with nature.
activities · 7 groups
What they do
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Community Festival & Event Production 1 activity
- Community Fire Gatherings and Ritual EventsHosts regular monthly fire gatherings, the annual Harvest Festival, the two-day "Fire Speaks" program, and the annual Prosperity Ritual Harvest event to foster ritual, community connection, and spiritual engagement through sacred fire traditions.
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Art Museum Funding and Support 1 activity
- Huichol Art Project and Cultural SupportFunds and operates the Huichol Art Project, including purchasing art directly from Huichol artists multiple times per year, supporting pilgrimages, and managing the Huichol Art Gallery and Boutique to make Huichol art available in multiple markets.
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Spiritual Development & Meditation Programs 1 activity
- Residential Healing RetreatsOffers 5-day residential Healing Intensive retreats and seasonal Healing Camps on its 93-acre retreat center in the Catskill Mountains, featuring Indigenous spiritual healing in the Huichol tradition, nature contemplation, and community fire gatherings. Three Healing Camps are held annually in spring, summer, and fall.
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Managed Campground and Retreat Operations 1 activity
- Retreat Center Operations and Facilities ManagementOperates a 93-acre retreat center in the Catskill Mountains featuring dorm-style and private accommodations for up to 33 guests, two gathering spaces (a Fire Tent and a Yurt), and ongoing land maintenance to support program delivery.
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Financial Aid and Scholarship Access Programs 1 activity
- River of Peace Scholarship ProgramOffers financial assistance through the River of Peace Scholarship Fund to ensure access to spiritual healing and educational programs regardless of participants' ability to pay, supported by donor contributions and monthly donations.
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Volunteer Engagement and Capacity Support 1 activity
- Volunteer Program and Support CoordinationOffers volunteer opportunities for on-site and remote support, manages a volunteer coordinator role responsible for maintaining the volunteer database and creating a volunteer manual, and organizes work weekends to support program and land operations.
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Uncategorized 1 activity
- Online and Hybrid Education ProgramsProvides an on-demand, self-paced online course and hybrid in-person/online training programs in Plant Spirit Medicine and nature awareness, designed to make these teachings accessible and affordable while fostering direct experiences of nature's aliveness.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$418K
Contributions & grants$333K80%
Program service revenue$80K19%
Investment income$7K2%
Other revenue$-3K
expenses
Total expenses$434K
Program expenses63%
Admin / overhead27%
Fundraising9%
Salaries & benefits$147K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineFacilities
balance sheet
Total assets$1.07M
Cash$75K
Investments$0
Liabilities$811K
Net assets$256K
Liquid reserves2.1 mo
5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +48.7%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
board members · 4
- Amanda Kerner — Executive Dir.
- Jen Collins — Secretary
- Patrick Hanaway — Chairman
- Scott Reid — Treasurer
relationships · 14
Who they work with
- Albany Airport (ALB) Partner — Recommended airport for visitors traveling to Blue Deer Center.
- Candid Network — Member of the Candid Gold Transparency Seal program, demonstrating commitment to nonprofit transparency and accountability.
- Eliot Cowan Partner — Founder and late teacher who developed and reintroduced the Plant Spirit Medicine practice taught at Blue Deer Center
- Firekeeper Council Partner — Jessica De la O serves on the Firekeeper Council and co-hosts community fires.
- Haudenosaunee People Government — Indigenous group historically recognizing the land as a place of conflict resolution and summer hunting.
- Huichol Art Council Partner — Collaborates with the Huichol Art Project to make Huichol art available in multiple markets.
- Huichol Art Project Partner — Collaborates to support families in the Sierra Madre of Mexico through art purchases and pilgrimage support.
- Huichol people Partner — Blue Deer Center's name and guiding symbolism are drawn from the spiritual understanding of the Huichol people.
- Huichol spiritual elders Partner — Recognized by Huichol spiritual elders as belonging to the Huichol tradition and collaborates with them through the Huichol Art Project.
- LifeWays Women’s Initiation Council Partner — Jessica De la O serves on this council to support women’s initiation.
- Sacred Fire Partner — Sister organization supporting humanity's connection to heart through fire; Blue Deer Center is a sacred place formed out of this community.
- Sacred Fire Partner — Sister organization with which Blue Deer collaborates on retreats and spiritual programs.
- San Andres Fund Partner — Partners to support traditional ways of living among families in the Sierra Madre of Mexico.
- Wixárika people Partner — Blue Deer Center's founder was initiated into the spiritual tradition of the Wixárika people, and the center hosts their traditions.
strategies · 5
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Ancestral and Indigenous Wisdom-Based Healingmethodology: ancestral-wisdom-based-healingBy integrating ancestral and indigenous spiritual traditions—including plant spirit medicine, ceremonial practices, and traditional knowledge—the organization fosters personal and collective healing because reconnecting with ancient, nature-centered worldviews restores purpose, balance, and interconnection.
- Community as a Container for Healingmethodology: community-as-healing-containerBy creating temporary, intentional village communities and ritual spaces, the organization supports individual healing because living in a connected, reciprocal, and sacred social environment mirrors healthy relational ecology and restores belonging.
- Holistic Healing Through Interconnectionmethodology: holistic-healing-through-connectionBy addressing mental, physical, and emotional challenges through restoring relationships—with self, community, nature, and ancestral wisdom—the organization enables transformation because healing is fundamentally relational and ecological, not merely individual.
- Nature as Sacred Healermethodology: sacred-nature-immersionBy immersing individuals in sacred natural environments, the organization facilitates spiritual and mental healing because direct, reverent connection with nature counteracts alienation and reawakens inner knowing and balance.
- Residential Retreat Model for Deep Healingmethodology: residential_retreat_modelBy removing individuals from daily life through residential retreats, the organization enables deeper spiritual, mental, and physical healing because immersion in a supportive, intentional environment disrupts habitual patterns and opens space for transformation.