WHO WE ARE
OUR BACKGROUND
OUR MISSION
OUR VIEW OF DEVELOPMENT
WHY WE ARE RAISING MONEY AT THIS TIME
HOW WE WILL SPEND THE MONEY WE RAISE
ONLINE STORE
ONLINE AUCTION
PLEASE SUPPORT US TODAY!
WAYS TO HELP
GIVE US FEEDBACK! [CONTACT INFORMATION]
DONATE NOW!

WHO WE ARE

We are a nonprofit, independent media company dedicated to the publishing and propagating of genuine buddhadharma of all traditions.

The Shambhala Sun Foundation publishes the Shambhala Sun and Buddhadharma: The Practitioner’s Quarterly. The Foundation is an independent, not-for-profit, charitable organization in Canada, and a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization in the United States.

L-R, top row: Seth Levinson, James Gimian, Tynette Deveaux, Barry Boyce, Debra Ross, Paul Laybolt, Cindy Littlefair
2nd row: Eric Ross, Carol Millett, Ken Swick, Andrea Miller, Andy Karr, Molly De Shong, Melvin McLeod
3rd row: Jessica Von Handorf, Raymond Taavel, Liam Lindsay, Steve Ritchie, Liza Matthews, Rod Meade Sperry, Alan Brush

OUR BACKGROUND

Started in 1992, the Shambhala Sun has grown to become the most widely-read Buddhist-inspired magazine in North America, bringing the wisdom of contemplative spiritual practice to all the important issues in life. In 2002, in response to the growing community of long-term committed Buddhist practitioners, we launched Buddhadharma: The Practitioner’s Quarterly, an in-depth, practice-oriented journal of Buddhist teachings.

We are proud that our growth from a community newspaper (with a circulation of 3,000) to two magazines (with a combined circulation of over 100,000) has been accomplished without significant outside financial support, accumulated debt, or operating losses. We gratefully acknowledge that our success could not have been possible without the generous and passionate help of all of you—our readers and teachers, writers and artists, advertisers and friends. You have all been our partners in this journey and your contributions will continue to be critical as we embark on a new phase in our mission.

	Read Editor-in-Chief Melvin McLeod’s September 2007 editorial announcing the Shambhala Sun Foundation.
	Read Publisher James Gimian’s March 2008 editorial discussing the myth of independence.

OUR MISSION

The Shambhala Sun Foundation promotes the growth and development of genuine buddhadharma as Buddhism takes root in the West. Through the publication of magazines and other media, conferences and educational forums, we will support all traditions of dharma that teach the three marks of existence and nontheism, and are based on meditation practice and cutting through spiritual materialism. In these endeavors, the Shambhala Sun Foundation will work with and support all those who share the values of wisdom, sacredness and compassion.

OUR VIEW OF DEVELOPMENT

While we are proud of all that our publishing program has accomplished, we also know that the successful transmission of the dharma in the West is a long-term project. Every day we see new and exciting examples of how the path of meditation is taking root. We feel that, with the right resources, there is so much more that we can do to benefit people now and in the future.

Our view of development is to invite our supporters to invest in initiatives designed to help us bring genuine dharma teachings to more people. Together, we can accomplish more than each of us alone. Our hope is that the benefit brought to the Shambhala Sun Foundation by its community of supporters will in turn bring further benefit to them and the larger world where interest in mediation and the dharma continues to grow exponentially.

The focus of our development work, therefore, is to increase our company’s strength and sustainability and to expand the reach and impact of our publications. To achieve these goals, we will need to develop new means of financial support beyond what we can reasonably expect to generate from our nonprofit publications. We seek to accomplish this by offering new products and services that draw on our proven strengths, and by launching for the first time some proven means of fundraising for important initiatives that would otherwise lie beyond our means.

WHY WE ARE RAISING MONEY AT THIS TIME

Our development activities are focused on attracting new and diverse voices to guide our magazines’ future, forming strategic partnerships with like-minded organizations, and developing the financial resources we need to fulfill our mission.

We need to ensure that we can make the critical step from a successful, mature start-up to an institution with long-term viability—one that can be passed on intact to a new generation. We need to reach new audiences and provide content in as many media as possible.

HOW WE WILL SPEND THE MONEY WE RAISE

• develop new media channels to share our rich editorial archives with new audiences;
• convert both magazines to more environmentally responsible paper (Funds from our online store and yearly online auction are earmarked to offset this ever-increasing operating expense.)
• train the next generation of editors and designers through our dharma publishing internship program
• serve our growing readership through new publications and partnerships

Please contact us for more information on any of these development initiatives. We are happy to discuss your ideas for social venture investments, donation of shares, bequests, business partnership ideas, and other unique ways you can help.

ONLINE STORE

The Shambhala Sun online store is where you can purchase back issues and a moderately-priced selection of high-quality, archival prints and reproductions. Our store features art that expresses the dharma from the pages of the Shambhala Sun and Buddhadharma magazines. Included are fine art giclée reproductions of calligraphies, illustrations, original paintings, photographs, and Buddha images from many of our regular contributors.The store is made possible through the generosity of the artists, museums, contributors, and friends who have made the reproduction rights of their fine artwork available to us. We heartily thank them for their generosity.

ONLINE AUCTION

The Shambhala Sun Foundation now hosts an online auction each fall. In 2007, thanks to the generosity of our supporters (both auction item donors and successful bidders) our inaugural online auction raised $15,000. Funds from the online auction are earmarked to support our use of environmentally responsible paper stock in printing both magazines.

Again this year, our online auction will feature a selection of wonderful items — original works of art, gift certificates, goods and services—in a range of prices so that many can participate.

You can also help by donating an auction item. All Shambhala Sun Foundation online auction partners enjoy considerable exposure through our extensive marketing efforts. Donors and their items/logos are featured on the auction site with a complete product description and website links. In addition, we promote the online auction widely through partnership email announcements and full-page ads in our magazines.

PLEASE SUPPORT US TODAY!

Our success grows directly out of how well we are able to fulfill your hopes and wishes to see the dharma flourish in the West. Your generosity can help expand the kind of genuine caring and inspiration that you find in the pages of our magazines. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation today.

WAYS TO HELP

GIVE US FEEDBACK! [CONTACT US]

If you would like to talk to us about our magazines, about any of our development initiatives, about making a donation or about other ways to support the Shambhala Sun Foundation, please

CANADIAN RESIDENTS:

The Shambhala Sun Foundation’s charitable organization number is #81471-7146-RR0001. We will issue a charitable donation receipt for the full amount of any Canadian-resident donation.

USA RESIDENTS:

The Shambhala Sun Foundation is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt non-profit organization. Internal Revenue Service Employer ID Number #98-0549367. All donations to The Shambhala Sun Foundation are tax-deductible for US residents to the full extent of the law. An official letter of acknowledgement will be sent for all donations.