Esalen is currently closed. We will reopen on Friday, 2/9.
Esalen Institute is open! However, Highway 1 to the south is closed — please review the alternate route directions.

Esalen can go where others are unlikely to go, opening new horizons of human transformation today.

—Michael Murphy

Esalen Institute co-founder

Esalen is a nonprofit holistic retreat and educational institute. Established in 1962, Esalen remains steadfast in our mission to foster human potential. We offer leading-edge programming and a transcendent setting within the wilds of Big Sur — supportive for personal growth.

We invite you to give in support of the specific area of our work that resonates with you.

  • Our General Fund supports where the current needs within the organization are greatest.

  • The Scholarship Fund opens Esalen workshops to students and guests with a demonstrable financial need.

  • A gift to the Center for Theory & Research (CTR) supports our continued tradition of vanguard programming and research.

  • The Campus Fund supports the ongoing
    stewardship and sustainability of our 100 acre
    facility in Big Sur.

Esalen is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, tax ID number 94-6114235. Your gift is tax deductible to the extent allowable by law. View our 990 and additional information.

Thank you for helping to ensure our continued vitality!

More Ways to Give

Write a check

Esalen Institute
548 Market St
PMB 48853
San Francisco, CA 94104-5401
US

Please note: This mailbox accepts items sent via USPS, UPS, and DHL. It cannot accept items sent via FedEx.

Workplace matching

Many employers support charitable giving through matching gift programs. Your employer or Human Resources department will be able to confirm if this benefit is available to you. You may be asked to complete a form for your employer requiring Esalen’s tax identification number: 94-6114235.

Please contact Director of Development Mary O’Brien with any questions: mary.obrien@esalen.org.

Gifts of Stock

Appreciated stock is a great way to support Esalen and receive additional tax benefits. You can provide written gift instructions to your bank or broker. Please contact Director of Development Mary O'Brien at mary.obrien@esalen.org to let us know when you’ve transferred stock to Esalen, or with any questions.

Please transfer the stock to Esalen Institute via DTC as follows:
Esalen Institute at Charles Schwab
Schwab Account #2489-9222DTC Clearing 0164

Donor Advised Funds

Please consider recommending Esalen Institute as an organization to support through your donor advised fund. Our tax identification number is 94-6114235.

Grants can be mailed to:
Esalen Institute
548 Market St
PMB 48853
San Francisco, CA 94104-5401
US

Planned Giving

Your aspirations for Esalen can live on as your legacy through a bequest in your will or trust. Bequests can be made in the form of cash, stock, bonds, IRAs, real estate, or other personal property.

Learn more.

Meet Our Director of Development

Mary O'Brien

mary.obrien@esalen.org

For me, fundraising is a joyful vocation. I love connecting Esalen’s supporters with the ideas and initiatives that are most meaningful for them; inviting their investment in a mission they care deeply about.
I aim to be an enthusiastic catalyst for Esalen’s growth, cultivating the resources that will amplify our impact in the world, while ensuring integrous relationships with our donors.
This is powerful and fulfilling work which I regard wholeheartedly as a spiritual exchange. It’s a privilege to devote my daily energies toward this essential effort.

Mary O’Brien joined the Esalen leadership team in May 2022 with a background in fundraising for nonprofit organizations in the sectors of higher education, community philanthropy, conservation, and the performing arts. Most recently, she led the advancement and marketing communications teams at Northland College, a private liberal arts institution with a progressive focus on sustainability and our environment. Raised in St. Paul, Minnesota, Mary now lives and works in Bayfield, Wisconsin on the south shore of Lake Superior with regular travels to Big Sur.

For me, fundraising is a joyful vocation. I love connecting Esalen’s supporters with the ideas and initiatives that are most meaningful for them; inviting their investment in a mission they care deeply about.
I aim to be an enthusiastic catalyst for Esalen’s growth, cultivating the resources that will amplify our impact in the world, while ensuring integrous relationships with our donors.
This is powerful and fulfilling work which I regard wholeheartedly as a spiritual exchange. It’s a privilege to devote my daily energies toward this essential effort.

—Mary O'Brien, Esalen Director of Development

Meet Our Director of Development