Dear Friends,
Greetings from the Buddhist Studies Institute! I hope this message finds you in good health and spirit.
I am writing to you today to share some exciting news and ask for your support in this year’s fundraising drive. As you may know, Buddhist Studies Institute is a 501c3 nonprofit.
Pema Khandro, the staff, and many volunteers have been working now for over 20 years to create a comprehensive program of education and training for people like you in the rare and precious tradition of the Ngakpa (non-renunciate) Buddhist teachings.
It’s been an enormous success. Thousands of classes, trainings and retreats have been given. Rare Buddhist texts have been translated and practices have been kept alive. Many lives have been touched and a vigorous schedule of teaching and training continues.
Pema Khandro remains a dynamic and courageous Buddhist leader. Her focus is helping busy people in modern life have a profound grasp and practice of the most advanced Buddhist teachings while maintaining family, job, and relationships.
Pema Khandro is dedicated to forging ahead, nurturing gender equality in Buddhism, increasing respect for diversity, supporting the emergence and flourishing of female leaders, students and teachers and other cutting-edge progressions.
Of course, there are challenges we have been victorious with as well.
Running a modern organization requires a complex digital infrastructure including numerous software platforms working together in synchronization. There is no one out-of-the-box system that satisfies the need. The current system is seriously inefficient and requires much extra work and stress on staff to hold it together. This area, behind the scenes, has been greatly limiting what can be accomplished and it has been exhausting the staff.
The exciting news is that due to a great deal of groundwork, a comprehensive digital upgrade is on the horizon. This upgrade will make all aspects of the organization flow much more smoothly, allowing more people to easily benefit from the offerings of the Buddhist Studies Institute and more resources will become available to expand the current services. The expense of this upgrade is significant.
Many other expenses of running the organization are ongoing and only continue because of individual donations.
As often said, the tuition for BSI classes and training do not cover the full cost because of our policy of not turning away those who cannot afford courses. Fundraising is the means to close that gap.
To fund the software upgrade and meet the other ongoing expenses, $50,000 is needed by the end of 2023.
This is where you come in. You are invited to join this mission of making these Buddhist teachings accessible by making a generous donation.
By supporting the general fund, you are enabling the leadership of the Buddhist Studies Institute, Pema Khandro, and the Governing Board to allocate resources where they are most needed and respond to emerging needs and opportunities.
To make a donation, you can click the donate button below or mail your check to the address listed below. No amount is too small or too large. Every gift counts and makes a difference.
As a token of appreciation, you, a cause you hold dear, or your loved ones in need, will be included in the Dedication of Merit that will take place at the annual celebration of Losar (the Tibetan new year) which will happen in February. This dedication will be made by Pema Khandro herself on behalf of all of those who donated. This is a great way to spread the blessings and to practice one of the essential Buddhist teachings – dedicating the merit of your good actions to others.
You can easily include your dedication of merit request with your online donation or include a note naming those to whom you wish the dedication to be made with your mailed donation.
On behalf of Pema Khandro, the staff, the volunteers and all our members, students and friends, I thank you for your consideration, generosity, partnership and friendship. Together, we can make a difference.
