The Shambhala Board

Dear Shambhala Community –

The Shambhala Board intends to utilize a portion of the proceeds received from the sale of Marpa House to strengthen community and support new initiatives proposed by sangha members. Our vision is to invest seed money into projects that provide a positive contribution to regional or local development and the mandala as a whole. These grants will be made available to Centres, Groups, and other Shambhala affiliated groups and organizations.

With this process the Board wishes to offer resources for investment rather than subsidies for operating costs. The purpose is to inspire community creativity, ideas and engagement for the long-run success of Shambhala. After the projects are chosen, we will announce the initiatives to the community and continue to follow their progress.

The Scope and Amount of the Grants

We encourage applications for projects that include multiple Centers and/or Groups working collaboratively together. Additionally, we encourage applicants to enhance their application with co-funding from other sources; such as matching funds from the entity sending in the application (Center, Group, etc…), from individuals, or by a specific fundraising strategy among other constituents. Co-funding from other sources will increase the likelihood of funding as it demonstrates broad support for an initiative.

We have set aside the amount of $400,000 USD to fund accepted applications. We are open to requests with budgets of all sizes. A measurable outcome and reaching defined milestones within 3-9 months are a prerequisite for funding.

The Grant Guidelines

In applying for a grant, please refer to the following guidelines:

1. The grant will lead to greater community harmony and / or engagement;
2. The grant will increase the scope of Center, Group, or overall mandala activities and result in higher membership, greater member involvement, community outreach, and/or attract more financial support;
3. If the grant is for operational support, the project outcomes will lead to greater long term financial sustainability;
4. If the grant is for training or curriculum development, it will respond to a community need, and can be replicated for other Centers, Groups, and affiliated organizations; and/or
5. The grant will allow the Center, Group, or mandala affiliated organization to partner with a significant number of local community members and/or a local community group(s).

It is essential for us to understand the objective of the application from the ground, path, and fruition point of view. We will want to know how the proposal was developed locally and how it will have a positive impact on the mandala as a whole. In the same way, the practical aspects need to be clearly presented: the objectives, the needs, milestones, possible risks and obstacles, the timeline, the people and resources involved and the accompanying financials. There needs to be an identifiable person and contact information for the responsible person(s) in charge of the grant.

The timeline of the suggested project is requested to be 6-24 months.

How and When to Apply

To present an initiative and ask for funds, please download the template and e-mail your application to grants@shambhala.org. You can add more materials to support the application if you wish. If you intend to apply for a grant, please submit your application by January 5, 2020. It is helpful to let us know at any time that you intend to apply and are working to complete the grant at grants@shambhala.org. Please also send any questions you may have to this address.

We anticipate having short online oral presentations for every application received before making a decision.

It is our intention to make these grants within a thirty to ninety day period. Dependent on the outcome of this initiative, we may institute a second round of applications.

If your initiative is funded, please keep in touch!

When receiving a grant or a loan, you will need to keep us informed about the progress of the initiative. A grant may be subject to particular conditions. Grant recipients will be required to complete a quarterly report using a template and instructions provided by the Board. Reports will include an update on progress, milestones budget and a request for release of granted funds for the upcoming quarter. Please understand that we reserve the right to revoke all or parts of a grant or loan if a project deviates too much from the course the funds were given to, it is not getting started, or if satisfactory reporting is not received.

We are excited to be able to initiate this process and are looking forward to applications.

Sincerely,

The Shambhala Board

Veronika Bauer
Mark Blumenfeld
John Cobb
Jennifer Crow
Susan Ryan
Paulina Varas

To the Shambhala Community —

As the year comes to a close, we are writing today to update you on several important initiatives that the Board has been working on. The topics in the letter include updates on proceeding with recommendations to changes to our current code of conduct, an update on the Flynn Group investigation, information on the Shambhala Community Grant program, information on applying or nominating someone to be a member of the Shambhala Board and an important new Shambhala Global Services (SGS) hire.

Shambhala Board Decisions:

• Initiated a Shambhala Community Fund grants program.
• Established the Board Advisory Nominating Group to solicit and select nominations for the Shambhala Board of Directors.
• Accepted the draft Code of Conduct received from the Process Team Code of Conduct Task Force as the working basis for moving forward towards a new code of conduct for Shambhala.
• Appointed the Process Team Care and Conduct Task Force, a subcommittee of the Board for a period of a year, as a working group to implement the new Code of Conduct.
• Assisted Shambhala Mountain Center in managing a cashflow shortfall by providing a short-term loan of $150,000.
• Began a campaign to support bequests to Shambhala and to hire a part-time employee in the Shambhala Development office to focus on bequests and grants from estates.
• Hired Melanie Klein as the Shambhala Global Services Operations Director.
• Promoted John Shaw, former Donor Relations to the position of Donor Relations and Centre Transfer Coordinator.
• Approved an operating budget for 2020.

Board Advisory Nominating Group

Effective October 17, the Shambhala Board was given the authority to replace its members, an authority that the Interim Board did not have. In this regard, the Board is pleased to announce that we have established the Board Advisory Nominating Group and had its initial meetings. The purpose of this group is to seek, vet and present candidates to the Board for approval as Board Directors. The group is now beginning the application and nominating process.  As with the Transition Task Force process, community members will be able to nominate candidates for the Board ensuring that they intend to apply.

The application process will be open until January 15, 2020.  Please find the link to the job description here and find the link to the application and nomination document here. If you feel you have strong professional experience to contribute, a strong personal practice and the heart to be of service to our community, please apply.

The Board Advisory Nominating Group members currently include: Gabe Dayley, Christine Heming, Patricia Anderson, John Cobb and Susan Ryan.  You can contact the group at boardnominations@shambhala.org.

Care and Conduct

Code of Conduct:  The Board received the draft Code of Conduct from the Process Team Care and Conduct Task Force and in consultation with them, the Care and Conduct panel and other advisors has accepted this draft as the working basis for moving forward. The Board recognizes and is grateful for the immense amount of work and dedication of the Process Team Task Force in producing this comprehensive draft. The Board has appointed the Process Team Care and Conduct Task Force, a working sub-committee of the Board called the Code of Conduct Support Group (CCSG) to develop and implement a roll out plan for this major initiative which will involve the entire the entire community. We anticipate that the roll out will be in stages and require significant feedback, training, education, resources,  and infrastructure. Members of the CCSG are: Jim Fladmark, Claudia Arnau, Greg Lubkin, Kristine McCutcheon, Jan-Frans Sturm and Susie Vincent.

This Code of Conduct draft includes a general Code of Conduct together with specific policies covering:

• Child Protection
• Policy to Address Sexual Misconduct
• Conduct of Those Holding Positions of Authority
• Anti-discrimination Policy

Once a roll out plan has been drafted by the CCSG and reviewed by the Board, we will be announcing specific ways for the community to be involved.

Child Abuse Investigation: As we previously reported, the Board initiated an independent investigation in response to allegations of child abuse in 1998 involving a Shambhala member. The Board hired Employment Matters LLC Flynn Investigation Group to investigate how Shambhala handled its involvement in events surrounding the allegations leading to the recent arrest of Michael Smith, a former Shambhala member. The Flynn Group reviewed records, interviewed over 20 people and submitted its findings to the Board at the end of October. The key investigative findings in the particular case were that:

• The case was reported to the police at the time and the parents decided for various reasons not to pursue the matter in the criminal process;
• Shambhala did not in any way pressure the parents of the minor not to bring charges, either civil or criminal, against the alleged perpetrator;
• There was a second alleged incident involving the same perpetrator at Karmê Chöling. Flynn Group was unable to follow up on the claim as the alleged victim would not come forward and respect for her confidentiality foreclosed any further investigation. If it occurred, it would have occurred prior to the 1998 Boulder incident.

The Flynn Report suggested several areas needing attention, including:

• Training in, and knowledge of mandatory reporting requirements to authorities where children are concerned.
• Clear and documented decisions as to when, how, and where intervention is appropriate.
• An effective database (that is confidential and protective of rights) that can be referred to by Shambhala leadership, including the Dorje Kasung, to ascertain repeat offenders or a pattern of behavior.
• When spontaneous interventions are necessary, afterward they should be reported to supervisors, documented and debriefed.
• Practical limits on intervention in cases beyond the expertise, responsibility, or  jurisdiction of the Shambhala leadership, which will require a well-known referral process.
• A sensitivity to any tendency to rationalize harmful behavior by using non-conventional justifications or solutions.

The Board will work with CCSG to insure that the Code of Conduct and its implementation, in particular the child protection policy, addresses the above issues.

The Board wishes to thank the many Shambhala members who responded to the Flynn Group and provided helpful information.

Director of Community Care and Conduct: The Board, working with representatives from the Process Team Care and Conduct Task Force and the Care and Conduct panel have concluded candidate interviews and are currently in discussion with finalists for the position.

Shambhala Online Course available for Shambhala Members:  We encourage members to consider registering either as individuals or groups for the highly praised Sexual Harm, Trauma and The  Healing Journey course with Robert Wright, Acharya Noel McLellan and Basia Solarz. The course is available at no charge to Shambhala members thanks to the generosity of donors supporting the community work in Care and Conduct.

Shambhala Community Fund Grants

 As mentioned in the Q3 Financial Report, the Board has set aside a protected fund of $400,000 from the Marpa House proceeds to fund proposals from Shambhala centers and groups intended to benefit Shambhala communities. The specifics of a grant proposal process for projects and the application is posted on our website here.  Applications are open until January 5, 2020.

The intention of the grant is to fund efforts that will promote community harmony and health, greater member involvement, or community outreach, increased membership and lead to greater community engagement. We encourage you and your community to begin conversations around  the prospect of creating a proposal for submission. We plan to award the initially accepted proposals by this coming Shambhala Day.

Shambhala Global Services Budget 2020

The Board has approved an operating budget for calendar year 2020. We will be sharing this budget and its goals and objectives with leadership over the next month, and it will be discussed in our year end financial report which we hope to deliver to the community by the end of January 2020.

New Shambhala Global Services (SGS) Director of Operations

We are very pleased to announce that Melanie Klein has been offered and has accepted the new position as SGS Director of Operations.  In this capacity, Ms. Klein will oversee the administration, programs and operations of SGS and work closely with the Shambhala Board to develop and implement SGS operational mission and goals. Other duties include oversight of financial, fundraising, programming, communications, and community care staff. The position reports directly to the Shambhala Board of Directors. Ms. Klein will transition from her current role as Director of the Boulder Shambhala Center to her new role with SGS early next year. We are delighted to have her, and look forward to her bringing her deep experience in business and dharma administration to our work going forward.

Administrative

Information Technology: We have asked the Shambhala IT group under the leadership of Cynthia McKay and John D. Smith to present project plans to do long delayed maintenance and modernization of the Shambhala Database (SDB), the web sites and related systems. Details will be included in the 2020 budget presented with the end of the year financial report.

Appointments and Departures

• Orange County, CA – James Murphy Group Coordinator succeeding Sepideh Tabai
• Shambhala Global Services: John Shaw, new staffing position of Donor Relations and Centre Transfers Coordinator
• Stuttgart, Germany – Disbanding as a Shambhala Group
• Truro, NS –  Disbanding as a Shambhala Centre
• Vancouver, BC – Rolf Erni stepping down as Shambhala Center Director

Please continue to communicate with us at board@shambhala.org.

All best wishes,

The Shambhala Board

Veronika Bauer
Mark Blumenfeld
John Cobb
Jen Crow
Susan Ryan
Paulina Varas

Dear Shambhala Community –

The Shambhala Global Services third quarter financial report is now available here on the Shambhala website.

You will find that our balance sheet now reflects the receipt of the Marpa House funds and the elimination of our loan liabilities. Revenue and expense lines are close to budget and in line with our previous quarter.

We will provide a full update of our recent activities in our November community letter later this month.

Sincerely,

The Shambhala Board
Veronika Bauer
Mark Blumenfeld
John Cobb
Jen Crow
Susan Ryan
Paulina Varas

Dear Shambhala Friend,

We did it! We have now met and exceeded our goal of raising $90,000!

Meeting this 90k challenge means that Shambhala can continue to develop a culture of community care, including hiring an experienced and qualified Director of Community Care and Conduct and offering trainings that will help our community both prevent harm and respond to people who have been harmed with greater understanding, integrity, professionalism, and deep care. You can click here for a full overview of the Care and Conduct initiative.

We would again like to thank Ann Cason and Jack Bodner of Portland Shambhala Center for their very generous $90,000 gift that allowed this 90k challenge fundraiser campaign to happen.

We would also like to thank Dorje Kasung Leadership who offered a generous gift from the Dorje Kasung Endowment to support care and conduct activities.

It is important to also extend our thanks to the Shambhala Trust and European Donor Group who made significant contributions in support of the care and conduct initiative in recent weeks.

Furthermore, we would like to thank the Davis, Melbourne, Minneapolis, Open Sky Eugene, Seattle, and St John’s Newfoundland Shambhala Centres for their generous one time gifts in support of the care and conduct project.

And we would also like to thank the many Jewel Patrons who went above and beyond their annual commitment of giving $1,000 to support the centre of the mandala and made one time gifts in support of Care and Conduct work in Shambhala.

But most of all, we would like to thank all of you, dedicated and caring members of our community, who have generously offered what you can in support of this campaign and the important care and conduct work that needs to be further developed in our community. You are the reason the Shambhala community is still alive, evolving, and filled with such good heart. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all your generosity – in so many ways.

If your would like to donate to support this important work but have not yet had the chance, we invite you to do so now.

Click Here to Donate
In the Vision of Basic Goodness,

The Shambhala Board
Veronika Bauer
Mark Blumenfeld
John Cobb
Jen Crow
Susan Ryan
Paulina Varas

Financial Reports
For information about the finances of Shambhala and to view finance reports from the Interim Board, please click here. (You may need to sign in to the members page and then click on the “Members” link, then “Finance”, and then “Financial Reports”.)

Dear Shambhala Friend,
We are very close to meeting our 90k challenge gift goal!
Meeting this 90k challenge goal will support Shambhala in further developing a culture of community care, including hiring an experienced and qualified Director of Community Care and Conduct.
At this point, we have raised just over $70,000 USD. If the rest of us in the global Shambhala community can collectively offer another $20,000 USD, we can meet the goal and show our support of this very important initiative.
The Director of Community Care and Conduct would be tasked with immediately implementing specific initiatives, such as: trainings on working with harm for Shambhala teachers and office holders, designing an effective reporting structure for instances of harm, standard vetting and background checks of teachers and office holders, and developing restorative justice processes for the community. You can click here for a full overview of the Care and Conduct initiative.
We know that it is a financially challenging time for many Centres, Groups, and Land Centres in Shambhala. However, we believe it is vitally important to ask the community to support this important project as it serves the entire sangha and furthers our wish to respond to people who have been harmed in our community – with training, experience, integrity, professionalism, and deep care.
The best way to support the Community Care and Conduct initiative is to start or increase a recurring monthly donation. New monthly donations or monthly donation increases in the amount of 10, 25, or 50 will make a huge difference in meeting this goal and supporting the Shambhala Care and Conduct Project.
The total annual amount in 2019 of any recurring monthly donation you start today (or increase!) will be included in the $90,000 USD goal.
If a recurring monthly donation is not possible for you, please consider a one-time gift, even if you have already made a donation in 2019. Whatever the amount, it makes such a difference in helping us meet our challenge goal of $90,000 USD.

Click Here to Donate

We would also like to remind you about the previous group of committed donors and patrons who have come together to offer a $100,000 USD matching grant to encourage people in our community to become Jewel Patrons – someone who commits to a donation of 1,000 or more annually (approximately 85 monthly) and in an ongoing way every year to support Shambhala.

This means that if you become a Jewel Patron in 2019, an additional one time gift of 1,000 will be offered – up to $100,000 USD. 86 new Jewel Patrons have already made this commitment this year, so if only 14 more people step forward to become Jewel Patrons, we will meet our goal of 100 new Jewel Patrons in 2019! To become a Jewel Patron or learn more, please contact Development Director Faradee Rudy directly at faradee.rudy@shambhala.org.

Thank you for your ongoing and steady support of Shambhala.
With warmth and deep appreciation,
The Shambhala Board
Veronika Bauer
Mark Blumenfeld
Martina Bouey
John Cobb
Jen Crow
Sara Lewis
Susan Ryan
Paulina Varas

We recognize that for some this is a very sensitive time for fundraising in light of the recent sale of Marpa House – a residential community house in Boulder, Colorado. However, we feel it is important to continue the 90k challenge campaign for the following reasons:

• We want to honor the 90k challenge gift that was so generously donated and properly finish this campaign.
• Proceeds from the sale of Marpa House have been used to pay off the organization’s outstanding debt, and a portion of the remainder will be invested into an endowment fund with the rest assigned to a reserve fund for special projects. It is the Interim Board’s intention that the proceeds of this sale not be used to cover operational shortfalls in the organization’s annual budget, but rather be used for special projects that will best contribute to the healing and strength of the community and its future. Understanding what these projects and initiatives might be will require more time for the Board, the Process Team, and the community to determine. Therefore, fundraising still remains a critical component in Shambhala’s annual revenue and it is more important than ever that Shambhala takes advantage of this more firm financial footing to adopt as responsible fiduciary practices as possible.
• The successful completion of the 90k challenge campaign will mean we are well positioned to hire a Director of Community Care & Conduct – a position critical to important cultural shifts related to how we as a community work with caring for people who have been harmed when there has been misconduct.

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How are Donations Used?
Donations support the Shambhala community and Center and Member Services, as coordinated by Shambhala Global Services SGS). SGS provides all the critical infrastructure, support, and resources on which centers, groups, and members worldwide rely.
You can click here to view a comprehensive overview of Shambhala Global Services.
In Europe, Shambhala Europe (SE) is the first contact point that provides this support and is the focus of fundraising efforts. SE works together with Shambhala Global Services in North America and shares the responsibility of providing these services.

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Financial Reports
For information about the finances of Shambhala and to view finance reports from the Interim Board, please click here. (You may need to sign in to the members page and then click on the “Members” link, then “Finance”, and then “Financial Reports”.)

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The Process Team
The Process Team is a global group that has stepped forward with longing to help us discover how Shambhala can continue forward movement and become stronger. They will lead the global Shambhala community in an exploration of what is necessary to reveal fresh relevance and needed changes.
You can click here to view The Process Team website.

Dear Shambhala Community member,

We hope that many of you had the chance to enjoy Harvest of Peace.  We want you to be aware of some of our recent activities in advance of our next longer update.

Please note that we have extended the application deadline to October 21 for the two open full-time roles at Shambhala Global Services: the Director of Operations, and the Director of Community Care and Conduct. To access those job descriptions, please click here.

Shambhala Board Decisions:

• To hire a Director of Operations to provide greater administrative and organizational cohesion and strength for Shambhala Global Services and relieve  the Board of much of the administrative functions it has been performing on almost a daily basis for the last year.  Please click here to access the job description.  We welcome all applications and will begin our application review process October 21.

• To create a grant application process for new Shambhala initiatives for which centers can apply.  Limited funds from the Marpa House sale will be available.  More detailed information will be available in our next update.

• To set aside $1.25 million from the Marpa House proceeds as a Shambhala endowment to give the organization greater stability.  Further information on Shambhala financial issues will be forthcoming in our next update.

• To create a Board Nominating Advisory Group to oversee the application process for Shambhala Board candidates to present to the Board.  This committee set up is now getting started.

• To allocate $4,200 to Shambhala Online to offset costs of the course, Sexual Harm, Trauma and the Healing Journey, so that all Shambhala community members can attend free of charge or by donation.  To learn more about this program or to register, please click here. Use code WKCNHK to register for free.

• To undertake a comprehensive review of our insurance coverages and, as part thereof, to have the Finance Office initiate a survey of all North American centers so that we have a current and comprehensive audit of real estate ownership and leases for financial management and insurance purposes.

September 22 Webinar Video Available

On September 22, the Shambhala Board of Directors held a webinar with Shambhala leaders.  We covered our August meeting with Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, the new Shambhala Board authority, the newly posted positions – Director of Operations and the Director of Community Care and Conduct, Shambhala’s financial condition, the Marpa House sale and use of proceeds, care and conduct work, the nominating committee and search for new Board directors, and our work with the Process Team.  Please click here to view the video. 

Care and Conduct

Code of Conduct
The Board is pleased to have received a draft from the Code of Conduct Task Force–a group comprised of Process Team members and members of the Care and Conduct Panel. We met with the group and are developing a plan to move ahead with ratifying a new code and seeking community input. While this work is underway, the current care and conduct policy is still in effect. To access the policy and to view the expanded Care and Conduct Panel, please click here.

The work on the new Code of Conduct will be directly informed by what we have learned from the recent survey on care and conduct. We received around 3,000 responses to this survey, the results of which will take some time to properly analyze. To view a preliminary analysis of this work, please click here and access the document called “Care and Conduct Preliminary Survey Analysis.”

Child Abuse Investigation
The firm the board hired to investigate how Shambhala handled its knowledge of child sexual abuse cases in the 1990s is drawing to a close. We will soon receive a comprehensive report from the investigators who have conducted interviews with current and former Shambhala community members. This report will be helpful in refining the draft policies we received from the Code of Conduct Task Force, which we were pleased to see included a designated child protection policy.

Director of Community Care and Conduct
The search for a Director of Community Care and Conduct is currently underway. We seek a broad and diverse pool of applicants and are still accepting applications until October 21.  Please click here to access the job description.

Appointments and Departures

Two Shambhala Board members will retire at the one-year anniversary of their terms on October 16.  Sara Lewis and Martina Bouey have been very involved and dedicated Board members who will be deeply missed.  Dr. Lewis is a full-time professor at Naropa University in the Contemplative Psychotherapy and Buddhist Psychology program and Ms. Bouey has joined the City of Oakland, CA government as a project manager.  Both are leaving the Board to focus on their careers.

Dr. Lewis has spearheaded the Care and Conduct initiatives of the Board that encompass An Olive Branch, revised Code of Conduct, the new Community Care and Conduct position, expanding the Care and Conduct panel, creating a new appeals process for care and conduct issues, overseeing the child abuse investigation, interfacing with the Process Team, serving as liaison to the Dorje Kasung, as well as many other general Board issues.

Ms. Bouey has chaired the Government Committee of the Board, interfacing with all Shambhala staff and working with the Pillar of Government on center and policy issues.  She has also worked with Kalapa Publications and Shambhala Online.  She has been very involved with financial committee issues, including the Marpa House sale.

Both Dr. Lewis and Ms. Bouey have been such spirited, direct and skillful colleagues as well as great friends.  Their contributions have been very significant to the work of the Board and the community. We appreciate all that they have done and wish them every success with their careers.

• Albuquerque, NM:  Lou Keniley, Shambhala Center Director succeeding Karin Williams

• Denver, CO: Laurie Lavine and Amy Turino Shambhala Center Interim Co-Directors

• Flagstaff, AZ: Disbanding as a Shambhala Group

• Halifax. N.S.: Meg Vigerstad, Interim Shambhala Centre Executive Director and Aimee Silver, Interim Shambhala Centre Administrative Director, succeeding Kathryn Heckman, Shambhala Centre Interim Director.

• Milwaukee, WI: Jessica Bizub resigning as Shambhala Center Director.

• Portland, OR: Rayna Jacobson retiring as Shastri.

• Shambhala Global Services: David MacLellan has been promoted to Director of Finance; he was previously a Finance Officer.

• Shastri Council: Steve Gleich Chair of the Shastri Council succeeding Janet Solyntjes.

• Washington, DC:  Gabe Dayley stepping down as Shambhala Center Director after completing a three-year term.

 Please continue to communicate with us at board@shambhala.org.

All best wishes,

The Board of Shambhala
Veronika Bauer
Mark Blumenfeld
Martina Bouey
John Cobb
Jen Crow
Sara Lewis
Susan Ryan
Paulina Varas