The Witness Institute

What The Witness Institute does

The Witness Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that runs a 15-month, cohort-based Witness Fellowship for emerging moral leaders. Founded in 2018 by Rabbi Dr. Ariel Burger, a direct student and teaching assistant of Elie Wiesel, the institute integrates Jewish wisdom traditions, global ethical frameworks, storytelling, and contemplative practices to cultivate moral leadership. Elisha Wiesel, son of Elie Wiesel and former Chief Information Officer at Goldman Sachs, serves as President. The organization is headquartered in Silver Spring, Maryland, operates with 11-50 employees, and has graduated six cohorts of fellows drawn from over a dozen countries spanning North America, South America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. The institute is registered as a 501(c)(3) with Tax EIN 87-3123859.

Name

The Witness Institute

Legal name

The Witness Institute

Website

https://witnessinstitute.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Witness Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit running a 15-month Witness Fellowship for emerging leaders, integrating Jewish wisdom, global ethics, and contemplative practices. Founded by Rabbi Dr. Ariel Burger, it has graduated six cohorts of fellows from over a dozen countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Leadership Development Education

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Religious Organizations (8131), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based & Mission Service Programs (EDAIAGAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Based Humanitarian Aid & Relief Ministries (BPAGAJAF), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

Keywords

• Moral leadership education
• Fellowship program
• Ethical leadership training
• Values-based education
• Nonprofit leadership development

Headquarters

HQ city

Silver Spring

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The Witness Institute operates as a 501(c)(3) organization (Tax EIN: 87-3123859) funded primarily through donations. The website promotes one-time gifts, multi-year commitments, and legacy gifts. Donors can contribute via credit/debit card or check mailed to the organization's office.
2. Fellowship Program Tuition: The 15-month Witness Fellowship for emerging leaders likely involves program fees, though specific tuition amounts are not publicly disclosed. The fellowship is described as 'highly selective' and includes ongoing monthly learning, weekly 1-1 study, semi-annual retreats, and capstone projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Witness Institute delivers a 15-month, cohort-based Witness Fellowship for emerging leaders that combines monthly learning, weekly 1-1 study, semi-annual immersive retreats, and morally innovative capstone projects, integrating Jewish wisdom, global ethical frameworks, storytelling, and contemplative practices. It also runs public programs that extend its moral leadership education tools to a wider audience. The Institute is funded primarily by charitable donations as a registered 501(c)(3) organization.

Product overview

The Witness Institute operates as a single, unified educational program centered on moral leadership development. The flagship offering is the 15-month Witness Fellowship, which includes ongoing monthly learning, weekly 1-1 study, semi-annual retreats, and capstone projects. The Institute also offers public programs that complement the Fellowship, providing moral education tools to a broader audience. The organization has graduated six cohorts of Fellows (Cohort 1 through Cohort 6), building an ever-expanding community of principled changemakers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Witness Fellowship A 15-month, highly selective, cohort-based program for emerging leaders consisting of monthly learning sessions, weekly 1-1 study with mentors, semi-annual immersive retreats, and morally innovative capstone projects. It cultivates creative, courageous leaders who transform compassion into action by integrating Jewish wisdom, global ethical frameworks, storytelling, and contemplative practices.
• Public Programs Vibrant public programs offered alongside the Witness Fellowship that provide tools drawn from Jewish wisdom, global traditions, and cutting-edge practices for moral leadership development, accessible to a broader community audience.

Quantifiable outcome

• Graduates report greater ability to hold complex perspectives and find beauty in nuanced thinking.
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers18 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Aspen Institute: Large, established leadership development organization operating multiple fellowship and convening programs. Overlaps with The Witness Institute on cohort-based leadership development but operates at much larger scale and broader thematic scope.
• Hillel International: Largest Jewish campus-based educational and leadership organization globally. Shares faith-based educational mission with The Witness Institute but serves a much broader and younger demographic through university campuses.
• ADL (Anti-Defamation League): Established Jewish organization with educational programming on moral leadership, tolerance, and Holocaust testimony. Overlaps with The Witness Institute on moral/ethical education mission but operates as a large advocacy nonprofit rather than selective fellowship.

Direct peers

• Echoing Green: Echoing Green runs a highly selective fellowship program for emerging social-change leaders globally. Directly comparable to The Witness Institute's cohort-based leadership development model, though focused on social entrepreneurs rather than moral/witness leadership specifically.
• The Wexner Foundation: Runs selective Jewish leadership fellowship programs for emerging professionals and rabbis. Directly comparable cohort-based, faith-grounded leadership development targeting emerging Jewish leaders, though with a more denominational focus.
• CLAL: The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership: Jewish educational center offering leadership programs, seminars, and convenings for emerging leaders. Comparable in faith-based leadership development and educational programming, though with a broader pluralistic framing.
• Repair the World: Jewish service-learning nonprofit mobilizing young adults through cohort-based fellowship programs. Comparable to The Witness Institute in faith-based framing, fellowship cohort delivery model, and target emerging-leader demographic.
• The Institute for Jewish Spirituality: Jewish educational nonprofit offering cohort-based programs integrating contemplative practice, Jewish wisdom, and leadership development. Highly comparable methodology to The Witness Institute, particularly the contemplative-practice component.
• The Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity: The Elie Wiesel Foundation is the Institute's known funding source and shares the Wiesel moral-witness mission. Operates international education and ethics programming grounded in Elie Wiesel's legacy, making it the closest thematic peer and a potential institutional partner.

Emerging players

• JUST Capital: Nonprofit focused on ethical business leadership and corporate moral behavior. Compares on moral-leadership theme but operates in the corporate/business domain rather than individual moral-witness development, with partial overlap in educational methodology.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Witness Institute