Retreat Center Collaboration

What Retreat Center Collaboration does

The Retreat Center Collaboration (RCC) is a US-based nonprofit community of practice founded around 2017 and headquartered in Bolinas, California, serving leaders and operators of more than 300 retreat centers across the United States and Canada. RCC operates as a fiscally sponsored program of Commonweal and is primarily funded by the Fetzer Institute, with a lean staff of 11 organized around three interconnected roles — Program Director, Network Manager, and Team Coordinator. Its governance has been restructured around concentric circles (Stewardship, Wisdom, and Listening) that embed experienced members into strategy and advisory functions.

RCC's core offerings center on peer learning and community building: regular community calls, topic-specific Collaboration Hubs, Affinity Groups for shared lived experiences, a public directory of member retreat centers, and annual regional and international gatherings. Complementary programs include the Racial Healing Initiative and Land Legacies, alongside practical resources such as a Sustainability Toolkit, Resilience Program, Community Survey Data, and an interactive Kumu-based network map. The underlying technology stack is non-proprietary — Kumu for network and geographic visualization, Google Drive for resource sharing, a Facebook Group for ongoing connection, and Squarespace for the website — with no disclosed AI, app, or API products.

The business model is institutional/grant-based rather than transactional: pricing for membership is not publicly disclosed, and revenue is not reported. Distribution runs through a membership program, virtual community engagement, an online resource library, and in-person events. RCC markets via content (blog articles, Green Papers, Gratitude Reports), community calls, its Facebook group, an email newsletter, and participation in regional and international gatherings, targeting retreat center leaders and select allied organizations such as the Bonner Foundation and Cal Poly University.

Name

Retreat Center Collaboration

Legal name

Retreat Center Collaboration

Website

https://retreatcentercollaboration.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Retreat Center Collaboration is a nonprofit community of practice serving 300+ retreat center leaders across the United States and Canada through peer learning calls, collaboration hubs, a member directory, and values-driven governance circles, fiscally sponsored by Commonweal and primarily funded by the Fetzer Institute.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Institutional Support: Supported by the Fetzer Institute as primary funder. Fiscally sponsored by Commonweal as a program of the organization.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Retreat Center Collaboration (RCC) operates a community of practice for retreat center leaders and their allies across the United States and Canada. It delivers regular community calls, collaboration hubs, affinity groups, educational and experiential programs, surveys and studies of the field, a directory of aligned retreat centers, network and geographic maps, and regional and international gatherings. The organization operates as a fiscally sponsored program of Commonweal and is supported primarily by the Fetzer Institute.

Product overview

The Retreat Center Collaboration (RCC) is a community of practice offering a suite of interconnected programs and resources for retreat center leaders. The core offerings include Community Calls, Collaboration Hubs, Affinity Groups, and a Directory of member retreat centers, all designed to foster peer exchange and reduce isolation. Supplementary programs such as the Racial Healing Initiative (RHI) and Land Legacies address equity and stewardship topics. RCC also provides practical resources including a Sustainability Toolkit, Resilience Program, Community Survey Data, and Blog content covering leadership, hospitality, HR, governance, and industry trends. Regional and international gatherings complement virtual programming, while membership enables broader participation in the network of 300+ retreat centers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Racial Healing Initiative (RHI): A program dedicated to advancing racial healing work within retreat centers, led by the Center for Healing and Liberation.
• Tea with Tatyana
• Listening Circle
• Stewardship Circle
• Wisdom Circle

Products and services

• Membership Program Organizational membership providing retreat centers with access to RCC's community resources, events, peer networks, and collaborative opportunities across the US and Canada.
• Community Calls Regular community calls for retreat center leaders to exchange information, best practices, and roundtable discussion across time zones spanning Hawaii to Spain.
• Collaboration Hubs Peer groups focusing on specific topics (such as governance, HR, hospitality, and finance) for retreat center leaders to exchange knowledge and work on shared challenges.
• Affinity Groups Groups connecting peers with shared lived experiences and identities across retreat center traditions for community and mutual support.
• Retreat Center Directory A public directory of retreat centers that share RCC's core values, enabling referral and connection among member organizations and the broader public.
• Regional and International Gatherings In-person regional and international gatherings of the RCC community for peer connection, learning, and collaboration.
• Racial Healing Initiative (RHI) A dedicated program advancing racial healing work within retreat centers, led by the Center for Healing and Liberation, offering workshops and resources for equity and justice.
• Land Legacies A program addressing land stewardship and reparative land practices for retreat centers, exploring their relationships to land and place.
• Sustainability Toolkit A published toolkit with studies and resources on financial and programmatic sustainability practices for retreat centers.
• Resilience Program Resources and programming supporting organizational and personal resilience for retreat center leaders.

Quantifiable outcome

• Strong engagement on community calls with sessions spanning 12 time zones from Hawaii to Spain
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Bonner FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 October 2023Partnership connecting retreat centers with Bonner programs, students, and alumni passionate about community building, diversity, social justice, spiritual exploration, and wellness across the United States.
• Cal Poly UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research partnership with Cal Poly industrial engineering students studying models for financial and programmatic sustainability at retreat centers, including development of a true cost calculator tool and best practices manual.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Spiritual Directors International: A membership association serving spiritual directors and retreat centers globally. Comparable to RCC as a membership-based community of practice supporting the retreat/spiritual formation sector with peer networking and professional development.
• NetHope: A consortium of humanitarian and international development NGOs that convenes members for shared learning and collaboration. Comparable to RCC in operating a community-of-practice model that connects peer organizations for knowledge exchange and collective impact.
• Interaction: A coalition of international development and humanitarian NGOs. Comparable to RCC as a peer convening organization offering community learning, working groups, and shared resources across member institutions.
• National Council of Nonprofits: A network of nonprofit associations providing capacity-building, advocacy, and peer learning resources. Comparable to RCC as a community-of-practice infrastructure organization serving mission-driven member institutions.

Others

• Fetzer Institute: RCC's primary institutional funder and a values-driven philanthropy. Related as an ecosystem participant and partner rather than direct competitor, sharing the spiritual/retreat community of interest.

Emerging players

• Mind & Life Institute: A nonprofit bridging contemplative traditions and science through convenings and research. Comparable to RCC in facilitating community learning and convening programs within the retreat/contemplative ecosystem.
• BoardSource: A nonprofit membership organization supporting nonprofit governance and leadership. Comparable to RCC in offering peer learning, training, and convening focused on operational excellence for nonprofit leaders.
• Commonweal: A health and environmental nonprofit and RCC's fiscal sponsor. Operates retreat and convening programs in its own right; comparable to RCC as a sibling organization in the same ecosystem serving retreat-based communities.

Broad incumbents

• Aspen Institute: A large nonprofit convening leadership communities of practice across sectors. Comparable to RCC in operating values-driven fellowship and convening programs that bring peer leaders together for shared learning.
• Independent Sector: A national membership organization of nonprofits, foundations, and corporate giving programs. Comparable to RCC as a broader membership-based convener for the nonprofit sector with research, advocacy, and community-building functions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@RetreatCenterCollaboration
• Facebookfacebook.com/joinrcc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/retreat-center-collaboration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Retreat Center Collaboration