New York Zen Center

Legal name: New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care Inc

Overview

Mission

To transform the culture of care throughout the continuum of life with compassion and wisdom through education, Zen practice, and care. The Contemplative Care Advisory Committee of the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care is a group of interdisciplinary professionals, who offer advice and counsel for our Contemplative Care CPE Chaplaincy Training Program in regards to planning, development and program evaluation. This helps insure our program is well integrated within the organization and provides feedback for quality assurance. Evan Zazula, DMin​ Marty Ehrlich MD, MPH. We offer care and support to those facing grief, loss, illness, aging, and end-of-life—all of which are sacred journeys. We also offer communities of support and connection for professional and non-professional caregivers coping with the unique and challenges of caring for others. Learn More Research.

What it reported doing in 2024

New York zen center for contemplative care fulfills its mission through the following programming: contemplative medicine education and training for medical doctors, advanced practice registered nurses, and physician assistants; contemplative care education and training for social service and healthcare professionals (among others) to build resilience in caring for self and others; group bereavement support and care at the bedside for others; caring for and tending to a sangha (congregation) and mahasangha (the wider buddhist community); engaging the wider community in the zen practice path through daily zazen (meditation) practice, ritual, ceremony, study, and the student-teacher relationship with an authorized zen teacher.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 96% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
208452673
IRS 990 coverage
2011–2024
Official website data refreshed
Jun 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
New York, NY, USA
Phone
2126771087
Rating
84
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Hospices
Affiliation
Buddhism

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$2,531,641
Expenses
$2,276,478
Assets
$1,375,591
Liabilities
$742,983

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 77
  • Transparency & Controls: 94
  • Accountability: 90
  • Sustainability: 40
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 77.7%; rating input score 78
  • Program expense ratio: 86.4%; rating input score 86
  • Fundraising efficiency: $11.5 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 42; 42nd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 81.8%; rating input score 82; 15th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 10.1%; rating input score 62; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.6; rating input score 22; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.54; rating input score 19; 19th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 18%; rating input score 14; 14th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 11.9% per year; rating input score 100; 70th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 11.3% per year; rating input score 100; 73rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 13.2% per year; rating input score 100; 69th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 2 programs and campaigns described on the official site
  • Where the money goes: 77.7% of revenue deployed · 86.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 9 of 11 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $2M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $139K · 12 people listed
  • Consistency: 30 of 30 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
  • Filing history: 13 annual filings from 2011 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 3 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 42/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 22/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 14/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 19/100.

Leadership & pay

12 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • KOSHIN PALEY ELLISON (DIRECTOR - GUIDING TEACHER): $139,124 total reported compensation
  • ROBERT CHODO CAMPBELL (DIRECTOR - GUIDING TEACHER): $139,124 total reported compensation
  • DAVID IOZZI (EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT): $132,378 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024.