The Mahasangha, a gathering of active Buddhists from around the region, gathered in November.
Photo by: George Draffan

As Buddhists we may or may not participate in the standard American holiday festivities, but the one thing we do celebrate is the generosity the season represents.

We ask you to include Northwest Dharma Association in that spirit.

NWDA is unique. We are the most active regional multi-traditional Buddhist organization in North America.

• We publish the quarterly Northwest Dharma News, an outstanding online news magazine, read by Buddhists all over the world and free to all.
• We maintain a comprehensive website of regional groups and activities; a one-stop locale for users to see the breadth and depth of local dharma activities.
• We sponsor and host gatherings bringing together Buddhists from different traditions, to celebrate our common ground.

The association relies on four sources of income: our Mahasangha Mala members, recurring donations from employee gift programs, Member Group dues, and one-time donations.

The Winter Pledge Drive started on Nov. 15 and ends on Jan. 15, so you can give as part of your year-end or year-beginning gifts.

Our goal is 30 new Mahasangha Mala members. This will provide $3,200 in 2015, and allow us to secure our 2015 budget. Please consider joining.

Another way to give is through your employer gift program. We receive gifts through the Washington State Combined Fund, the City of Seattle gifting program, and the Microsoft Giving campaign. Please check with your employer. If you prefer to give a one-time donation, we would be deeply grateful.

We operate on a budget of less than $13,000 yearly. We have no paid staff. Most of the work is done by volunteers. There are three contract workers, who do all the news editing and production, maintain the website, support the board, manage Member Group communication, organize events, do the bookkeeping, and meet other needs.

We would like to grow. This year, the board has initiated a program for fostering regional MahaSangha events, under the direction of Damien Abel, the vice president of the board. We would like to have funds available to help make this program a success.

In addition, we are launching an improved version of our website before the end of this year, to make the site even more user-friendly.

Please help us support Buddhist teachings, practice, and community in the Pacific Northwest.

Tim Tapping, president
NWDA Board of Directors