Harvest of Peace Fundraiser 2024

Wow!

Thanks to the incredible generosity of our community members, we successfully finished our fundraiser well past our ambitious goal.

 

Thanks to your generosity, the Boston Shambhala Center is in a strong place again after the last 5 years. Once again we have 50-100 people coming to the center each week to rediscover and strengthen their connection with their own inherent wisdom, compassion, and strength. And together we are rediscovering the value of a community that supports those qualities.

We can’t thank you enough. All donations will be reflected in the year-end donation letter you receive in January of 2025.

The Boston Shambhala Center has been here for over 50 years now, and we look forward to introducing people to Basic Goodness through the practice of meditation for another 50 years.

 

Three ways to suport!

1. Make a one-time donation Donate here
2. Become a member Sign up here
3. Increase your membership contributions Members update your contributions here
The most reliable and important source of financial
stability for us is membership contributions
.

Monthly contributions for new members who sign up during the Harvest of Peace fundraiser count 10x towards the goal!
A member starting (or increasing) $35/month adds $350 to our Harvest of Peace goal.

Learn more about Membership here

What is the Harvest of Peace?

Balancing home, work, social and spiritual lives can be demanding. Our annual Harvest of Peace celebration, held September 21 this year, is an opportunity to take some time to examine and re-seed our relationship with generosity and abundance which strengthen and sustain us throughout the year.

Part of the Harvest of Peace every year is a fundraiser to support the ongoing health of our community. As a non-profit organization money is necessary, but not our measure of success. Our purpose is to awaken and cultivate the inherent qualities of human goodness, and to continually create a culture based on those qualities. The real wealth of our community is measured in the depth of our practice, the strength of our kindness, and our ability to connect with the ordinary magic and richness of the phenomenal world. Yet we don’t ignore the financial resources needed to do this work.

We are asking for your contributions to support the continued health of the community.

 

Why do we fundraise?

Fundraising is a key part of our budget, and can also help us cover large or unexpected expenses.

The Boston Shambhala Center is a 501c3 nonprofit organization which operates with three primary sources of revenue: membership, program revenue, and fundraising. Membership makes up about 40% of our annual revenue, programs makes up about 30% and fundraising makes up about 10%-15%. Other sources include space rentals, book sales, and other miscellaneous donations.

Three main pillars to our operational budget:

  • Membership Contributions: ~40%
  • Program Income: ~ 30%
  • Fundraising: ~12%

 

What are we fundraising for?

During the Harvest of Peace, we are raising non-restricted funds. These are funds that can be used for all of our operational needs. We are still in the process of finishing some important building maintenance – we fixed some leaks in our roof earlier this year, and still need to complete the internal repairs and repainting.

 

How is the center doing financially?

Our revenue is seasonal, usually higher in fall and winter and lower in the spring and summer. We historically run at a deficit during the summer and come back to break even ( plus-or-minus a bit each year) by the end of the year.

This year has been challenging for a number of reasons. Program participation still not back to pre-pandemic levels – many people are tired of online programs, and at the same time many people are hesitant to join in-person programs again. We also expect building expenses and business expenses to be higher this year.

That said, we are in an incredibly fortunate position to own our building and we continue to have a strong community supporting us. Many meditation groups and centers in Boston have closed in the last few years, and many other Shambhala Centers have not been able to keep their spaces.

See below for a basic break-down of our finances for this year:

2024 Financial Breakdown Year-to-Date

Income through August 2024 totaled $97,443 averaging just over $12,000 per month – up 36% from the same period last year
  • Membership revenue is $38,563 or 40% of our overall revenue
  • Program revenue is $21,478 or 22%
  • Rental revenue is $10,523 or 11%
  • Fundraising revenue* is $20,598 or 21%

* This is from the spring “Free Shambhala Training” fundraiser. This is the first year we have run another fundraiser before the Harvest of Peace. If we exclude this revenue, we are still up 7% or $5,250 from the same period last year

 

Expenses have totaled $89,728 – up 1.5% from the same period last year.
  • Staff costs are $50,556 or 56% of our overall expenses
  • Building expenses are $22,991 or 26%
  • Program expenses are $8,360 or 9%
  • Business expenses are $7,821 or 9%
  • …we’ve paid $1,685 in credit card processing fees so far this year

Is it tax-deductible?

Yes! The Boston Shambhala Center is recognized as a 501c3 charity, meaning all donations are tax-deductible. Everyone who donates money through the fundraiser or membership contributions will receive a letter from us in January with a summary of their donations for the previous year and all the information required to file with your taxes.

 

How can I help?

1. Membership Contributions:

Increased membership contributions: This can go a long way towards our fundraising goal and provide income that we can predict and rely on throughout the year. Use this form to update your membership contributions, or email Max at [email protected].

Become a member! Learn more about Becoming a Member – We would love to answer your questions about providing ongoing financial stability to the Boston center by phone 617-734-1498 or you can email the Executive Director at [email protected].

 

2. One-Time Unrestricted Gifts:

Please fill out the form below if you plan to make a donation. The “Submit” button records your information for us and will then take you to a Paypal page to make a donation via Paypal.

Important note: you do not need a PayPal account to donate, and don’t need to donate via Paypal. If you would like to donate by check (or other means) please note that in the comments section. If you would like to donate with a debit or credit card (rather than a Paypal account), choose “Donate with a Debit or Credit Card”.

Harvest of Peace