Centre Directors, Group Coordinators, and Finance Personnel of Shambhala Centres and Groups: Please see below for everything you will need to have a successful Shambhala Day fundraiser at your local Centre, including:
- Shambhala Day fundraising overview
- Resources including a pledge card template, fundraising checklist, and talking points for your Shambhala Day events
- Donation processes, both local and online
Please also see the Special Events page for more information and materials for event organizers.
Click here for a resource toolkit, including: graphics, pledge card template and more.
Shambhala Day Fundraising
This year, we are excited to share the details of a fun and bold new plan that will allow us to see our collective fundraising goals and totals as a community in real time during the live broadcast and as centres host their own events in the week following Shambhala Day.
We have never attempted this type of collective, real time fundraising before and we look forward to an exciting, rousing, and and community-spirit building Shambhala Day fundraiser with you all!
How will we do this?
- If possible, conduct you fundraising before the live broadcast
- Designate someone to input the amount raised using a provided link
- The designated person enters the total fundraised from your Centre or Group during the broadcast
- The designated person enters further funds if more donations are raised from your Centre during the live broadcast
Please see below for full details.
- We are inviting Centres, if possible, to conduct their Shambhala Day fundraisers before the live broadcast begins on Shambhala Day, so please plan your event accordingly. As per usual, people will have pledge cards where they can fill in their donation, and additionally we would like each Centre to tally these collective donations before the broadcast begins. You can hold your fundraiser before Shambhala Day or on the same day as Shambhala Day – just make sure you will have time to add up your total donations before the broadcast! The official live broadcast from Boulder, including the annual Shambhala Day address from Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, will begin at 2:00pm Atlantic time (7:00 p.m. Central Europe, 1:00 p.m. Eastern, 12:00 p.m. Central, 11:00 a.m. Mountain, 10:00 a.m. Pacific).
- Please designate a person to enter your Centre’s total donations using a provided link during the live broadcast. During the live broadcast and before The Sakyong addresses the global community, there will be a fundraising ask. As soon as this fundraising ask begins, we ask that either you or a designated person click on a link that will be provided, and enter the total amount fundraised at your Centre. As each Centre enters their donation totals, we will in real time see a graphic that shows us getting closer and closer to our Shambhala Day fundraising goal!
- At this point in the fundraising ask during the live broadcast, if we are close to our goal, as part of the live broadcast, we may ask each Centre if it is possible for their members to contribute a little bit more so we can meet our goal – Example: “If a few Centres are inspired at this moment come together and contribute $50 more, we will meet our goal!” This will be a simple and cheerful ask and Centres can follow their inspiration as to whether or not they feel they would like to further engage in this way. We understand that because of culture, financial situation, and many other factors, some Centres will not wish to participate in the this second step. We also know that some Centres will be very eager to engage in this way with the fundraiser. We are delighted that Centres can choose their own course and engage with the fundraiser in the way they feel is best.
- Whomever has been designated to enter this information using the provided link would need to be prepared to enter yet another amount from your Centre – if this is something your Centre is inspired to do.
What do we do if our Shambhala Day Celebration Is After Shambhala Day?
- If your Centre’s Shambhala Day celebration is scheduled to occur after Shambhala Day (such as on the following weekend) please email your members and request that they make their donation in advance of Shambhala Day and your gathering. In this way, your Centre will still be able to participate in the collective effort on Shambhala Day! Please click here for a sample letter you can use to send to your community that explains why they are being asked to do this. Members will also receive a few fundraising emails from us in the weeks prior to Shambhala Day.
- Please do still hold a fundraiser at your Shambhala Day event, even if it is after Shambhala Day and you have sent out an email asking people to make their donation in advance. There will be many people who still have not had a chance to make their donation and this would be the time for them to do so.
- Once you have held your fundraiser, your designated person can enter your Centre’s fundraiser total using the provided link. We will continue to send out emails to the entire community in the weeks after Shambhala Day showing the fundraiser graphic continuing to “go up” as we tally our collective giving, so even after Shambhala Day, your Centre’s fundraiser will still be a part of this effort and celebration!
We have never attempted this type of global, collective, real time fundraising before and we need your commitment and support in order for it to be successful.
Please email the date you plan to hold your Shambhala Day event as well as the email address of the person who will be designated to enter your Centre’s fundraised total using a provided link on Shambhala Day to faradeerudy@gmail.com by Jan 31, 2017.
Ms. Rudy will be in direct contact with that person in advance of Shambhala Day to ensure they know exactly what they need to do on the day of the event and to answer any questions.
Other Resources for Your Shambhala Day Fundraiser:
Please note that you can find information and resources to support your Centre’s fundraiser, including pledge card templates, a fundraiser checklist, and fundraiser talking points at http://shambhala.org/members/special-events/. (Once you sign in to the members page, you will need to click on the members tab and then special events.)
Where will the money go?
Shambhala Day donations from North America, South America, Africa, Asia, and Australia will support the Potrang (the seat of the Sakyong lineage and activities and teachings of the Sakyong) as well as Shambhala Central Services. The Sakyong’s teaching and activities and Shambhala Central Services all support local Centres worldwide. Please click here to view Shambhala Financial Reports for 2016. (Once you sign in to the members page you will need to click on the Members tab, then Finance and then Financial Reports.)
Please note that donations from North American members from your Shambhala Day fundraiser will all count towards your Centre’s Unified Giving commitment.
100% of European-based donations from Shambhala Day 2017 will go to Dechen Chöling to support the critical move of the Dechen Chöling offices into the Château.
Supporting Shambhala Locally and Around the World
When we give on Shambhala Day, we are offering our financial support to both the lineage and community – the Potrang (the seat of the the Shambhala lineage) and Shambhala. Our giving is a celebration of both our lineage and our community, which together plant the flag of inherent goodness in our world. This is the truest sense of Unified Giving and an expression of our balanced approach to supporting the activities and teaching of the Sakyong and Shambhala central services – which in turn strengthen and support our local situation.
All centre directors and group coordinators are encouraged to create a special invitation to your entire community of members, to participate in your Shambhala Day events, if you have not already done so. Please feel free to use or link to any part of the letters that have gone out so far, and are available on the website. And as ever, let them know that those events will include fundraising.
The key point in that regard is that Shambhala Day fundraising supports Shambhala both locally and globally. You can also link to the online donation page in your email if that feels appropriate. Also see the “talking points” link in the resources section below for some suggestions regarding language to use.
For more information about the campaign, contact Faradee Rudy at faradeerudy@gmail.com.
Resources
Click here for a resource toolkit, including: graphics, pledge card template and more.
Please print the pledge card on a white or cream coloured cardstock, and place it on each seat with an envelope, before the guests arrive for the fundraiser. We suggest you get it printed and cut professionally, though you can also do it yourself if you prefer.
Click here for a fundraising checklist
Click here for talking points for your Shambhala Day events
Donation Processes
To make a donation before Shambhala Day, please click here.
Everywhere In The World Except Europe:
Shambhala Day 2017 donations from everywhere in the world, except Europe will all be processed in the Department of Finance in Halifax. In the past, a few Centres switched to local processing and sent a single transfer. However, we have found that significant administrative confusion and extra work arises when there are multiple options for processing. Therefore, we request that all Centres send us their donations for processing, as outlined below.
Although there is a global message and fundraising ask going out to members, the local touch is an absolutely invaluable part of the campaign. Therefore, as always, we ask each centre and group to also fundraise on behalf of Shambhala, supporting our collective efforts and work in the world. And in North America all contributions made by your members count towards your Centre’s Unified Giving commitment for 2017.
Please use the resources above (pledge card, checklist, talking points) to guide you in how to present a successful fundraiser. After you have tallied all of the pledge cards and entered the total pledges for your Centre during the live broadcast, please send the pledge cards and any cheques to:
Shambhala Finance
601-5121 Sackville Street
Halifax, Nova Scotia
B3J 1K1
Canada
Your prompt attention to mailing the package to us is greatly appreciated, so we can verify the tally from the live broadcast and report the final results of this campaign.
If your centre or group is able to make an extra centre transfer towards your 2017 transfer target, that is also much appreciated. Please send a cheque to the address above, or contact Patricia Bennett at pbennett@shambhala.org regarding direct withdrawals from your bank account.
In Europe:
After your Shambhala Day event, please send all pledge cards to:
[insert address]
Your prompt attention to mailing the package is greatly appreciated, so we can verify any tallies from the live broadcast and report the final results of this campaign.