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:
- The grant will lead to greater community harmony and / or engagement;
- 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;
- If the grant is for operational support, the project outcomes will lead to greater long term financial sustainability;
- 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
- 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