Songtsen - About donations

About donations

The following section provides general information about making donations to Songtsen or to one of its four departments. If you require further information, please see our F.A.Q. help section or email info@songtsen.org.

Please click on the following links to learn more about making donations:

How your donation will help

Your donation will help to preserve the sophisticated spiritual traditions of Tibet, and help sustain a people who, historically, have found great meaning and happiness in devoting themselves to Buddhist practice. Sponsorship of Tibetan refugees offer deprived families, orphaned children, monks, and nuns a sense of wellbeing, not only in terms of better health and living conditions, but also protection from displacement and the loss of their customs. Your pledges towards Padmakara have and will continue to preserve what are, in some instances, the last copies of a sacred Tibetan text to survive the Chinese invasion. Through supporting the preservation and reprinting of these texts, you are helping to safeguard the ancient knowledge of Tibetan Buddhism and make it available for future study. You are also helping to supply water reservoirs to Himalayan regions, without which villagers would have to walk several miles to the nearest water source. You are helping to construct primary and secondary schools in regions that would otherwise have little or no educational resources. Your donations will provide tools, training, and skills to Tibetan refugees and allow them to become self-sufficient. You will also be sheltering hundreds of monks and nuns, as well as a continuous stream of newly arriving Tibetan refugees, through the construction of traditional monastic institutes and community housing. Songtsen is a nonprofit organization that aims to help improve the life of Tibetans and to preserve and increase accessibility to Tibet’s spiritual knowledge and insight. Songtsen and its members are very grateful for the opportunity to help in the preservation and support of Tibetan culture. It is inspiring to see the beneficial results of Songtsen’s efforts. However, there is still a tremendous amount of help that is needed and it is a matter of utmost urgency for the people and culture of Tibet. Priority areas include:

To rescue, preserve and make available the cultural and spiritual heritage of the Tibetans.
Preserving, studying, translating and publishing the major texts of classical and contemporary Tibetan literature. Bringing knowledge of the living tradition of Tibetan Buddhism to a Western public.
Providing regular support for several Tibetan monastery-schools and children’s communities in India and Nepal, including child development projects in exile communities and Tibet itself.
Working to re-establish and sustain the social and cultural life of Tibetan communities not reached by international aid, both in exile and in Tibet.

More than 85% of our work depends upon individual contributions…

We rely on the support of compassionate and humanitarian corporations, foundations and individuals around the globe. Through your support, we have successfully completed and continue to manage a number of projects. This would not be possible without you. In order to help us continue to provide invaluable services to the Tibetan cause, we appreciate any financial support you can provide. We are grateful for any amount of support no matter how modest. Your kindness and generosity are greatly appreciated! The Benefits of Giving It is our sincere belief that sharing what we have with others and to make a contribution that benefits the greater community is to discover the extraordinary joy that comes from selfless generosity. In the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, the quality of selflessness, or wholeheartedly caring for others, is said to be the antidote to our suffering. As Shantideva said, “All suffering comes from wishing happiness for oneself. All happiness comes from wishing happiness for others”. In this way, giving becomes a practice of discovering our essence. By providing the resources to help others, Songtsen helps to create an opportunity to enrich the world and our own experience, as well as to promote peace and harmony. We hope that such an opportunity will inspire beings to discover true wealth: the inner freedom that arises out of wisdom, compassion and profound joy. Thank you for your valued support!

Types of Donations

There are two main ways to make a contribution on our online donation form: 1. Make a General donation: A general donation is a contribution given without the long-term commitment of a sponsorship. It helps Songtsen meet day-to-day needs of our projects and will be used where the need is greatest or as specified by the donor (if a donation is specified to be designated to a particular area). 2. Become a Sponsor: Sponsorship allows donors to make monthly, quarterly or annual contributions to a particular area. It involves a commitment for the minimum duration of one year. You may designate your donation for a specific project or area by filling out the online donation form and selecting “I would like my donation to be designated to the following area of interest or concern” and making a selection from the drop down box or entering a description. You may also view our Donation Ideas for examples of designated contributions. If you do not have a preference, please select “I would like Songtsen to designate my donation to priority projects with the most urgent needs”. Your donation will then be forwarded to the Preservation of Tibetan Culture & Wisdom Fund and directed towards areas that have the most urgent humanitarian or preservation needs.

Donation Methods: How to Make a Contribution

Online Donations You can donate to Songtsen online using a credit card, a debit card or e-cheque. It is the quickest and most efficient way to donate, taking only a few minutes to complete. Simply fill out the secure online donation form.

UK donors may make a donation to Songtsen KRF. Simply follow this link to Charity Choice.

By Cheque / Mail

To donate by cheque or via regular mail please print the online donation form or download the PDF version. Songtsen’s main office is located in France. If you donate outside of France / Europe, please use one of Songtsen’s international offices near you and make your cheque payable to the corresponding Foundation name – see International Charity Status. Otherwise, please choose an international money order or a check payable to a French bank, to avoid collection costs. (Sending a foreign check or any other draft drawn on a bank outside of France may involve large processing fees). This will ensure that your complete donation goes to Songtsen. Please avoid sending currency through the mail. Please make donations to SONGTSEN payable to: France ‘Padmasambhava – Fondation de France’ UK ‘Kangyur Rinpoche Foundation’ USA ‘Kangyur Rinpoche Foundation’ Portugal ‘Kangyur Rinpoche Foundation’ Switzerland ‘Fondation d’Entraide Bouddhiste Internationale Please mail cheques to: SONGTSEN - La Bicanderie - 24290 St-Léon-sur-Vézère - Dordogne - France If you would like your donation to be used for a particular area, please indicate this on the donation form. Direct Bank Transfer The best way to set up a bank transfer is through the secure online donation form. If you prefer to arrange the transfer through your bank, you may email us at info@songtsen.org for information regarding transfer details (IBAN, etc).

KRF Foundation has bank accounts in various countries that accept money transfers.

Account holder: Bank: IBAN: BIC (swift code):

For countries not using the IBAN-system: Bank account number:

By Phone

You may also call us directly by phone to provide your credit card details. Out office hours are from 9am-12:30 and from 2:00-6:00pm France time (GMT +1 hour). Tel: +33 (0)5 53 50 75 24

By Fax

You may also fax the online donation form or download and print the PDF version along with your credit card details to: +33 (0)5.53.51.02.44

Disclaimer: Please note that neither this page nor any link on any Songtsen site pointing to this page (or any other page) should be considered a solicitation to make a donation.

For more information, please see: Songtsen's charity status information, and tax deductibility of donations. Should you have further questions, please see our F.A.Q. page. For more information, please e-mail: info@songtsen.org

Why Make a Donation Online?

The Internet offers a vast resource of services, helpful information, and tools. Here are some of the benefits:

1) Benefits for Donors

2) Benefits for Songtsen

3) Benefits for the Environment

1) Benefits for Donors: Simplicity & Convenience Here are some of the reasons why more people are donating online:

With online donations, you can make a contribution conveniently and safely using a secure online transaction.

Donations can be made as gifts in another person's name, who can be automatically notified.

A Donation History service allows donors to create a profile to facilitate keeping track of all donations made throughout the year. This service can then by used to itemize donations for tax reports and to track annual donation goals.

2) Benefits for Songtsen Online donations help to reduce the need for fundraising, thereby significantly reducing overhead expenses. They also help to reduce administrative costs by simplifying the transaction process.

3) Environmental Benefits Making an online donation is a great method for helping to protect the environment. Internet transactions are paper free! That means more trees, a cleaner environment and less waste.

Online By Cheque By Fax By Mail

Helpful links

Please contact us for more information.

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