Your Generosity Makes Our Work Possible
As we approach the 10th year since the establishment of AfB, it has been gratifying to look back and see how we’ve grown, to see how the amazing support coming from lay people has allowed us to be able to help support the nuns.
This year we expended a total of $17,747.99 divided among direct support to monasteries, medical care and bhikkhuni travel, as specified below.
At the ground level, bhikkhuni hermitages and monasteries badly need our help with their daily expenses both in the US and abroad. We have made a decision to make our main focus supporting the establishment and growing of training monasteries, hermitages and viharas.
In keeping with that decision, this year we have donated a total of $10,765 to monasteries. Those funds have gone toward the following: purchase of property, building of kutis and other construction and repair, legal and other start-up costs and general support for three of the requisites (food, clothing, and shelter.)
The fourth requisite is medical care. We are very appreciative to a very generous donor who, several years ago, established a fund to cover the medical expenses of members of the North American Bhikkhuni Association. This fund has subsequently been augmented by other generous donors, and this year we have paid $2157 for the healthcare premiums of one of the nuns.
The sisters often need travel from one place to another. This year we have spent $3460 for travel expenses. That has included contributing to: bringing two samaneris to Los Angles for their ordination, one from Belgium and one from Sri Lanka; bringing one nun from the UK to California to spend several months with the Aloka Vihara nuns to learn about establishing a planned vihara in the UK; sending Ayya Tathaaloka to New Zealand to help with establishing a monastery there and transportation for two nuns to go to retreats.
Because of the Vinaya (code of monastic disciplinary rules) nuns cannot directly ask lay practitioners to address even their most basic needs. However, we are all able to invite (Pavarana) their requests and respond as we are able.
How do we raise funds?
Our primary source of donations comes from the Pay Pal link on our website where we post projects that need support. Because of the Vinaya (code of monastic disciplinary rules) nuns cannot directly ask lay practitioners to address even their most basic needs. However, we are all able to invite (Pavarana) their requests and respond as we are able. As we hear from them, we post their requests and support them depending on available funds and the donations we receive. (A good example of this is the six donations totaling $3250 that were raised to support building kutis/shelters for a growing monastery in Sri Lanka!)
This year we have received a total of $17,646.50 from our generous donors! Several people have made donations of $1000 or more, and one, Cheryl Wilfong (author of ‘The Meditative Gardener’) very generously donated $5000, which was a very big help in supporting growing monasteries!
We are a volunteer-run organization, so currently our only operating expenses are those associated with our website and minor costs such as bank fees. In 2016, 91% of your donations went directly to the bhikkhunis.
For those of us here at AfB, it is our great joy to be able to serve the bhikkhunis in this way – but we also need your help. As we near the end of this year, please consider including us in your generosity. All donations, large and small, are most gratefully appreciated—we also now have an option to set up a monthly automatic donation. For more details on how you can give, see our Donations page.
Your Generosity Makes Our Work Possible
As we approach the 10th year since the establishment of AfB, it has been gratifying to look back and see how we’ve grown, to see how the amazing support coming from lay people has allowed us to be able to help support the nuns.
This year we expended a total of $17,747.99 divided among direct support to monasteries, medical care and bhikkhuni travel, as specified below.
At the ground level, bhikkhuni hermitages and monasteries badly need our help with their daily expenses both in the US and abroad. We have made a decision to make our main focus supporting the establishment and growing of training monasteries, hermitages and viharas.
In keeping with that decision, this year we have donated a total of $10,765 to monasteries. Those funds have gone toward the following: purchase of property, building of kutis and other construction and repair, legal and other start-up costs and general support for three of the requisites (food, clothing, and shelter.)
The fourth requisite is medical care. We are very appreciative to a very generous donor who, several years ago, established a fund to cover the medical expenses of members of the North American Bhikkhuni Association. This fund has subsequently been augmented by other generous donors, and this year we have paid $2157 for the healthcare premiums of one of the nuns.
The sisters often need travel from one place to another. This year we have spent $3460 for travel expenses. That has included contributing to: bringing two samaneris to Los Angles for their ordination, one from Belgium and one from Sri Lanka; bringing one nun from the UK to California to spend several months with the Aloka Vihara nuns to learn about establishing a planned vihara in the UK; sending Ayya Tathaaloka to New Zealand to help with establishing a monastery there and transportation for two nuns to go to retreats.
How do we raise funds?
Our primary source of donations comes from the Pay Pal link on our website where we post projects that need support. Because of the Vinaya (code of monastic disciplinary rules) nuns cannot directly ask lay practitioners to address even their most basic needs. However, we are all able to invite (Pavarana) their requests and respond as we are able. As we hear from them, we post their requests and support them depending on available funds and the donations we receive. (A good example of this is the six donations totaling $3250 that were raised to support building kutis/shelters for a growing monastery in Sri Lanka!)
This year we have received a total of $17,646.50 from our generous donors! Several people have made donations of $1000 or more, and one, Cheryl Wilfong (author of ‘The Meditative Gardener’) very generously donated $5000, which was a very big help in supporting growing monasteries!
We are a volunteer-run organization, so currently our only operating expenses are those associated with our website and minor costs such as bank fees. In 2016, 91% of your donations went directly to the bhikkhunis.
For those of us here at AfB, it is our great joy to be able to serve the bhikkhunis in this way – but we also need your help. As we near the end of this year, please consider including us in your generosity. All donations, large and small, are most gratefully appreciated—we also now have an option to set up a monthly automatic donation. For more details on how you can give, see our Donations page.