Joining the Circle of Generosity

 

We are uplifted by the unwavering commitment and support of the True North Insight sangha, as we reflect on the challenges and complexities of sustaining a Dharma community through yet another tumultuous and uncertain year. Through your support, we continue to navigate this post-pandemic period with an outlook of faith and generosity, and we are focused on new initiatives and ways of connecting. For example, we are planning in person and virtual open house a few times a year, as well as continued community engagement.

However,  we are at a financial crossroads. True North Insight (TNI) is facing a significant deficit, and we need your support more than ever. Through the pandemic, we have seen a decline in registrations to our online fundraiser events, which have been a crucial revenue stream for us. Furthermore, students of the dharma have more choice of online teachings and offerings than ever before, which, along with the uncertainty of the times, has resulted in lower registration numbers for our events, paired with increasing costs. During this time of economic precarity for many in our community, donations are down 30% from what they averaged before Covid. Finally, our salary and benefit expenses have also increased in the last year to enable a fair livelihood for our staff.

We believe in the value of local dharma offerings and experienced dharma teachers; TNI is known and respected across Canada, the USA, and internationally as a trusted Dharma organization. We are committed to investing in the future of a sustained and vibrant TNI. Looking to the future means exploring new ways of sharing the dharma of liberation and kindness and building sangha, online and in person. We cannot build the future of TNI without you, our community. We wish to make this request for support in full transparency: our current budgetary reality threatens the continuity of True North Insight. With our current deficit, under the present circumstances, we may not be able to maintain the operations of TNI for even the next year. We do not share this to be alarming, but as a call for us to come together in this crucial moment for TNI. We need your support so that we may continue to operate and to serve you, while also planning for the future.

Please donate today.

More than ever, we need your generous contributions to help us close our budget gap of $80,000 as we enter 2023. This is vital to our financial well-being. Here are concrete examples of how every dollar counts;

$10 helps funds our annual operations
$20 covers our online meditation space each month (Zoom cost per year = $200)
$40 provides a scholarship supported retreatant's meals for a day during a retreat
$250 is put towards a one way ticket for a teacher's travel to a retreat
$3,000 pays for a 20 person bus to support travel for our BIPOC retreatants
$10,000 helps to pay staff salaries and health benefits

This year again, we are deeply moved by our generous donors, Lori and David Schouela, who are offering for a second year, a $20,000 Fall Matching Gift. The Lori and David Schouela matching grant will match the first $20,000 we raise as a community, meaning the impact of your early gift will be doubled. We are grateful for their generosity and their trust.

Donate today as an early contributor so that your contribution can be matched by Lori and David Schouela.

We have an ambitious goal for this year to raise $80,000 to close our budget gap. This will assure us the means to continue our programs and sittings for thousands in our community that wish to maintain and deepen their practice based on the liberating teachings of the Buddha.

Here is our update on our commitments stated earlier this year:

We offered financial assistance to those unable to pay fees (over $100,000 since we started offering retreats.)
We have 50% BIPOC teachers on our retreat schedule
We offered weekly BIPOC sitting groups and a fourth BIPOC retreat
We shared the dharma with over 5,500 practitioners over the past 16 years
We completed the community teacher training program, graduating 18 trained local teachers, 30% of whom are BIPOC, who will be supported by TNI as they reach out to share the dharma
We offered two white awareness caucus groups for our sangha
We offered mindfulness sessions to over 65 caregivers
We offered online weekly sittings as well as a book club
Here are some numbers about online offerings:
Since the pandemic on YouTube (current totals):
2,628 subscribers
120 500 views
730 public videos

Zoom Attendance - Weekly Groups (number of people registered to our lists):
BIPOC Sangha: 240
Francophone Sangha: 500
Sunday Sangha: 360
Sittings with caregivers: 65
Jill Davey’s sitting: 200
Pierre-Vincent’s book club: 55
Total: 1420

We thank you for your past donations, and for those that will come in the future. True North Insight has no parent organization, no endowment, and no foundation subsidy. Every year, we depend on donations from community practitioners to support the financial security of the sangha. This year, we hope you will make that extra stretch to help us close our gap. We cannot do it without you.

Please make a gift now that can go twice as far.

1. Become a monthly donor or make a one-time donation. For example, a $1000 is 12 installments of $83.33/month for 1 year; 24 installments of $41.66/month for 2 years; 36 installments of $27.77/month for 3 years (that is less than $1 a day!)
2. Get your donation immediately matched up to $20,000.
3. Share this call with friends and family so they can increase their contributions to the causes they care about.

You can support us in one of two ways:

Become a monthly donor:

  • Monthly donation by direct withdrawal: Print a donation form and mail it in with a cheque marked "VOID" to True North Insight, P.O. Box 55015 Fairmount Montréal, QC H2T3E2.
  • Monthly donation via Canada Helps, our secure online service.

Make a one-time donation:

 

Matching funds are limited,  so don’t miss this special opportunity to DOUBLE YOUR IMPACT TODAY!

We hope you will join us today in supporting TNI with a monthly donation or one-time tax-deductible gift in the amount that moves your heart.

All donations to True North Insight of $5 and up will be sent a tax receipt. 

Gifts of all amounts are welcome and deeply appreciated.