Dear Shambhala Friend,
We hope you are safe and healthy during this time of major cultural transformation. We believe this time can be an opportunity to relate to these energetic and societal forces with open hearts, so we can evolve and move forward as a community in unprecedented ways.
As the world grapples with painful but needed change, many shifts in our community are also underway. We are are engaging in new ways of online gathering that are crossing cultural and geographical divides and powerfully connecting us as a global sangha; we are offering trainings in Right Use of Power for all leadership and members; a reparative process for the entire community is being explored; updated Codes of Conduct will soon be implemented, including a policy on Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Discrimination; the Shambhala Board is offering grants that will focus on initiatives of diversity and inclusion; financial support is being offered to local Centres and Groups who need it; and the Shambhala Process Team has introduced over 5% of Shambhala members to new and powerful ways of being together through the principles of Theory U.
While we still have much to learn and do, so many worthy initiatives are coming to fruition, and we are encouraged to keep going, to move forward, to not stop until our community even more fully embodies the principles of inclusivity, kindness, and deep care. These principles are at the core of our teachings and are why Shambhala is important to us.
For all the ways that Shambhala has been a valuable and meaningful part of your life – and to help us continue to become and even more kind and awakened community – please consider becoming a Lotus Donor and contributing $42 or more monthly to support Shambhala Global Services, for an annual total of $500 or more.
For each new Lotus Donor in 2020, another $500 USD will be offered to Shambhala Global Services from a matching grant (up to $100,000 USD)! Please join the over 100 people who have already become Lotus Donors in 2020 by contacting Shambhala Development Director Faradee Rudy at faradee.rudy@shambhala.org and she can take care of setting up your monthly donation.
Recurring gifts in any amount and one time gifts of any amount also make a big difference. Please offer whatever you can!
We recognize that some of our community members are being economically impacted by societal and pandemic upheaval, but for those who can, we do hope you will consider becoming a Lotus Donor or making a one-time gift to support our ongoing growth and evolution.
We still have much work and learning to do and the road is long and filled with obstacles, but we can do it. So let’s do it. Together.
With our warmest regards and gratitude,
The Shambhala Board:
Veronika Bauer
Mark Blumenfeld
Phil Cass
John Cobb
Susan Engel
Lilly Gleich
Peter Nowak
Tai Pimputkar
Susan Ryan
Paulina Varas
Contact Us: You can contact us at board@shambhala.org.
Why Ongoing Fundraising Is So Important
We are aware that some people are questioning the need for fundraising in light of the sale of Marpa House in 2019 – a residential community house in Boulder, Colorado. You can click here for an explanation of why fundraising for Shambhala remains vitally important to its financial health and longevity.
We also recognize that talking about fundraising continues to be challenging. We are all thinking about our future and how we will evolve as a lineage and community, and are in the groundless space of that unknown. As people who are still members of the community at this time, we can join together to give generously so that the core components of our community can continue to function through this period until we can collectively discover new leadership structures and processes and ways of being together.
In spite of the very real challenges and differences of view in our community at this time, we can feel a sense of confidence that Shambhala does have something powerful and important to offer to the world – the teachings on basic goodness, warriorship, and a good and just society, as well as the nourishment and support of the Shambhala sangha that has been deeply meaningful to so many of us. No matter our point of view, these basic principles can be our common ground and are worthy of support.
—-
How are Donations Used?
Your donations support the Shambhala community and Center and Member Services, as coordinated by Shambhala Global Services, which 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.
—-
Financial Reports
For information about finances, please click here to view Shambhala financial reports. (You may need to sign in to the members page and then click on the “Members” tab, then “Finance Report to the Shambhala Community”)