COMMON MAPS
Map version new-york activity top-down
Main site Contact
Menu
↑ parent activity group ·
research dossier

THE GARRISON INSTITUTE
GARRISON, NY · EIN 010597067 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE B99 · Education · Medium ($1M-$10M) · garrisoninstitute.org
revenue
$4.1M
expenses
$4.2M
net assets
$535K
employees
19
volunteers
5
program ratio
77%
mission · from form 990

DEDICATED TO THE APPLICATION OF CONTEMPLATIVE METHODS FOR THE BENEFIT OF CIVIL SOCIETY.

profile · synthesized from sources

The Garrison Institute applies contemplative practices to support social and environmental resilience, serving professionals in high-stress fields and communities facing systemic challenges. It operates through programs that integrate mindfulness with leadership, education, and ecological stewardship. The organization is based in Garrison, New York, and works nationally with a focus on the Mid-Hudson Valley region.

irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024

What they reported doing

  1. #1 primary $356K
    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.
  2. #2 $217K
    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.
named programs · 5 · from sources

What they call their work

Bioregional Resilience Project
Strengthens community resilience in the Mid-Hudson Valley by integrating science, systems thinking, and contemplative practices into local planning and cross-sector collaboration.
Contemplative-Based Resilience (CBR)
Offers evidence-based resilience training in mind-body contemplative practices for helping professionals such as healthcare workers, social workers, and humanitarian staff to prevent burnout and enhance self-care.
Cultivating Awareness and Resilience in Education (CARE)
Professional development program for educators that integrates contemplative practices to reduce stress and improve teaching effectiveness and classroom climate.
Pathways to Planetary Health
Integrates scientific inquiry and contemplative practice to advance planetary health through leadership programs, applied research, and engagement with decision-makers on climate and environmental issues.
Spirituality & Social Change
Supports a network of organizations integrating contemplative practices into social change work through field mapping, wisdom sharing, and collaborative convenings via the Conscious Change Collective.
activities · 6 groups

What they do

  • Spiritual Development & Meditation Programs 2 activities
    • Deliver Contemplative-Based Resilience (CBR) training programs
      Provides in-person and online resilience training using contemplative practices for humanitarian aid workers, social activists, nonprofit leaders, caregivers, and public servants, including specialized offerings for Congressional staff and international participants. In 2023, served over 500 leaders, organizations, and community members.
    • Host retreats and restorative programming for personal and collective resilience
      Offers silent, half-day, and annual retreats integrating somatic practices, sound healing, nature-based reflection, and group sharing for caregivers, changemakers, and helping professionals. Includes an eight-day intensive silent retreat and a recurring “People Who Care For People” series launched in 2011.
  • Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Initiatives 1 activity
    • Advance sustainability through facility operations and retrofits
      Implements energy and water efficiency measures, renewable energy systems, sustainable food service, and waste reduction practices across its 77,000 square foot facility to minimize environmental impact.
  • Nonprofit Capacity Building Services 1 activity
    • Deliver capacity-building programs for leaders and organizations
      Offers fellowship programs, faculty courses to train CBR trainers, and leadership development for nonprofit leaders across sectors including healthcare, education, activism, and the arts. Completed a two-year fellowship with a cohort of 14 individuals from diverse professional backgrounds.
  • Urban Resilience Planning & Advocacy 1 activity
    • Facilitate regional resilience and regenerative planning initiatives
      Provides strategic planning, implementation support, and cross-sector convenings for municipalities and community-based organizations in the Mid-Hudson region, using climate adaptation frameworks and bioregional systems thinking to enhance community preparedness and adaptive capacity.
  • Interfaith and Spiritual Dialogue Programs 1 activity
    • Host public events, webinars, and dialogues on contemplative leadership and social change
      Organizes and hosts conversation events, webinars, and facilitated dialogues that connect scholars, contemplative leaders, and changemakers with broader communities to explore spirituality, trauma, and resilience. Events include live Q&A and are open for public registration.
  • Uncategorized 3 activities
    • Conduct applied research on contemplative practice and planetary health
      Conducts field studies, wisdom-sharing initiatives, and systems research to identify best practices and values among organizations integrating contemplative practice into social and environmental change. Focuses on interconnected social-ecological systems and bioregional strategies that support planetary health.
    • Convene multidisciplinary symposia on trauma and resilience
      Organized expert gatherings such as a 2009 symposium on transforming trauma, bringing together mental health professionals, neuroscientists, researchers, and contemplatives to explore integrative approaches to healing.
    • Develop digital tools and resources for resilience and contemplative practice
      Created and distributed free digital resources including the Care for Caregivers app and a Ukrainian-language CBR app on the AWARIS platform, offering guided virtual practices to support caregivers and humanitarian workers globally.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$4.07M
Contributions & grants$2.14M53%
Program service revenue$1.90M47%
Investment income$170%
Other revenue$30K
expenses
Total expenses$4.17M
Program expenses77%
Admin / overhead14%
Fundraising9%
Salaries & benefits$1.75M
Grants paid out$8K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$1.12M
Cash$542K
Investments$0
Liabilities$589K
Net assets$535K
Liquid reserves1.6 mo
3 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue -14.9%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 5
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
KAREN RENNIE GROSSMAN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO 6/2024 40 $263K
STEVE VARLEY MANAGING DIRECTOR FROM 7/2024 40 $173K
JEANNE ENGLERT CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER 40 $170K
CHRISTINA TINARI PROGRAM DIRECTOR 40 $151K
STEPHEN POSNER PROGRAM DIRECTOR 40 $133K
board members · 5
  • DANIEL SIEGEL — BOARD MEMBER
  • JONATHAN FP ROSE — BOARD CHAIR
  • KAIRA JEWEL LINGO — BOARD MEMBER
  • MANISH CHOPRA — BOARD MEMBER
  • SEBASTIAN ZUGMAN — TREASURER
relationships · 18

Who they work with

  • Circles for Conscious Change Partner — Collaborates with the Garrison Institute to co-create the Conscious Change Collective, a dynamic network and social systems map of organizations integrating contemplative practice into social change.
  • Cold Spring Climate Smart Communities Task Force Partner — Collaborates with the Cold Spring Climate Smart Communities Task Force on local resilience initiatives, including the food scraps composting program.
  • Doctors without Borders Partner — Participated in the first international Wellness and Resilience Training for humanitarian aid workers in 2010.
  • Earth4All Partner — Collaborative partner in the Pathways to Planetary Health initiative.
  • Freedom Together Foundation Funder — Provides financial support to advance the Spirituality & Social Change program, including the development of the Conscious Change Collective and related field-building initiatives.
  • House Center for Well-Being Partner — Collaborated to deliver CBR training to Congressional staff in 2022.
  • MoMA New York Partner — Collaborated with Orlando Villarraga on a research project related to human well-being and exhibited a sound meditation course on belonging.
  • New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care Partner — Co-hosts the Wholehearted Sesshin retreat with the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care.
  • Pathways to Planetary Health Initiative Partner — Collaborative program convening leaders and practitioners across climate, health, and contemplative fields.
  • Philipstown Climate Smart Communities Task Force Partner — Collaborates with the Philipstown Climate Smart Communities Task Force on local resilience initiatives, including the food scraps composting program.
  • Planetary Health Alliance Partner — Collaborative partner in the Pathways to Planetary Health initiative.
  • Red Cross International Partner — Participated in the first international Wellness and Resilience Training for humanitarian aid workers in 2010.
  • Rocky Mountain Ecodharma Retreat Center Partner — David Loy, a speaker hosted by the Garrison Institute, is a co-founder of this organization, indicating a thematic and network alignment.
  • Save the Children Partner — Participated in the first international Wellness and Resilience Training for humanitarian aid workers in 2010.
  • Ulnooweg Education Centre Partner — Collaborative partner in the Pathways to Planetary Health initiative.
  • United Nations Development Program’s Conscious Food Systems Alliance Partner — Collaborative partner in the Pathways to Planetary Health initiative.
  • Well-Being Economies Alliance (WEAll) Partner — Collaborative partner in the Pathways to Planetary Health initiative.
  • Westchester Community Foundation Funder — Provided a grant supporting online and in-person CBR trainings for regional nonprofits in 2021.
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.

  • Bioregional Resilience through Interdependence and Nature-Aligned Systems
    methodology: ecologically_aligned_community_resilience
    By aligning community action with ecological patterns and fostering bioregional systems awareness, the organization strengthens collective resilience, because human well-being and planetary health are fundamentally interdependent and best addressed at the scale of living systems.
  • Contemplative Practice as Foundation for Social and Ecological Change
    methodology: contemplative_practice_for_social_change
    By integrating contemplative practices with science and systems thinking, the organization fosters personal resilience and awareness that enables more effective, compassionate action in social and ecological domains, because inner transformation is a prerequisite for sustainable outer change.
  • Ecodharma and Nondual Awareness for Collective Response
    methodology: ecodharma
    By cultivating nondual awareness and a sacred relationship with Earth through contemplative practice, the organization fosters collective response to ecological crisis, because dissolving the illusion of separation enables ethical action rooted in interconnectedness.
  • Embodied and Somatic Awareness as Pathway to Presence
    methodology: somatic_and_sound_integration
    By using somatic practices, land connection, and sound immersion to slow down and attend to bodily sensations, the organization supports deeper self-awareness and presence, because embodied experience grounds individuals in the present moment and enhances capacity for compassionate action.
  • Generative Field-Building with Margin-Centered Design
    methodology: generative_field_building
    By mapping fields, convening stakeholders, and applying contemplative values like equity and humility, the organization cultivates cohesive, long-term systems change, because inclusive and regenerative processes generate broader ownership and sustainability of social transformation.