Voices
“On behalf of the Shambhala community of New York, I would like to express my thanks and gratitude to The Sakyong Foundation for the generous matching grant donation to our center. The campaign not only helped us to raise our monthly membership dues, but increased overall awareness of membership and the community life of our Center.”
— Katherine Lieberson, Co-Director,
Shambhala Meditation Center of New York
SHAMBHALA CENTERS AND GROUPS
In July of 2008, The Sakyong Foundation launched a $200,000 matching grant campaign to strengthen the finances of local Shambhala centers throughout the international community.
Ninety-four centers and groups from North and South America, Europe and Australasia participated in the $200,000 matching grant campaign to increase membership and giving at the local level. As a result of such extraordinary involvement, local membership dues increased by $34,000 each month. Individual donors at sixteen centers provided $62,405 of additional matching funds. Including the Foundation’s matching grant, over $650,000 of new funding will flow into local centers in the next year.
Here is what some of the centers had to say about their involvement with this Sakyong Foundation project:
Santa Rosa: “What an extraordinary gift. We were so inspired by this concept that several members of our sangha created another $1,000 matching grant and met that challenge.”
Providence: ”This project has been incredibly inspiring for our group. It has been a combination of motivation to look at what might be possible, and to start believing we can do it. And we are!!!”
Sonoma: “This matching grant program stimulated the process to cull our old and inaccurate records, make contact with every member and discuss the status and dues, etc.”
Hamburg: “The matching grant really worked, people were inspired by it. After a long stagnation of income this was a very welcome boost.”
