Shalem Institute

What Shalem Institute does

Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1973 in Washington, D.C., that delivers long-term contemplative spiritual formation programs. Its core offerings are multi-month to multi-year cohorts — most prominently Soul of Leadership (18-month, four residencies), Nurturing the Call: Spiritual Guidance Program, Transforming Community: Leading Contemplative Spiritual Groups & Retreats, Going Deeper: Clergy Spiritual Life and Leadership, and Crossing the Threshold for emerging leaders — delivered through in-person residencies at partner retreat centers (Bon Secours in Maryland, Ammerdown Centre in the UK, Volmoed in South Africa) and via Zoom cohorts worldwide. Programs are priced between roughly $2,500 and $6,000, with scholarships and payment plans; participants include spiritual directors, clergy, organizational leaders across nonprofit, education, and IT sectors, and emerging/young adults.

The organization's underlying technology is intentionally modest: a WordPress website with the PauPress plugin powering member accounts, course access, shopping cart registration, and email-based enrollment. There is no proprietary software, mobile app, or API; value delivery rests on human faculty (including founder and Senior Fellow Tilden Edwards), structured peer group cohorts, spiritual companionship, and the broader Shalem Society graduate community.

Revenue is generated through two primary streams: program tuition and fees (one-time payments per cohort) and individual charitable contributions, with individual gifts comprising about one-third of needed income. Supplemented by planned giving (bequests, IRA transfers, charitable trusts via the Shekinah Society), gifts of stock, and tribute donations (e.g., the Gerald May Memorial Fund). The organization operates as a community-led, direct-to-consumer non-profit with marketing primarily through its website blog, email newsletter, social media, testimonials, and free info calls — no VC, PE, or institutional ownership structures are present, and it is currently in a leadership transition following Executive Director Margaret Benefiel's 2025 retirement, with an Executive Director Search underway for 2026.

Name

Shalem Institute

Legal name

Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation

Website

https://shalem.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Shalem Institute is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 1973 in Washington, D.C., delivering long-term contemplative spiritual formation programs — including Soul of Leadership, Spiritual Guidance, and Clergy Leadership — to clergy, spiritual directors, and organizational leaders across the US, UK, and South Africa.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Contemplative Spiritual Formation Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis) (BPAGAJAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Ministerial Training Institutes (Clergy Formation) (EDAHAKAE)

Keywords

• Contemplative spiritual formation
• Spiritual direction training
• Retreat and pilgrimage programs
• Contemplative leadership development
• Clergy spiritual formation

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Program Tuition and Fees: Revenue from long-term extension programs including the Soul of Leadership (18-month program with residencies), Spiritual Guidance Program, Transforming Community, Going Deeper: Clergy Program, and Crossing the Threshold. Programs range from $2,500 to $6,000 depending on format and location. Payment plans are available.
2. Individual Donations: Individual gifts comprise about one-third of Shalem's needed income. The organization relies on charitable contributions to sustain its ministry. Donations are accepted online, by mail, and through various giving programs including the Annual Fund.
3. Planned Giving: Planned giving options including bequests, transfer of IRA plans, and charitable trusts. Members of the Shekinah Society are donors who have included Shalem in their estate planning. The Gerald May Memorial Fund accepts tribute gifts.
4. Gifts of Stock: Shalem accepts gifts of stock or other appreciated securities. Donors can make tribute gifts to honor individuals, including the Gerald May Memorial Fund.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Shalem Institute is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that offers long-term contemplative formation programs for spiritual directors, clergy, and leaders. Its portfolio includes the 18-month Soul of Leadership program, the Spiritual Guidance Program, Transforming Community for retreat leaders, Going Deeper for clergy, Crossing the Threshold for emerging leaders, and the YALLI young adult program. Programs are delivered via in-person residencies at partner retreat centers, online Zoom cohorts, and hybrid formats, with tuition ranging from $2,500 to $6,000.

Product overview

Shalem Institute is a nonprofit spiritual formation organization offering a portfolio of long-term extension programs focused on contemplative living and leadership. Core offerings include the Soul of Leadership (18-month leadership program), Nurturing the Call: Spiritual Guidance Program, Transforming Community: Leading Contemplative Spiritual Groups & Retreats, Going Deeper: Clergy Spiritual Life and Leadership, and Crossing the Threshold: Contemplative Foundations for Emerging Leaders. Additional programs include Group Spiritual Direction training, the Shalem Society graduate community, pilgrimage programs (Assisi and Iona), the Contemplative Voices Award, and Healing Ground contemplative circles. The institute also provides online courses and retreat days accessible through a member account system, prayer gatherings, and a directory service connecting individuals with spiritual directors. The organization is built on a WordPress platform with PauPress for member accounts, course access, and program registrations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Soul of Leadership An 18-month program for contemplative leadership offered in multiple locations, integrating spiritual heart practices with leadership realities through residencies, reading, reflection, and spiritual companionship. For leaders across sectors seeking to lead in a heart-centered, contemplative way.
• Nurturing the Call: Spiritual Guidance Program A program training individuals in spiritual guidance and discernment for accompanying others on their spiritual journeys. For individuals called to spiritual direction roles.
• Transforming Community: Leading Contemplative Spiritual Groups & Retreats (TCP) A program for those called to create and facilitate contemplative spiritual group and retreat experiences, including in-person residencies and online sessions. For retreat leaders and small group facilitators.
• Going Deeper: Clergy Spiritual Life and Leadership A program for clergy focused on deepening spiritual life and leadership through retreats and peer group sessions. For ordained and lay faith community leaders.
• Crossing the Threshold: Contemplative Foundations for Emerging Leaders A contemplative foundations program for emerging leaders, focusing on spiritual grounding and community building. For young adults discerning vocation and leadership.
• Young Adult Life and Leadership Initiative (YALLI) A two-year program for young adults focused on contemplative life and leadership. For young adults exploring contemplative foundations for vocation.
• Shalem Society A community for Shalem program graduates offering ongoing connection and gathering opportunities, including the annual 2026 Shalem Society Gathering.
• Assisi Pilgrimage A pilgrimage program to Assisi following in the footsteps of St. Francis and St. Clare.
• Pilgrimage to Iona A pilgrimage program to Iona.
• Group Spiritual Direction Workshops and training for facilitating group spiritual direction sessions.
• Contemplative Conversations about Race Retreat A retreat focused on contemplative dialogue about race.
• Healing Ground A contemplative circle of collective care focused on uplifting historically silenced voices and challenging injustice.
• Online Courses and Retreat Days Online programs and retreat days accessible through the member account system, with registration via email confirmation.
• Prayer for Hope and Healing Online prayer gatherings held on Zoom for hope and healing.
• Find a Spiritual Director or Retreat Leader A directory service connecting individuals with spiritual directors and retreat leaders from the Shalem community.
• Contemplative Voices Award An award program recognizing individuals for contemplative contributions, with the 2026 recipient being Valarie Kaur.

Quantifiable outcome

• Participants develop clear leadership integrity based on personal values and sense of purpose
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Ammerdown CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Ammerdown Centre in Radstock, UK (near Bath) partners with Shalem to deliver the Soul of Leadership UK program. The Ammerdown Centre serves as the venue for program residencies and handles applications and inquiries for the UK cohort. Contact: Ammerdown Park BA3 5SW, 01761 433709, [email protected].
• Volmoed Retreat CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVolmoed Retreat Centre in South Africa partners with Shalem to deliver the Soul of Leadership South Africa program. The centre hosts program residencies and serves as a hub for contemplative leadership training in the region. Contact: Wilma Terry Jakobsen at [email protected].
• Bon Secours Retreat CenterminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBon Secours retreat center in Maryland hosts Shalem programs including the Going Deeper: Clergy Spiritual Life and Leadership program. The facility provides accommodation and meeting space for in-person program residencies.
• CounterPart ConsultingminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerShalem has engaged CounterPart Consulting to support its DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging) journey. This partnership helps Shalem advance its commitment to uplifting historically silenced voices and challenging injustice and systems of inequity as articulated in Vision 2025.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Contemplative Outreach Ltd: Contemplative Outreach trains spiritual directors and teaches Centering Prayer; offers comparable formation programs and serves a similar audience of contemplative practitioners and leaders.
• Transforming Center: Transforming Center runs long-format contemplative leadership programs for clergy and faith leaders, directly comparable to Shalem's Soul of Leadership and Going Deeper clergy tracks in audience and format.
• Center for Action and Contemplation (CAC): CAC, founded by Richard Rohr, is a direct peer offering contemplative Christian formation, online courses, retreats, and spiritual direction training — overlapping heavily with Shalem's mission and James Finley is featured on CAC's podcast network.
• Haden Institute: Haden Institute offers spiritual direction training programs and contemplative formation cohorts, closely mirroring Shalem's Nurturing the Call: Spiritual Guidance Program in curriculum and target audience.
• Kairos School of Spiritual Formation: Kairos provides certificate programs in spiritual direction and contemplative formation; one of Shalem's program directors (Lorie Conway) trained there, and it is a direct competitor in the spiritual guidance training market.

Broad incumbents

• Omega Institute for Holistic Studies: Omega is a larger, broader incumbent offering residential workshops, retreats, and leadership programs that overlap with Shalem's contemplative and personal development offerings, though less faith-specific.
• Spiritual Directors International: SDI is the leading professional association for spiritual directors worldwide, setting standards and offering directories and formation — a broader incumbent in the same spiritual direction ecosystem Shalem operates in.

Emerging players

• Hesychia School of Spiritual Direction: Hesychia offers contemplative spiritual direction training rooted in Christian tradition, targeting similar participants as Shalem's programs but with a smaller, more specialized footprint.
• Mind & Life Institute: Mind & Life bridges contemplative practice and research/science; adjacent to Shalem's contemplative leadership work, especially as interest in integrating contemplative practice with leadership grows.

Others

• Upper Room Living School: Upper Room is a Methodist-affiliated spiritual formation provider offering retreats and training for laity and clergy; comparable audience and method, but denominationally anchored.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@shaleminstitute?si=lel7zCJw_75xNZOC
• Facebookfacebook.com/shalem.institute
• Instagraminstagram.com/shaleminstitute
• Xx.com/shaleminstitute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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 Shalem Institute