“The first and best thing a person can do is genuinely wish that Khyentse Foundation succeeds in its aspirations, from the heart.” – DJKR

“Even if a person offers just one cent to Khyentse Foundation it is really good, it’s like putting a drop of water in the ocean. A drop of water on its own will easily evaporate, but in the ocean it becomes part of something vast and powerful.” –DJKR

Khyentse Foundation is here because of its donors, for you and for future generations.

The great Tibetan yogi-saint Milarepa said that “the practitioner in the cave and the patron in the city will reach enlightenment together.”

Khyentse Foundation is the central channel for funds offered to Khyentse Rinpoche, inspired by his nonsectarian philanthropic vision.

May the teachers, the glory of the teachings, live long;
May the holders of the teachings cover the entire earth;
May the power and prosperity of the patrons of the teachings increase;
May all be auspicious for the teachings to endure.

Support KF

Khyentse Foundation depends almost entirely on the generosity of friends and students of Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche, who wish to see his vast aspirations fulfilled. There are three ways to give:

Become a recurring donor
Make a one-time contribution
Become a Patron of Manjushri

Since the inception of KF’s monthly donation program, a collective of donors, the Patrons of Manjushri, has pledged to match all scheduled recurring contributions, dollar for dollar. When you become a recurring donor, whether it be monthly or annually, your contributions are automatically doubled. KF relies on this steady source of income to meet its commitments to beneficiaries around the world. We encourage anyone who wishes to make a contribution to sign up for recurring donations.

When you make a contribution, consider dedicating the merit, primarily to the flourishing of the Buddhadharma throughout the world, and also to whatever you wish for personally, such as the health of a loved one or a cause that you care about. Simply write your dedication in the comments section of the form.

Khyentse Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization registered in the USA. Federal EIN/Tax ID # 91-2167303

All donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law in the US. Tax deductibility in other countries is dependent on the local rules and regulations governing charitable contributions.

Khyentse Foundation’s Financial Position is reported in our Annual Reports. Audited financial statements are available upon request. Please contact [email protected].

Donate Online

Click the button below to donate via our secure online donation form.

Donate Online

Bank Transfers & Checks

For bank wire transfers, contact us and we will send you detailed bank transfer information.

If you wish to send a USD check, please send to:
Khyentse Foundation
PO Box 156648
San Francisco, CA 94115.

If you wish to send a non-USD check, please contact your country representative from the list below. The country representatives can answer other questions you have and can work with you to make the process as smooth as possible.

Direct Contact

Please call us at 415-788-8048 or write to [email protected] to discuss any aspect of your contribution or estate planning. Or contact your local representative. We will be happy to work with you personally, no matter the size of your intended donation.

“We should view an offering of one rupee as an example of extreme generosity. Think that this is so amazing and encourage and praise and dedicate the merit of that. Then if the next day, you have the courage to offer one million dollars, think well, this is not really enough. This will help [you] see the Dharma, the truth, instead of the numbers.” – DJKR

Merit

Merit (Sanskrit punya, Pali punna) is accumulated through good deeds, thoughts, and actions, and contributes to a person’s growth toward spiritual liberation. Rinpoche has said that the quintessential teachings of the Buddha are difficult to understand, not because they are complicated but because they are so simple. One common method for understanding the truth is to study, but if we engage in too much academic analysis, he said, “we may get sidetracked. Accumulating merit is the one and only way to cultivate understanding and trust in simplicity.” Read about the merit of alms giving in an extract from The Sutra on the Original Vows and the Attainment of Merits of Ksitigrabha Bodhisattva, in particular, chapter ten, “The Comparison of Merits for Alms-giving.” (Ksitigrabha sutra 430 kb PDF download)

Dana

Dana (Sanskrit and Pali) means “generosity” or “giving.” It also refers to the practice of cultivating generosity. “It’s well known that dana lies at the beginning of Buddhist practice. Dana, quite literally, has kept the Dhamma alive. If it weren’t for the Indian tradition of giving to mendicants, the Buddha would never have had the opportunity to explore and find the path to Awakening. The monastic sangha wouldn’t have had the time and opportunity to follow his way. Dana is the first teaching in the graduated discourse: the list of topics the Buddha used to lead listeners step-by-step to an appreciation of the four noble truths, and often from there to their own first taste of Awakening. When stating the basic principles of karma, he would begin with the statement, “There is what is given.” Read more of this excerpt from an essay on dana, No Strings Attached: The Buddha’s Culture of Generosity, by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.

Tendrel

The Tibetan word tendrel is often translated as “dependent arising” or “interdependence.” In Buddha’s teaching on interdependence, we see that all situations arise through the coming together of countless causes and conditions, karmic links. When you make a financial contribution to KF, even one cent, you are creating tendrel with Rinpoche’s activities. Even sending us a heartfelt wish that our mission to support all lineages of Buddhism can carry on without obstacles, creates an auspicious connection.

IMPACT

What Will Your Donation Do?

Every dollar you give makes a difference in the life of a student or practitioner — a nun in lifelong practice near Dzongsar Monastery or a lay person in 3-year retreat; a student pursuing her doctorate in Buddhist Studies or a Cambodian monk studying in Sri Lanka.

Here are just a few examples of what your donation can accomplish:

US$28 supports one day of medical clinic for 600 members of the monastic community and surrounding village, insuring a healthy environment for study and practice. Or it pays for the formatting of 300 pages of precious Buddhist texts for preservation for future generations.

US$10 monthly ($240 total with matching funds for one year) sponsors a child to attend a Dharma camp or covers the basic needs of a monk or nun for a year.

US$50 monthly ($1,200 total with matching funds for one year) helps a Bangladeshi monk pursuing a postgraduate degree so he can return to his monastery and teach the next generation. Or it sponsors a tulku to attend a leadership development workshop to acquire 21st-century communication skills.

US$108 monthly ($2,592 total with matching funds for one year) fully sponsors a visiting professor to teach at a major university in India for one month, sharing unique perspectives on the Dharma. Or helps an aspiring Dharma translator receive formal academic training.

US$500 monthly ($12,000 total with matching funds for one year) supports an intensive English program for 70 khenpos for one year, helping prepare them to teach the Dharma beyond monastery walls. Or it subsidize 24s lay practitioners to attend a 10-day retreat in the west.

These are just a few examples. Your unrestricted donation supports the whole spectrum of KF projects:

Monastic
Monastic education
Training and development for tulkus and khenpos

Lay
Scholarships, grants, and awards
Buddhist education for children

Academia
Academic development

Texts
Preservation
Translation

Revitalizing Buddhist Traditions
India, Cambodia, Bangladesh, and more

PATRONS OF MANJUSHRI PROGRAM

Partnership for Enlightenment

Pledges of recurring contributions of any amount are matched dollar for dollar by the Patrons of Manjushri. Individuals or groups may become Patrons of Manjushri by contributing to the Matching Fund pool. Joining the program is a significant annual commitment, instrumental in keeping Khyentse Foundation healthy and able to meet its obligations to grant recipients.

The Patrons of Manjushri program invites individuals, corporations, institutions, and foundations to be true partners and collaborators in a range of long-term projects undertaken by Khyentse Foundation. Our aspiration is that the circle patrons will form a stable basis for the Foundation to significantly increase our support for worthwhile projects within the next decade. To join the program, please contact Cangioli Che, Jun Xie, or Christine Ng for one-on-one discussion in English or Chinese.

Manjushri is the Bodhisattva of Wisdom and Lord of Speech, an awakened warrior of boundless compassion, who vowed to take rebirth under any circumstances in order to teach all future Buddhas. Inspired by Manjushri’s limitless wisdom and tireless activities, and under Rinpoche’s guidance, Khyentse Foundation’s numerous projects are all focused on a single ultimate goal: to bring all sentient beings to Buddhahood, the state of full awakening or enlightenment.

The purpose of the Patrons of Manjushri program is to fund all of Khyentse Foundation’s activities worldwide, from the smallest individual grant to the largest university-based education project.

Monthly Donor Stories

We love to hear from our supporters about their decision to become regular contributors to the matching funds program. All monthly contributions are automatically doubled through the program, thanks to the Patrons of Manjushri. In many ways, the matching fund program is the lifeblood of Khyentse Foundation. Scroll through some of these stories in the slider below and read them all here.

First Person: A Few Drops of Generosity

“I was never approached by any representative from Khyentse Foundation with a request to contribute. Although I think their attitude is quite noble, I wonder if this laid-back style might have delayed a bit my commitment to the Matching Funds Program, just by the fact that I was not made aware of how much the foundation does need help. In any case, I really trust Khyentse Foundation and I really believe that its founder, Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche, cares about people. I hope the few drops of generosity I am offering to Khyentse Foundation will bring oceans of lasting happiness to all sentient beings.”

– Silvana Maria Barbanti

First Person: A Gift That Benefits the Giver

“I have been a follower of Buddhadharma and Rinpoche’s teachings for over 5 years now, but only in the last 2 years did I become a regular donor to KF. The reason is that I got so inspired by Rinpoche’s vision and KF’s track record in implementing amazing projects that support institutions and individuals who wish to study or practice the Dharma. Although building a grand monastery or a giant gold Buddha statue may inspire others to practice Dharma and liberate themselves, to me nothing is more important than ensuring Buddha’s words and teachings to be preserved in a general accessible way, next-generation sangha leaders being trained properly to uphold and pass the precious teachings into the future, and real practitioners getting support in their practices. And these are exactly what KF does.”

– Anonymous

First Person: Preserving Buddhism, Cultivating Devotion

Even though the core message of the Buddhadharma is timeless, I realized that in his wisdom Rinpoche has foreseen the importance of rebuilding and strengthening the pillars that have supported Buddhism throughout history. This is an endeavor to which Rinpoche applies himself whole-heartedly and to which he devotes as much effort as to the guidance of his students.

One method to cultivate devotion to Rinpoche is to walk alongside him in the mission of preserving Buddhism as a live, authentic, and relevant tradition in the 21st century. Since Rinpoche has to a large extent entrusted this task to the Khyentse Foundation, by supporting it we can broaden our relationship with the teacher.

– Manoel Vidal

First Person: No Amount Is Too Small

Then I saw another opportunity—the Matching Funds Program.
Because of the Matching Funds Program, my monthly donation of US$15 is doubled to become US$30! If these anonymous monthly donors did not make this aspiration and let us know, I would probably think that US$15 is too small an amount and I just would not think of donating. Thanks to their alert, more people will be encouraged to contribute their small effort.

– Pon Peng

First Person: My Matching Funds Story

It’s been a few years since I joined Khyentse Foundation’s regular matching funds program. I thought I must have been one of the last to sign up, but I was surprised to read in the last newsletter that only about half of the students attending a recent teaching of Rinpoche’s had ever contributed to Khyentse Foundation. I’m not able to give a lot each month, but when I give, I know that the benefit is not just matched but multiplied. My few dollars each month are contributing to a huge investment.

– Ella Milligan

My Monthly Donor Story

…Now, I am financially secure but in a relatively low-income bracket, and I have to say that making a donation to KF almost did not occur to me. I guess I figured that people who supported the foundation made more money. Years later…it finally dawned on me. The matching program is made for people like me – people who want to participate but feel like they have little to offer. Whatever I give is doubled! There can’t be a downside to that!

– Lynn Hoberg

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