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Buddhism - How Your Donations Can Help

IBC's 2008 Fund-Raising Goals

IBC is collecting funds to provide the following:

Please make your pledge/donation using either one of the online services listed below (we prefer PayPal because they take less of a percentage for their service than Click and Pledge), or send your check or money order to:

Indiana Buddhist Center.
PO Box 7146
Greenwood, IN 46142

Please click on the "Click and Pledge" logo below to make a donation.

Online donation system by ClickandPledge

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Many Ways to Help IBC - Choose One or Two and Gain Merit

There are many ways you can help IBC and each one of them generates merit if you do it with the proper intention. Here are a few can start doing right now:

heartEbay Fund Raiser

heartLarge Auction Event

heartPick up a Merit Jar at the Center. The Merit Jar is for depositing loose change until you fill the jar. Each time you make a "deposit," zero in on your intention and then make a dedication of merit. The Merit Jars are to collect money to support IBC's new home. Filled jars can be dropped off at the Center at your convenience (where you can pick up another!)

Can't get by the Center to pick up a jar? Make your own merit jar today.

heartFor double merit, drop off your used printer cartridges and old cell phones at the Center. You'll be taking care of the environment and helping IBC (and the spread of the Dharma) at the same time.

heartMake a pledge to help support our resident teacher, Geshe Jinpa. You can make your donation online ( below ), through the center, or by snail-mail.

heartGo Shopping! Use the iGive web site for all your online purchases. Here's how it works - Sign up for an igive account (it's free), and select your cause (Indiana Buddhist Center, of course). Then, whenever you go shopping, check in at the igive web site first, select the store where you want to shop, and IBC will automatically receive a percentage of your purchase.

To be sure you never miss another giving opportunity, you can download the iGive Shopping Window. It's a little program that resides on your browser. When you go to a web site that supports iGive, the iGive Shopping Window pops up to let you know. To sign up for the iGive Shopping Window, sign into your iGive Account, click on My iGive, and scroll down to Cool Stuff. Click on the "Never miss another donation! Download the iGive Shopping Window!" and follow the instructions on your screen. Happy shopping!

heartBecome an IBC Member - For more information about what membership means click here. Then, return to this page by clicking on your browser's Back button.

Where Does My Money Go?
Understanding the Donation Box

by Greg Marshall

IBC manages to bring you all the cool things it does solely because of the generous donations of the wonderful people affiliated with IBC. But I'm sure some of you are thinking, "Ok, I like to help out and drop money in the box. But how is that money used? Where does it go?" Hopefully, this short article will answer most of your questions.

IBC does its best to respect the donor's intent. Whenever a donation is clearly labeled as being intended to go toward something specific, that's where the money goes. If you want your money to go somewhere specific the best way to ensure it is used for that purpose is to clearly label your intent. This can be done in two ways: 1) if writing a check, put a note in the "Memo" area or 2) put the donation (check or cash) in an envelope and label the outside. IBC is planning on providing envelopes for this purpose sometime soon, if we haven't done so already.

So, what about donations which are dropped in the box but are not clearly labeled? Where does that money go? It depends on what event the donation is made during and whether the donation is check or cash.

If a donation is made during an IBC activity (weekly teachings, social gatherings, etc.) all money goes to IBC. How IBC uses that money depends mostly on whether the donation is check or cash.

IBC would not exist were it not for the teachings of our wonderful teacher, Geshe-la. And we would have no teachings without our wonderful translator, Tenam. In spite of his busy schedule, Tenam graciously and generously offers us his time and efforts week after week. In gratitude for his generosity, IBC gifts Tenam $50 each week. Cash donations usually wind up becoming gifts to our wonderful translator.

Checks go to IBC's General Fund. The General Fund pays for all the expenses necessary to support our resident teacher, Geshe Jinpa Sonam, and run the Center: lawyer fees, copies, paying expenses for sponsored events, etc. Money from items purchased in the Store eventually makes its way into this account as well.

Money donated during events sponsored by IBC goes to the event after IBC recoups its expenses. For example, when Ani Chukyi visits, IBC pays all the expenses involved in bringing her here and also spends a little bit on advertising. It usually costs us several hundred dollars to bring Ani-la here to teach. If it costs IBC $500 in expenses to bring her here and we get $800 in donations during the event, then $500 will go to IBC to repay its expenses and the remaining $300 will go to Ani-la. IBC does not profit from sponsored events.

Hopefully, this clarifies things a bit for those practicing generosity by donating. It's always good to know where and how your kind offerings are being used.