Dear Bhumi Community,
As we continue our transitional process of reflection, refinement, and clarification, we want to be open and transparent in sharing the status of our collective resources. So, on behalf of the Mission Circle, we would like to communicate with you about some of the challenges we are facing financially.
Monthly Expenses and Income
Our monthly expenses are as follows:
Transitional General Coordinator (currently Eric Busse, 15 hrs/wk): $1,920/mo
Practice Circle Coordinator & Teacher-Student Liaison (currently Sesalli Castillo, 10hrs/wk): $1,250/mo
Technology: $271/mo on average for Squarespace (website), Zoom and Zoom cloud storage, Acuity scheduling, Google Workspace, Vimeo (video hosting), Crowdcast, and Loomio. Some services are paid monthly and some annually. Of these, the largest expenses, on average, are Zoom ($67/mo) including meetings and cloud storage, Crowdcast ($62/mo), and the website + Google Workspace ($46/mo).
Stipend for Lama Justin: $1,000/mo
Payments to our Co-founding Teachers have been made on the basis of their expressed needs. Beginning January 2022, Lama Justin requested a stipend of $1,000/mo to support his spiritual teaching, facilitation, and advisory services on behalf of the Bhumisparsha community. This request came as he left his previous full-time job to focus on teaching the dharma. Knowing our financial situation, he recently suggested withdrawing his request for funds, but the Mission Circle opted to continue paying this stipend to support him in sharing his gifts with Bhumisparsha. Lama Rod has repeatedly expressed that he does not currently need or want regular compensation for his work with Bhumisparsha, since he has other income streams. Of course, Lama Rod may express a need for such compensation in the future, and we want to be able to honor that request if and when it’s made.
Our monthly income from recurring donations on our Open Collective page as of May 19th, 2022 is $1,529/mo. Our fiscal sponsor, Open Collective Foundation (OCF), takes 5% of our donations in exchange for key financial and administrative services, leaving $1,452/mo for Bhumisparsha.
We are fortunate to have received a promise of $20,000/year for 3 years (2021-2023) from a family foundation. Bhumisparsha received the first of these $20,000 gifts in December 2021. We are scheduled to receive the second gift in December 2022 followed by the third gift in December 2023.
In 2021 Lama Rod generously donated $10,000 to sustain a monthly stipend for the role of Practice Circle Coordinator and Student-Teacher Liaison, of which we have $2,501 left to distribute. We would like to continue this position once that stipend runs out, given the great value the position has had for our community.
In total, our current monthly expenses are $4,441/mo. As mentioned above, our income from recurring monthly donations is $1,452/mo ($1,529/mo minus OCF's 5% administrative fee). This means we experience a deficit of $2,989/mo. The occasional grants and larger donations described above offset some of this, but we are definitely spending down funds faster than they are coming in. Including grants/larger donations, recurring monthly donations, and other one-time donations, Bhumisparsha currently holds $8,499 in total assets (as of May 19th, 2022, please see our Open Collective page for the most up-to-date information).
501(c)(3) Status Update
We also wanted to be clear about our organizational structure at this time. Over the last few years, we had been moving towards full status as an independent 501(c)(3) religious non-profit. Early this year, it became clear that we do not have the resources or stability to support that process at this time, and we decided to return to the model of fiscal sponsorship. We may resume our application for 501(c)(3) status in the future, but for now fiscal sponsorship is the most nourishing arrangement for our newborn community. Under the arrangement with OCF and the 501(c)(3) status they extend to us as a collective, donations made to Bhumisparsha as of March 2022 are fully tax-deductible as charitable donations for US residents.
Additional Thoughts
Our primary intention in writing this letter is not to solicit money. However, if Bhumisparsha is supporting your path toward liberation and you have the capacity to start or increase a sustaining monthly donation, it will be gladly accepted. Knowing that the community’s generosity is ultimately what will sustain this organization, our goal is to be frank and transparent about where we are at as a community. Bhumisparsha runs largely on volunteer effort, and the way we have operated has not always been sustainable for our volunteers and participants. We recognize the need to operate at an appropriate capacity, not over-committing or under-resourcing. This is the work not just of the Mission Circle but of our community as a whole, since we aspire to be a non-hierarchical organization where we all benefit and are accountable to each other.
We are brainstorming about another community fundraising drive, pursuing grants, seeking additional large donors, asking more regularly for donations during our offerings, and exploring some events with charges (always with options for those who can’t pay much or anything). We will certainly do what we can with our current paid staff and volunteer capacity. At the same time, we recognize that these endeavors cannot happen effectively unless we have funds to pay people to help make them happen. In alignment with our liberatory and intersectional values, we want to be able to support people for their labor rather than relying so heavily on the unpaid labor of volunteers.
We also recognize that our "build it as we fly" model has its advantages and its challenges. Some of the challenges have been disorganization, lack of follow through and lack of clear accountability that have, at times, caused hurt and harm. We also know from the recent feedback survey and conversations with fellow community members that many people who have accessed teachings and community through Bhumisparsha have been profoundly nourished and inspired. An ethical, thriving, and resourced community could be of tremendous benefit to beings.
We will continue as the Mission Circle to refine our structure and think critically. We want to continue to be transparent about what's going on. We welcome ideas, perspectives, participation, and feedback from folks who have the capacity to share with us. We welcome the involvement of those who feel committed to helping us reach our community aspirations. And we welcome learning what needs to change, and how, in order to inspire deep transformation in line with community care and accountability. If you have any questions or comments that you would like to share, please feel free to contact Eric at eric@bhumisparsha.org and he will get in touch with you soon.
Sincerely,
Brenda Collins, Mission Circle President
Leigh Rosenberg, Mission Circle Clerk
Lisa Hoff, Mission Circle Member
Eric Busse, Transitional General Coordinator, Mission Circle Member
P.S. We will be sending out a revised invitation for the role of Treasurer soon! For those who are interested, this would be a terrific way to help Bhumisparsha cultivate the sustainability of our shared resources. More to come!
Eight Auspicious Symbols. Copyright © 2022 Himalayan Art Resources Inc. Photographed Image Copyright © 2005 Zanabazar Mongolia National Museum. https://www.himalayanart.org/items/50808