Meridian Institute Will Suspend Operations

Meridian Institute announced today that we will begin winding down our operations and entering a transition phase to responsibly conclude or, where possible, transfer our projects to other institutions. Facing a financial crisis due to the shrinking of our pipeline and the current funding environment for US non-profits, our goal is to wind down operations with respect and diligence.

“Unfortunately, like so many in the public sector, we have been significantly affected by recent shifts in policy and their broader impact on the funding landscape, combined with an already-challenging financial picture,” said Board Chair, Kevin Cavanaugh. “While our passion for the work tells us to fight on, the reality is that we’re out of runway. We are deeply sorry for the disruption this may cause our partners and staff, and we will work diligently in the coming weeks to wrap up our operations responsibly, while caring for our team.”

As a mission-driven, nonprofit consultancy, Meridian was founded in 1997 and has played a critical role helping our clients and partners take action to address complex problems–from climate and food systems to disaster risk reduction, resilience, public health, and more. Meridian has done important work as a trusted convenor, strategic thought partner, fiscal sponsor, and catalyst for powerful impact.

We are deeply grateful to our dedicated community of staff, affiliates, senior fellows, funders, and partners. We want to thank you for your commitment and partnership over the last 28 years. Together, we have achieved so much.

Over the next four months, Meridian will wind down its operations and transition existing work in several ways:

• Regrettably, we will be laying off the majority of our staff. We are seeking bridge funds to support the transition. Laurie Ristino, Meridian’s General Counsel, has been appointed by the Board of Directors to manage the organization’s affairs during the wind down.
• We will wrap up our existing and pending contracts, as well as our financial obligations. And we will work with our philanthropic partners to ensure we steward our remaining resources with integrity.
• We are exploring options for transferring some of our initiatives to other organizations. These options are being assessed and will be pursued to the extent that they are feasible and beneficial to our partners.
• Any organization we currently act as a fiscal sponsor for will be transitioned to another sponsor, collaboratively and thoughtfully in the coming months.
• We are planning to complete the wind down process by the end of September.

“Closing our doors is gutting,” said Ristino. “We are enormously proud of the impact Meridian Institute has had over the last 28 years, and we are awed by the talent and passion of our staff. This team includes some of the nation’s finest conflict resolution professionals, all of whom have worked tirelessly for our partners and have bright futures ahead.”

Ristino and Cavanaugh described this moment as a “wake-up call” for the social sector and the foundations that support them, “one we wish hadn’t come to pass,” but that reflects the gravity of threats to US non-profits and advocacy organizations at this moment. Unrestricted funding can provide an important lifeline for organizations struggling in the current funding environment.

We will be guiding our partners through the necessary next steps, and we will continue to update all stakeholders as this situation evolves. We have created an email address, transition@merid.org, where questions can be answered as quickly as possible. Media requests can be directed to Samantha Langdorf at slangdorf@merid.org.

While we are closing this chapter, the values Meridian has stood for and the communities we’ve impacted will continue to ripple outward in ways we may never fully see. We are deeply proud of the legacy we leave behind.