The new group member directory will include simpler and more comprehensive searches, an easier registration process, and linkage with Google Maps!

Your Northwest Dharma Association (NWDA) website is getting a 2020 technology boost that will make it easier for group leaders to list events, and for Sangha members and anyone else to utilize the site.

For Dharma groups:

Dharma group members will find the new system far easier for building and editing profiles of their groups, and for sharing lineages, practice schedules, and contact information. Leaders will be able to more easily enter and edit calendar listings, with less confusion and fewer problems needing solutions from NWDA volunteer staff. 

Groups will find it easier to promote their practice schedules and events with the new site. The site will also give NWDA volunteers new tools for supporting regional Buddhist practice and community.

In preparation for the August launch, volunteers are preparing profiles of the many new Buddhist groups springing up around the region. If your group isn’t listed, now’s the time to get onboard!

The calendar of events will be simpler and more streamlined with better searches, and easier to maintain and manage.

For website visitors:

Website visitors will find a wealth of new resources, with a design that will be clearer and more user-friendly for desktops, laptops, tablets and smartphones.

Among the new resources will be the ability to search Dharma groups by key words, and by location and practice tradition. Events will also be searchable by keywords, and users will be able to find all events by month.

Responding to the needs of the COVID-19 era, and the future, the new site will clearly distinguish between virtual and in-person classes and events.

Another website feature will be an integrated Google map that will show locations of all Dharma groups with physical addresses, and will also include a link to each group’s profile in the NWDA directory.

Stephen Schildbach, a freelance web designer, graphic designer and illustrator, has been the web designer for the NWDA since 2007.
Photo by:  Monica Schley

These upgrades are partly a result of new technologies that made the advances financially  feasible. For years NWDA webmaster Stephen Schildbach tinkered around the edges to keep things running, but this year he’s entirely replacing the old system with a more streamlined one. While there still aren’t a lot of bells and whistles, and we’re not Google in our perfection, we are excited to provide a more simple and dependable directory and event calendar for our region’s Buddhist community!

The mission of your Northwest Dharma Association is to support Buddhist teachings and community. One of the core ways we do that is by providing comprehensive information on the region’s Buddhist groups and events. You can help by making sure your group is a  member, by stepping up to volunteer, and by donating financially.

Thank you in advance!