LIMG may be able to provide financial assistance for retreat attendees. Read through the sponsorship requirements and fill out the form to apply!
I. Purpose, Types, and Intended Recipients of Retreat Financial Assistance
A. Retreat financial assistance is intended to help promote the purposes of LIMG as set forth in the Articles of Incorporation: to make the Buddha’s teaching available to all those who seek it, to develop and support a Buddhist spiritual community for the integration of Buddhist meditation into everyday life, and to inspire the growth of wisdom, compassion, and morality through the application of mindfulness for the deepening of awareness.
B. Retreat financial assistance shall consist of reduced or waived retreat fees and/or room and board expenses for LIMG-sponsored retreats, but shall not include any cash payments to individuals.
C. Members of the public shall be eligible for consideration for retreat financial assistance, with preference given to those demonstrating a sincere interest and commitment to Buddhist meditation techniques, teachings, and community. Certain persons shall be ineligible for assistance, including LIMG Officers and Directors and their families, Selection Committee members and their families, major donors to LIMG and their families, and any non-US citizen whose name is on the published “specifically designated nationals” terrorism watch list.
II. Process for Awarding Retreat Financial Assistance
A. The Board shall appoint a Selection Committee to award and document retreat financial assistance.
1. The Committee shall ensure that the availability of retreat financial assistance is publicized and that the application process is transparent and easily accessed.
2. The Committee shall work with the Board Treasurer to determine how much financial assistance is available for each LIMG-sponsored retreat.
3. The Committee shall review applications, make decisions about financial assistance, and inform applicants of the decisions in a timely way.
4. The Committee shall keep records pertaining to this process, including names and addresses of recipients, amounts awarded, and appropriate details/explanations of the reviewing and awarding process. The records shall be kept for a minimum of three years.
5. The dollar value of each award shall be less than the amount which would require tax reporting for each recipient. Retreat financial assistance shall not be awarded more than once per year for each recipient.
B. The Committee shall determine application requirements.
1. Application requirements shall include, but not be limited to, the submission of a completed application form. Other requirements may include personal interviews and/or letters of recommendation, as the Committee may see fit to require.
2. The Committee shall also determine and publicize a due date for applications before each retreat for which financial assistance will be offered, in order to allow for timely decision-making.
3. Award decisions shall be made without regard to age, gender, race, color, or ethnicity, except in cases where a retreat may be specifically designed to enhance the learning experience of a certain type of attendee (i.e., Young Person Retreats, People of Color Retreats, Senior Retreats, and so on).