New York Zen Center For Contemplative Care

What New York Zen Center For Contemplative Care does

The New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care is a 501(c)-style non-profit educational organization founded in 2007 and headquartered at 119 W. 23rd Street in Manhattan, with a secondary retreat presence at the Garrison Institute in Garrison, NY. It operates through three pillars: Care (online support groups covering aging, sobriety/recovery, terminal illness, caregiver support, and grief/bereavement), Education (formal programs including the Contemplative Medicine Fellowship for physicians and advanced practice providers, Foundations in Contemplative Care, a Master of Arts in Buddhist Spiritual Care, Clinical Pastoral Education, a Certificate in Soto Zen Buddhist Studies, and a new Contemplative Care Educator Training), and Zen Practice (daily online meditation, in-person Zendo sessions on Mondays/Wednesdays/Sundays, classes, retreats, the Commit to Sit 90-day guided practice program, and a Zen Training Path). The underlying delivery model is a hybrid 'One-do' Zendo combining in-person practice at the NYC Zendo with global online participation via video conferencing, and the organization is rooted in the Soto Zen tradition via the White Plum Asanga lineage.

The organization serves healthcare professionals (including palliative care clinicians at Columbia University Medical Center and Mt Sinai Medical Center), professional and family caregivers, spiritual seekers ranging from beginners to advanced Zen practitioners, and individuals navigating life transitions such as aging, illness, addiction recovery, grief, and end-of-life concerns. It is co-led by guiding teachers Koshin Paley Ellison, MFA/LMSW/DMIN, and Chodo Robert Campbell, GC-C, both recognized thought leaders in the contemplative medicine movement.

The revenue model combines donations and charitable contributions (primary), program tuition and fees (one-time/per program), sustaining membership dues (recurring), and book sales from founder-authored publications ('Awake at the Bedside', 'Wholehearted', 'Untangled'). Pricing is tiered with sliding scale accessibility: Commit to Sit offers $54 supported / $108 standard / $216+ supporter tiers, and scholarships are available for BIPOC students and those with financial need across the Foundations and Fellowship programs. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, leveraging sangha referrals, free meditation offerings, a podcast with 60,000+ annual listeners, social media, email newsletters, and recurring retreats as acquisition and engagement channels.

Name

New York Zen Center For Contemplative Care

Legal name

New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care

Website

https://zencare.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Contemplative Care Education and Zen Meditation Services

SIC

Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Guided Meditation Instruction (1:1 & Group) (HSADAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Yoga & Meditation Experiences (Studio Classes, Guided Meditation, Mindfulness) (THAJAHAA), Caregiver Support, Coaching & Training (HLADALAG)

Keywords

• Contemplative care education
• Zen meditation programs
• Buddhist spiritual care
• Healthcare professional training
• Clinical pastoral education

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Primary revenue stream from donations by community members, supporters, and those benefiting from programs. The organization is a not-for-profit reliant on generous donations.
2. Program Tuition and Fees: Revenue from educational programs including Contemplative Medicine Fellowship, Foundations in Contemplative Care, Master of Arts, CPE programs, and Certificate programs. Fees for Commit to Sit retreats and half-day retreats.
3. Membership Dues: Sustaining membership program offering recurring membership benefits to committed sangha members.
4. Book Sales: Sales of publications authored by founders including 'Awake at the Bedside', 'Wholehearted', and 'Untangled' through retail channels.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

NYZC delivers formal contemplative care training programs (Contemplative Medicine Fellowship, Foundations in Contemplative Care, Master of Arts in Buddhist Spiritual Care, Clinical Pastoral Education and a Certificate in Soto Zen Buddhist Studies) alongside daily Zen meditation practice, guided practice periods such as Commit to Sit, multi-day silent retreats, and ongoing support groups for aging, grief, recovery, terminal illness, and caregivers. Programs integrate Soto Zen Buddhist teachings with evidence-based approaches for healthcare and caregiving, offered via a hybrid in-person/online model anchored at its Manhattan Zendo.

Product overview

The New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care is a non-profit educational organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of Zen Buddhist practice and contemplative care programs. The organization operates through three pillars: Care (support groups for aging, recovery, grief, caregivers, and terminal illness), Education (formal programs including the Contemplative Medicine Fellowship, Foundations in Contemplative Care, Master of Arts in Buddhist Spiritual Care, Clinical Pastoral Education, and Certificate in Soto Zen Buddhist Studies), and Zen Practice (meditation sessions, retreats, Commit to Sit practice periods, and Zen Training Path). The center also publishes books by its founders and produces podcasts. Programs are offered in-person at their New York City location and online, with retreats held at venues including the Garrison Institute.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Contemplative Medicine Fellowship Evidence-based training supporting physicians, advanced practice registered nurses and physician assistants in sustaining compassionate medical practice; CME/CE credit available. Applications open as of 2026.
• Foundations in Contemplative Care A nine-month training program for integrating spiritual practice with care in personal and professional life, creating a resilient foundation for compassionate action and service; scholarships available for BIPOC and financially constrained students.
• Master of Arts in Buddhist Spiritual Care Graduate degree program (offered virtually or in-person) exploring how Buddhist philosophy, teachings and practices address suffering in the contemporary world.
• Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) Professional training for those interested in becoming professional chaplains or deepening spiritual practice, rooted in Soto Zen Buddhism and offered in-person and online.
• Certificate in Soto Zen Buddhist Studies Innovative graduate-level study of the Soto Zen Buddhist tradition emphasizing contemplative practice and living wholeheartedly.
• Zen Training Path Traditional path for becoming a formal Zen student and practicing under the guidance of an experienced teacher.
• Meditation Practice Free daily online meditation and both online and in-person Zendo practice and teaching on Mondays, Wednesdays and Sundays.
• Commit to Sit A guided 90-day meditation practice period with daily emails, videos, weekly dharma talks and community meditation; pricing tiered at Standard $108, Supported $54, Supporter $216+.
• Wisdom Sangha (Aging) Monthly online support group for individuals aged 60+ exploring themes and realities of aging; suggested $10 donation.
• Serenity Sangha (Recovery) A monthly sober inter-fellowship meditation community with meditation, dharma talk, sharing and discussion; suggested $5 donation.
• Grief and Bereavement Support Programs supporting individuals facing difficult emotions that grief and loss can create.
• Care for Caregivers Support Group An ongoing community of support and connection for professional and non-professional caregivers.
• Terminal Illness Support Online contemplative support group for coming to terms with a life-limiting illness.
• Retreats Extended periods of practice including half-day retreats, sesshin (silent retreats) and the annual Contemplative Care Retreat at Garrison Institute.
• Awake at the Bedside Book co-edited by Koshin Paley Ellison offering contemplative teachings on palliative and end-of-life care, sold through retail and online channels.
• Wholehearted: Slow Down, Help Out, Wake Up Book by Koshin Paley Ellison on rediscovering values and living life to the fullest through Zen teachings, sold through retail and online channels.
• Untangled: Walking the Eightfold Path Book by Koshin Paley Ellison offering a guidebook to finding expansive ease and true joy through the Buddhist eightfold path, sold through retail and online channels.
• Rituals and Ceremonies Zen priests perform weddings, memorial services, baby blessings, house blessings and other important ceremonies.

Quantifiable outcome

• 60,000 annual podcast listeners indicating significant community reach
• +2 more outcomes

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

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of the WestcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner for the Buddhist Track in Masters in Pastoral Care and Counseling. NYZC serves as core faculty for this graduate program partnership.
• University of Arizona Medical School Center for Integrative MedicineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNYZC faculty serve on the faculty of the Integrative Medicine Fellowship program.
• Academy of Integrative Health & MedicineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNYZC faculty serve on the faculty of this integrative medicine academy.
• Garrison InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRetreat venue partner for Summer Sesshin and annual Contemplative Care Retreat programs held at Garrison Institute in Garrison, NY.
• White Plum AsangaminorOthersLineage affiliation through which Koshin and Chodo are recognized as Soto Zen teachers. Part of broader White Plum lineage network.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Spirit Rock Meditation Center: Non-profit Buddhist meditation and retreat center in California offering residential retreats, teacher training, and dharma programs. Closely comparable as a lineage-rooted meditation nonprofit with multi-stream programming, retreats, and educational offerings.
• UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center (MARC): Academic mindfulness center offering MBSR teacher training, research, and online programs. Comparable as a research-and-education-driven mindfulness nonprofit with credentialed teacher programs targeting healthcare-adjacent audiences.
• Barre Center for Buddhist Studies: Non-profit Buddhist studies and meditation center offering retreats, online classes, and a graduate-level Buddhist studies program. Comparable as an educational Buddhist nonprofit integrating academic study with contemplative practice.
• Insight Meditation Society: Long-established non-profit vipassana/insight meditation center offering residential retreats, online programs, and a teacher training pathway. Comparable as a donation-and-tuition funded meditation nonprofit combining retreats with formal teacher education.
• InsightLA: Non-profit Buddhist meditation organization offering retreats, classes, and mindfulness teacher training, including a Mindfulness Teacher Training Program for professionals. Similar hybrid online/in-person and educational community-led model.
• Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy: Non-profit integrating contemplative meditation with psychotherapy training for mental health clinicians. Directly comparable given both organizations train healthcare/mental-health professionals in contemplative practice and reference overlapping faculty.
• Upaya Zen Center: Soto Zen center and seminary in Santa Fe offering chaplaincy training, retreats, and contemplative programs for clinicians and caregivers. Particularly close peer given overlap in Zen-rooted contemplative care training and end-of-life focus.
• Center for Contemplative Mind in Society: Non-profit advancing contemplative practices in higher education and professional settings through fellowships, consulting, and curriculum. Comparable as a contemplative-focused education organization serving professional audiences.

Emerging players

• Mindful Schools: Non-profit providing mindfulness training and curricula primarily to educators and now healthcare partners. Comparable as a mission-driven contemplative-education nonprofit with online delivery and a focus on professionalizing mindfulness practice.

Others

• Garrison Institute: Non-profit contemplative retreat and research organization at the same Garrison, NY venue NYZC uses for retreats. Comparable as a contemplative-practice venue/program operator serving healthcare and professional audiences, and a direct operational partner.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/nyzencenter
• Facebookfacebook.com/nyzencenter
• Instagraminstagram.com/newyorkzencenter/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 New York Zen Center For Contemplative Care