Expanding the Services Provided By Shambhala

The President of Shambhala has compiled a comprehensive list of the many programs, initiatives and services that people at all levels of the mandala have requested. These come out of discussions at the Shambhala Congresses, meetings of the Sakyong’s Council and Mandala Council and the many discussions he has had with individuals throughout our mandala. The full list will go to the Sakyong’s Council for a discussion on priorities. Connie Brock, the Shambhala Treasurer, has prepared this short summary based on the full list.

 

1. Offering a clear path:

Gathering and presenting the potency of our unique teachings

 

  • A Clear Path. The Sakyong has asked us to gather the potency of our teachings into a unified, clear path of practice and study that fully expresses our unique heritage- from the beginning of the path up to the Scorpion Seal retreat.  This will involve developing new programming under his guidance, conducting pilots, consulting with teachers, MI’s and centre leaders, training teachers and MI’s, preparing for the rollout, creating publicity materials, providing general support during the implementation, providing special support for small groups.  Costs include additional staff, travel and meeting expenses, and materials.
  • Shambhala Online project. This is a project to enable people to receive high quality dharma teachings in real-time using video conferencing over the Internet.  Costs include teacher support, staff support, technology and equipment.
  • Kasung Support.  Administrative staff to help coordinate global activities, staffing of international programs

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2. Building a supportive community:

Providing the human services that support people

on their path & in their lives

  • Community Care Council. Provide staff support to this group of dedicated volunteers to enable them to work more effectively.
  • Help line.  Staff to answer calls and respond to email, helping people navigate the web to find information, put them in touch with folks working on “best organizing practices”, help them navigate communication channels that some callers may otherwise feel daunted by, and provide a welcoming, responsive threshold for people in need of information or guidance.
  • Support to centres and groups. Staff to liaise with Shambhala Centres and continue to aid them with a multitude of best practices on topics such as membership, diversity, accessibility and publicity, and so on.
  • New website and communication services support.   Further development and support of shambhala.org, and centre templates, completion of the implementation of the Shambhala Database and its ongoing maintenance and support.  Includes such things as a digital Shambhala News Magazine, Digital Teaching Library, and Centre Newsletter.

 

3. Strengthening our worldwide mandala:

Supporting our global, multi-racial & multi-lingual community

  • Supporting new groups and members in developing areas.  Includes scholarships and travel expenses for students to attend training and governance meetings, expenses to send teachers and mentors to remote areas.
  • Multilingualism and translations.  Assistance in 12 languages, including interpretation at major programs and events.
  • Membership coordinator and international membership support. Staff to oversee all mandala membership functions, and membership materials in 12 languages.
  • Nurturing Diversity. Staff support for diversity programs and initiatives.
  • Growing Shambhala.  Staff and other expenses to do marketing analysis, develop templates for posters and other advertising materials for local centres, increase brand recognition for Shambhala as the place to learn meditation through adds in major health journals, and to develop publicity campaigns to bring us more fully into public view.  Could also include an advertising budget.

4. The Shambhala lineage:

Keeping pace with the growing momentum

  • Coordinating global initiatives and presence.  Staff to coordinating daily briefings and communications with the Shambhala leadership, providing senior managerial leadership to the Sakyong’s travelling team and his own staff in various parts of the world.
  • Religious travel and obligations. The Sakyong needs a budgetary provision to be able to travel for religious purposes (other than attending normal Shambhala programs), to make offerings and attend gathering or religious events for which it is highly unlikely or even inappropriate to assume that costs will be met by local communities or institutions.
  • Seating the new Sakyong Wangmo.  We need to fund support staff for her, a vehicle, and means for her to travel with the Sakyong as well as take time for her own practice.

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5.  Developing Shambhala leadership:

Creating and maintaining sustainable governance

  • Enable greater participation in mandala governance.  Increased scholarships and travel expenses to enable more centre representatives to attend meetings.
  • Shambhala Governance Academy.  Costs to hold regional and mandala wide training events.
  • Regional structures and services.  Staff and meeting expenses to develop a regional structure.
  • Stabilizing the situation of the senior leadership of the mandala.  Currently, two leading figures in the mandala – the President and Treasurer - carry major responsibilities in their capacity as volunteers, creating a risky and untenable situation.  Funding could go to a paid Executive Director position, a paid Chief Financial Officer, a paid President

6. Responsible management of resources:

The human realities and the financial factor

  • Staff support, training and proper conditions.  Modest salary increases for Shambhala staff, provision for staff training, development of a staff handbook.
  • Strengthening our financial services.  Added staff, improved processes and technology.
  • Sustaining the Dana Group.  A person to coordinate the fund-raising needs of the mandala and continue to sustain the work of the Dana Group (of people with professional and other fund-raising expertise in the mandala), a budget for materials and communications.

 

Recurring monthly donations give us a stable basis for planning our finances and, if you sign up today, your gift will be matched by a one time donation of 10 times the amount! If you are able to give $20 a month you are essentially giving an additional gift of $200 through this matching gift. Of course, if you wish to stop making the payments at any time, you can.

 

One-time donations are always appreciated; they are a valuable contribution to the essential support of the mandala.

Thank you for your generosity!

Whether or not you are able to make a donation at this time, we know there are many other ways in which people are helping to build Shambhala, including the many wonderful volunteers and staff at Shambhala Meditation Centres around the world. On behalf of the Sakyong, we thank you for everything that you are doing through your own practice and generosity.