How You Can Help the Indiana Buddhist Center, Indianapolis, Indiana (IN)

Ways To Help IBC

IBC is collecting funds to provide the following:

Current/Immediate Projects:

Build an additional restroom adjacent to the teaching room. Project estimate = $2-3,000

Ongoing/Long-Term Projects:

Teaching/Prayer Hall - build additional space to comfortably seat 50-100 people during teachings, as well as space for other needs, like office space, a viewing room for parents with small children and a kitchen, for example. Project estimate = $200-500,000.
Building Maintenance - funding for replacing appliances, electrical wiring, servicing of appliances and equipment, etc. Fund Goal = $10-20,000
General Fund/Geshe-hla - maintaining a safe and comfortable home for our resident teacher and translator including food, utilties, telephone and other necessities, as well as operating expenses for IBC. Monthly fund goal = $2,000
Property Loan - Pay off the balance of the mortgage on the property, originally $114,000. Loan Balance = $70,000

Make a Donation to the Indiana Buddhist Center

One-Time Donations vs Pledges

One-time donations are one-time gifts, whereas a pledge is a commitment to make regular monthly gifts. While IBC loves and appreciates one-time donations, it is the steady, regular income of the monthly pledge that keeps the Center going. Many members find that coming up with a $100 donation a bit difficult, but barely miss $10 a month.

Electronic vs Physical

One can set up electronic payments through their bank or through PayPal. Check with your bank about their policies and procedures. Frequently, banks allow their customers to make such payments at no charge. Electronic donations and pledges are quick and easy with PayPal. Set it up and forget it. You never have to remember to write a check again. However, PayPal does take a percentage of every transaction for itself. Physically mailing or dropping off your gifts results in IBC receiving all of what you intended, as do the bank payments previously mentioned. Donations and pledges can be physically dropped in the donation box when you come for teachings and events, or mailed to the address below.

Send your check or money order to:

Indiana Buddhist Center
c/o Treasurer
9260 E. 10th Street
Indianapolis 46229

Or make your pledge/donation using one of the PayPal links below

While it is possible to make a one-time donation in any amount, PayPal does not allow that option with monthly pledges. It only allows pre-defined amounts. If the amount you want isn't offered, contact us and we'll see what we can do for you. Also, PayPal does insist on calling pledges "subscriptions."

Make a One Time Donation

Make an Annual Monthly Pledge

Make an Ongoing Monthly pledge

Make a single donation of any amount.

Make a pledge that will be deducted monthly for 12 months.

Make a pledge that will be deducted monthly until you choose to change or cancel it.

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

There are many ways you can help IBC. Here are a few you can start doing right now:

Click on any of our Amazon.com web links embedded in our website and IBC will receive a % of your purchase.

Like shopping online? Use www.goodshop.com, and a % of your purchase is donated to IBC, when you designate us as your charitable organization.

Make a Merit Jar. A Merit Jar is for depositing loose change until you fill the jar. Bring the filled jar to IBC to make a "deposit," focus in on your intention and make a dedication of merit. The Merit Jar deposits are used to support IBC. 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.

Drop off your used printer cartridges and old cell phones at the Center. You'll be taking care of the environment and helping IBC at the same time.

Make a pledge to help support our resident teacher and our center. You can make your donation online (above ), through the center's donation box, or by snail-mail [9260 E. 10th St., c/o Treasurer, Indianapolis, IN 46229.

Go 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!

Become 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.

Surf the Web? Use www.goodsearch.com as your internet search engine, designating "Indiana Buddhist Center" as your organization to support, and IBC earns a penny for every search you make! Doesn't sound like much? We have earned almost $200 already!

Join the Meijer's Community Rewards program (click the banner below), it's free! Designate "Indiana Buddhist Center" as your organization and 1% of all your qualifying purchases are donated to IBC when you shop.

Do you have a talent or professional knowledge? We are always thrilled to accept volunteered services. We have volunteers for landscaping, grant-writing, and accounting, for example (not that we couldn't use more!). Contact any IBC board member to discuss your volunteer opportunity by calling our center, (317) 225-5499, or via email at ibcinfo@hotmail.com, or via snail mail at 9260 E. 10th St., Indianapolis, IN 46229.

Where Does My Money Go?

Understanding the Donation Box

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 provides envelopes for this purpose by the donation box at the center.

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/or what our current project need is.

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 what the current expense/project priority is. It could be as simple as paying the utilities or purchasing stamps to mail out pledge letters to putting in an asphalt driveway or connecting to the city sewer line.

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. If you ever feel moved by their selfless efforts for our benefit, feel invited to offer them personal donations. IBC will then not partake in any of that donation.

Undesignated donations go to IBC's General Fund. The General Fund pays for all the expenses necessary to support our resident teacher and run the Center: mortgage, utilities, insurance, lawyer fees, maintainance, copies, etc. Money from items purchased in the IBC Store eventually makes its way into this account as well, if only to restock inventory items.

Money donated during visiting teacher's events sponsored by IBC goes to the teacher after IBC recoups its expenses. For example, when a visiting teacher comes, IBC pays all the expenses involved in bringing the teacher here and also spends money on advertising and event expenses. It usually costs us several hundred dollars to bring a teacher here. If it costs IBC $500 in expenses to host a teacher and we receive $800 in donations during the event, then $500 will go to IBC to repay it's expenses and the remaining $300 will go to the teacher. IBC does not profit from teachings/dharma. If an event is not a dharma teaching and the presenter charges a fee for services provided to those interested (such as astrological charts or medical consultations) in attending, the IBC Board will negotiate a fee split in advance, but will always aim to keep expenses reasonable so as many people as interested can attend.

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. Our mission simplified is to serve others. As long as you see value in and gain benefit from what is provided, we will continue to exist through your generosity.

Indiana Buddhist Center