Metta Institute
Metta Institute was a US 501c3 non-profit founded in 2004 that trained hundreds of healthcare clinicians and caregivers in mindful, Buddhist-grounded end-of-life care through its End of Life Practitioner Program. It ceased program operations as of January 1, 2026.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersSausalito, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Metta Institute does
Metta Institute was a 501c3 charitable non-profit corporation founded in 2004 and headquartered in Sausalito, California, dedicated to providing public education and professional training in mindful and compassionate end-of-life care. Its core offering was the End of Life Practitioner Program, which trained healthcare clinicians and caregivers in contemplative, Buddhist-grounded approaches to caring for individuals facing death. The organization built a national network of educators, advocates, and guides, serving hundreds of clinicians and caregivers over its 20-plus years of operation. Core faculty historically included Frank Ostaseski (Founding Director of Zen Hospice Project, the first Buddhist hospice in America), Ram Dass, Rachel Naomi Remen MD, Angeles Arrien PhD, Charles Garfield PhD, and other leading voices in spirituality, psychology, and end-of-life care.
The Institute operated as a single-purpose educational non-profit with no proprietary technology platform, software product, or AI capabilities; the underlying "technology" was a curriculum and pedagogy rooted in the Buddhist tradition of metta (loving-kindness). It held a federally registered trademark (Metta Institute®) and its 501c3 status from 2004. The organization did not publicly disclose pricing for its programs, and revenue mechanics were typical of small charitable non-profits — supported by donations, grants, and program contributions from individuals, corporations, and foundations, with Frank Ostaseski more recently soliciting personal donations via PayPal under the Buddhist dāna (generosity) tradition.
As of January 1, 2026, Metta Institute ceased offering training or educational programs and founder Frank Ostaseski retired from managing the non-profit after more than 20 years. The organization has stated it will not respond to emails or correspondence, and has not indicated any successor entity, asset transfer, or program continuation. Ostaseski continues to teach periodically on Zoom, at Buddhist centers, and at other venues internationally through his personal website, outside the Institute's formal structure.
Metta Institute firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Metta Institute
- Legal name
- Metta Institute
- Website
- https://mettainstitute.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2004
- Operating status
- Closed
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Metta Institute was a US 501c3 non-profit founded in 2004 that trained hundreds of healthcare clinicians and caregivers in mindful, Buddhist-grounded end-of-life care through its End of Life Practitioner Program. It ceased program operations as of January 1, 2026.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Metta Institute industry classification
Industry- Product category
- End-of-Life Care Professional Education
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (61171), Professional and Management Development Training (61143)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Caregiver Support, Coaching & Training (HLADALAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- End-of-Life Emotional & Spiritual Support (Chaplaincy/Counseling) In-Home (HSABAFAH), End-of-Life 24/7 In-Home Care (Hospice Support) (HSABAHAG)
Keywords
Where Metta Institute is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sausalito
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Metta Institute business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Others
Metta Institute product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Metta Institute offered the End of Life Practitioner Program, a professional training program providing public education and training in mindful and compassionate end-of-life care for healthcare clinicians and caregivers. The program was grounded in the Buddhist METTA tradition (loving-kindness, friendliness, benevolence) and trained hundreds of clinicians, creating a national network of educators, advocates, and guides for those facing life-threatening illness. As of January 1, 2026, the organization ceased offering training and educational programs.
Product overview
Metta Institute was a single-purpose educational non-profit organization offering one primary program: the End of Life Practitioner Program. This program provided professional training in mindful and compassionate end-of-life care for healthcare clinicians and caregivers. As of January 1, 2026, Metta Institute announced it no longer offers training or educational programs, though Frank Ostaseski may continue teaching periodically on Zoom and at other venues.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- End of Life Practitioner Program A professional training program providing public education in mindful and compassionate end-of-life care for healthcare clinicians and caregivers, training hundreds of practitioners and creating a national network of educators, advocates, and guides for those facing life-threatening illness and for the individuals and systems serving them.
Companies that use Metta Institute
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Metta Institute technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Metta Institute partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators1 record
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights1 record
Metta Institute competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Zen Hospice Project: San Francisco-based hospice and end-of-life care organization founded by Frank Ostaseski, sharing the same Buddhist-inspired, contemplative approach to dying care and overlapping faculty/leadership with Metta Institute.
- Upaya Zen Center: Santa Fe Zen center that runs a well-known Buddhist chaplaincy and end-of-life care training program, sharing Metta's contemplative, Zen-inflected pedagogy for clinicians and caregivers.
- Commonweal Center: Bolinas-based non-profit where Rachel Naomi Remen co-founded the Cancer Help Program; shares faculty connections with Metta and runs professional/personal development programs in healing and end-of-life support.
- Center for Loss & Life Transition: Colorado-based non-profit offering professional training and public education on grief, dying, and bereavement — directly comparable as a small education-focused organization serving caregivers and clinicians.
Broad incumbents
- Hospice Foundation of America: National non-profit focused on public and professional education about end-of-life care, hospice, and grief, with a similar mission of training clinicians and the broader public in compassionate caregiving.
- End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC): Nationwide nursing-education initiative providing curricula and training in palliative and end-of-life care for healthcare clinicians — directly comparable training content to Metta's Practitioner Program but at much larger scale.
- National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO): Largest US membership organization for hospice and palliative care providers, offering professional education, advocacy, and standards — comparable as a training-and-network convener in the same end-of-life space.
- Association for Death Education and Counseling (ADEC): Professional organization providing credentialing (CT, FT), continuing education, and conferences for death educators, counselors, and hospice professionals — comparable as a training ecosystem for end-of-life practitioners.
Emerging players
- Spiritual Care Association: Provides chaplaincy certification and continuing education, including palliative and end-of-life spiritual care training — adjacent to Metta's chaplaincy/counseling-oriented curriculum.
Others
- Mind & Life Institute: Non-profit that bridges contemplative traditions (including Buddhist) and science; thematically related through its contemplative pedagogy but focused on research and dialogue rather than clinician training.
Market position
Strengths2 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights4 records
Customer concentration
Metta Institute social profiles
Digital presenceMetta Institute compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Metta Institute financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Metta Institute leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Metta Institute funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Metta Institute M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Metta Institute
What does Metta Institute do?
Metta Institute offered the End of Life Practitioner Program, a professional training program providing public education and training in mindful and compassionate end-of-life care for healthcare clinicians and caregivers. The program was grounded in the Buddhist METTA tradition (loving-kindness, friendliness, benevolence) and trained hundreds of clinicians, creating a national network of educators, advocates, and guides for those facing life-threatening illness. As of January 1, 2026, the organization ceased offering training and educational programs.
Is Metta Institute a public or private company?
Metta Institute is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently closed.
When was Metta Institute founded?
Metta Institute was founded in 2004. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Metta Institute based?
Metta Institute is headquartered in Sausalito, United States, in the North America region.
Who are Metta Institute's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Zen Hospice Project, Upaya Zen Center, Commonweal Center and Center for Loss & Life Transition. Broad incumbents are Hospice Foundation of America, End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC), National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) and Association for Death Education and Counseling (ADEC). Spiritual Care Association is listed as an emerging player. Mind & Life Institute is listed as an others.
Does Metta Institute have an API?
No public API is recorded for Metta Institute.
What industry is Metta Institute in?
Metta Institute's product category is End-of-Life Care Professional Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLADALAG, Caregiver Support, Coaching & Training, with a secondary code of HSABAFAH, End-of-Life Emotional & Spiritual Support (Chaplaincy/Counseling) In-Home. Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 8200.