Esalen Institute is open! However, Highway 1 to the south is closed — please review the current travel advisory.
Learn More.

Learn more.

Due to road closures along Highway 1 to our north and south, Esalen is closed through April 11.
Esalen Institute is open! However, Highway 1 to the south is closed — please review the current travel advisory.

“Love something and watch it blossom.”

— Michael Murphy

Give Now

Thanks to your incredible generosity, Esalen has reached a new milestone: we now offer more scholarships than ever before in our history.

You signaled your support for this ambitious endeavor through your kind contributions last year. As a direct result, we will double the number of awards we’ve previously granted. It’s an incredible shift and we are grateful beyond measure.

Being part of the Esalen community means embodying the values of transformation, connection, service, diversity, and curiosity that lie at the heart of our mission. An abundant scholarship fund puts these shared values into action. Together, we can sustain this mission-critical initiative in the years to come. Your support will make the difference.

Our scholarships provide the greater part of tuition, accommodation, and travel costs, ensuring that financial barriers never stand in the way of experiencing Esalen. The feedback we’ve received from recent recipients only strengthens our resolve to expand this offering further.

“With all the stressors of life, it gave me exactly what I needed to rebirth myself. The property, the people, and the nourishing food support great levels of healing and rejuvenation.”
— Lisa S.
“Esalen can be an opportunity to try something new in a contained, safe environment. To push outside of the comfort zone. I walked away with tools I can utilize in day-to-day life; tools I have been using since I’ve been back home.”
— madison v.
“Feeling a newfound level of freedom, expansion, and joy! When I close my eyes and envision myself at Esalen, I can embody that feeling still today!”
— brianna p.

Every scholarship recipient contributes to the vibrant mix of perspectives that makes Esalen a universal beacon of reflection and renewal. By offering generous financial assistance, we empower more individuals on their journeys of self-discovery and strengthen our collective potential as a community.

Thank you for your unwavering support of scholarships at Esalen. Together, we are shaping a future where personal growth and transformation are within reach for all who seek it.

With heartfelt gratitude,

Mary O'Brien
Director of Development

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.

Your Continued Partnership is Essential

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.

Photos by Sam Nichilo, Faith Blakeney, Sadia Bruce, Angie Smith.

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