Liabilities / Assets
96th percentile
Higher debt load relative to assets than 96% of similar nonprofits.
The Witness Institute
EIN 87-3123859 • 501(c)3 • Silver Spring, MD
Profile
The Witness Institute, founded by Rabbi Dr. Ariel Burger and Elisha Wiesel, is a project dedicated to continuing the work of Elie Wiesel. Its flagship program is a 15-month fellowship for emerging leaders..(Continued on Schedule O)
Siviq Scores
Precomputed percentiles relative to similar nonprofits. These scores are descriptive rather than judgmental.
2.57x
Liabilities / Revenue
89th percentile
Higher debt load relative to revenue than 89% of similar nonprofits.
Net Margin
14th percentile
Higher net margin than 14% of similar nonprofits.
Top Officer Pay
99th percentile
Higher top officer pay than 99% of similar nonprofits.
Top officer pay equals 61.0% of source-year revenue.
Asset Growth
15th percentile
Faster asset growth than 15% of similar nonprofits.
Revenue Growth
23rd percentile
Faster revenue growth than 23% of similar nonprofits.
Balance Sheet
Assets
Down$34,150
Down $92,930 (-73%) from 2023
Liabilities
Up$87,633
Up $78,812 (+893%) from 2023
Net Assets
Down-$53,483
Down $171,742 (-145%) from 2023
Revenue
Down$316,052
Down $197,124 (-38%) from 2023
Expenses
Down$487,795
Down $95,100 (-16%) from 2023
Net Income
Down-$171,743
Down $102,024 (-146%) from 2023
Trend Graphs
Filings
Most recent year
2024 • Form 990Detailed filing. Detailed filing data is available for this year.
- Assets
- $34,150
- Liabilities
- $87,633
- Net assets
- -$53,483
- Revenue
- $316,052
- Expenses
- $487,795
- Net income
- -$171,743
| Balance Sheet | Operations | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Assets | Liabilities | Net Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Net Income |
| 2024Detailed filing. Detailed filing data is available for this year. | $0.34 | $0.88 | $0.53 | $3.16 | $4.88 | $1.72 |
| 2023Detailed filing. Detailed filing data is available for this year. | $1.27 | $0.09 | $1.18 | $5.13 | $5.83 | $0.70 |
| 2022Detailed filing. Detailed filing data is available for this year. | $2.98 | $0.03 | $2.95 | $6.95 | $4.00 | $2.95 |
Latest Filing Detail
Jump To
Filing Snapshot
- Filing Period
- Jan 1, 2024 to Dec 31, 2024
- Signed
- Nov 12, 2025
- Return Version
- 2024v5.2
- Gross Receipts
- $316,052
Mission and Program Overview
Mission
The Witness Institute, founded by Rabbi Dr. Ariel Burger and Elisha Wiesel, works to foster a new movement of creative, powerful, and highly effective moral education. (Continued on Schedule O)
Balance Sheet Detail
| Line | Beginning | End | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assets | |||
| Accounts Receivable | $54,950 | $26,229 | ▼ $28,721 |
| Cash and Non-Interest-Bearing Accounts | $72,130 | $7,921 | ▼ $64,209 |
| Total Assets | $127,080 | $34,150 | ▼ $92,930 |
| Liabilities | |||
| Accounts Payable and Accrued Expenses | $8,821 | $87,633 | ▲ $78,812 |
| Total Liabilities | $8,821 | $87,633 | ▲ $78,812 |
| Net Assets / Fund Balance | |||
| Net Assets With Donor Restrictions | $85,000 | $44,000 | ▼ $41,000 |
| Net Assets Without Donor Restrictions | $33,259 | $-97,483 | ▼ $130,742 |
| Total Net Assets Fund Balance | $118,259 | $-53,483 | ▼ $171,742 |
| Total Liabilities and Net Assets / Fund Balance | $127,080 | $34,150 | ▼ $92,930 |
Compensation and Service Providers
Employees
| Name | Title | Full / Part Time | Base | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ariel Burger | Executive Director | FT | $106,616 | $86,243 | $106,616 |
Board Members and Trustees
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Elisha Wiesel | President |
| Todd Sukol | Vice President |
Revenue and Support
Revenue Composition
- Contributions and Grants
- $316,052
- Program Service Revenue
- $0
- Investment Income
- $0
- Other Revenue
- $0
- All Other Contributions
- $316,052
- Change in Net Assets
- $-171,743
Expenses and Functional Allocation
Major Expense Lines
| Line Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Salaries, Compensation, and Employee Benefits | $215,625 |
| Other Expenses | $135,874 |
| Grants and Similar Amounts Paid | $100,296 |
| Total Fundraising Expense | $72,200 |
| Professional Fundraising Fees | $36,000 |
Functional Expense Allocation
| Line Item | Program | Management | Fundraising | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current Officers, Directors, Trustees, and Key Employees | $140,000 | $8,750 | $26,250 | $175,000 |
| Grants to Domestic Individuals | $83,430 | - | - | $83,430 |
| Fees for Services Management | $28,800 | $3,600 | $3,600 | $36,000 |
| Fees for Services Professional Fundraising | - | - | $36,000 | $36,000 |
| Other Employee Benefits | $22,326 | $1,395 | $4,186 | $27,907 |
| Foreign Grants | $16,866 | - | - | $16,866 |
| Fees for Services Accounting | - | $13,601 | - | $13,601 |
| Payroll Taxes | $10,174 | $636 | $1,908 | $12,718 |
| Other Expenses | $9,523 | $2,519 | $36 | $12,078 |
| Total Functional Expenses | $369,618 | $45,977 | $72,200 | $487,795 |
International Activity
International Compliance
- Activity in boycott countries
- No
- Foreign corporation ownership
- No
- Foreign partnership interest
- No
- Interest in foreign trust
- No
- Passive foreign investment company interest
- No
- Transfers to foreign corporations
- No
Fundraising, Events, and Gaming
- Fundraising activities
- No
- Gaming activities
- No
- Professional fundraiser used
- Yes
Fundraising and Gaming Totals
| Line Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Professional Fundraising Fees | $36,000 |
Political and Lobbying Activity
- Political campaign activity
- No
- Lobbying activity
- No
- Subject to proxy tax
- No
Governance and Compliance
Governance Checklist
- Compiled or reviewed by an accountant
- Yes
- Annual disclosure for covered persons
- Yes
- Audit committee
- No
- Backup withholding compliance
- Yes
- Business relationship with 35% controlled entity
- No
- Business relationship with family members
- No
- Business relationship with organization members
- No
- Material changes to governing documents
- No
- Compensation from other sources disclosed
- No
- CEO compensation reviewed
- Yes
- Other officer compensation reviewed
- Yes
- Conflict-of-interest policy
- Yes
- Audited financial statements prepared
- No
- Key decisions subject to board approval
- No
- Management duties delegated
- No
Governance Explanations
Form 990 governing body review Part VI line 11
“The Copy of the 990 was provided to the governing Body for them to review prior to filing the form 990.”
Conflict of interest policy compliance Part VI line 12C
“The Board Monitors the organization regularly for conflicts and enforces compliance with the policy”
CEO executive director top management comp Part VI line 15A
“The board Recommends compensation level for the Key Employees and all compensation packages are reviewed and approved of by the board.”
Other officer or key employee compensation Part VI line 15B
“The compensation package for any and all key employees is reviewed by the board.”
Governing documents etc available to public Part VI line 19
“All documents are available to the public upon written request.”
Filing and Contact Details
Filer
- Filer Name
- The Witness Institute
- EIN
- 87-3123859
- In Care Of
- % Ariel Burger
- Phone
- 7812019898
- Address
- 11701 Fulham St, Silver Spring, MD 20902
Signing Officer
- Name
- Ariel Burger
- Title
- Executive Director
- Phone
- 7812019898
- Signed
- 2025-11-12
- Discuss with paid preparer
- No
Organization Details
- Formed
- 2022
- Legal Domicile
- Md
- Voting Board Members
- 3
- Independent Board Members
- 2
- Employees
- 1
Preparer
- Firm
- Simpson & Kirkman Tax
- Address
- PO Box 2095, New York, NY 10021
- Preparer
- Stacie Kirkman
- Phone
- 2015004318
Supplemental Narrative
Additional Explanations
General explanation attachment
“Part I-1 Continued: We do this through a unique set of methodologies which we make available through an intensive and selective 15-month Fellowship for emerging leaders, as well as through public offerings. Elie Wiesel taught us that the opposite of a witness is a spectator, someone who views the world and its suffering at a distance. A witness, by contrast, feels responsible and empowered to make a difference, in small and big ways, with commitment, compassion, and courage. Part III-1 Continued: We do this through a unique set of methodologies which we make available through an intensive and selective 15-month Fellowship for emerging leaders, as well as through public offerings. Elie Wiesel taught us that the opposite of a witness is a spectator, someone who views the world and its suffering at a distance. A witness, by contrast, feels responsible and empowered to make a difference, in small and big ways, with commitment, compassion, and courage. Part I-1 Contiuned How do we change and grow, how do we move from being spectators to becoming witnesses? All work responds to this critically important question. Drawing on Jewish wisdom, other world traditions, and contemporary methodologies, the Witness Institute is a laboratory for moral education. Our Witness Fellowship, consisting of ongoing monthly learning sessions, weekly conversations, two annual retreats, and summative projects, empowers leaders with high potential to influence their communities. Part 1-I Continued Through the Fellowship and our signature public learning programs, the Witness Institute is building an ever-expanding community of leaders to build a more moral world.”
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This appendix keeps the raw XML leaves available for debugging and edge-case review. The human report above is the primary experience.
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| IRS990ScheduleI/SupplementalInformationDetail/ExplanationTxt | 0 | These payments were stipends to the Fellows that participated in the Witness Fellowship Program. |
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| IRS990ScheduleO/SupplementalInformationDetail/ExplanationTxt | 0 | The Copy of the 990 was provided to the governing Body for them to review prior to filing the form 990. |
| IRS990ScheduleO/SupplementalInformationDetail/ExplanationTxt | 1 | The Board Monitors the organization regularly for conflicts and enforces compliance with the policy |
| IRS990ScheduleO/SupplementalInformationDetail/ExplanationTxt | 2 | The board Recommends compensation level for the Key Employees and all compensation packages are reviewed and approved of by the board. |
| IRS990ScheduleO/SupplementalInformationDetail/ExplanationTxt | 3 | The compensation package for any and all key employees is reviewed by the board. |
| IRS990ScheduleO/SupplementalInformationDetail/ExplanationTxt | 4 | All documents are available to the public upon written request. |
| IRS990ScheduleO/SupplementalInformationDetail/ExplanationTxt | 5 | Part I-1 Continued: We do this through a unique set of methodologies which we make available through an intensive and selective 15-month Fellowship for emerging leaders, as well as through public offerings. Elie Wiesel taught us that the opposite of a witness is a spectator, someone who views the world and its suffering at a distance. A witness, by contrast, feels responsible and empowered to make a difference, in small and big ways, with commitment, compassion, and courage. Part III-1 Continued: We do this through a unique set of methodologies which we make available through an intensive and selective 15-month Fellowship for emerging leaders, as well as through public offerings. Elie Wiesel taught us that the opposite of a witness is a spectator, someone who views the world and its suffering at a distance. A witness, by contrast, feels responsible and empowered to make a difference, in small and big ways, with commitment, compassion, and courage. Part I-1 Contiuned How do we change and grow, how do we move from being spectators to becoming witnesses? All work responds to this critically important question. Drawing on Jewish wisdom, other world traditions, and contemporary methodologies, the Witness Institute is a laboratory for moral education. Our Witness Fellowship, consisting of ongoing monthly learning sessions, weekly conversations, two annual retreats, and summative projects, empowers leaders with high potential to influence their communities. Part 1-I Continued Through the Fellowship and our signature public learning programs, the Witness Institute is building an ever-expanding community of leaders to build a more moral world. |
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| IRS990ScheduleO/SupplementalInformationDetail/FormAndLineReferenceDesc | 3 | Other officer or key employee compensation Part VI line 15b |
| IRS990ScheduleO/SupplementalInformationDetail/FormAndLineReferenceDesc | 4 | Governing documents etc available to public Part VI line 19 |
| IRS990ScheduleO/SupplementalInformationDetail/FormAndLineReferenceDesc | 5 | General explanation attachment |
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