Help Us Reach $50,000: Make Meditation Accessible for All

At the Open Dharma Foundation, we believe that profound dharma practice shouldn't be limited by financial circumstances. This year, we've already awarded 27 scholarships, enabling 281 days of transformative meditation retreats for practitioners who needed support. That's the most scholarships we've ever given in a year! But we're not done yet.

We're $20,000 away from our year-end goal of $50,000. Your donation today helps us continue opening doors to healing, growth, and liberation for those who need it most.

Since our founding, the Open Dharma Foundation has awarded over 100 scholarships, supporting more than 2,500 days of life-changing retreat experiences. Our recipients often come from marginalized communities, including LGBTQ+ practitioners, immigrants, and people of color. Many are navigating life transitions, career changes, or simply trying to deepen their practice while facing financial hardship.

Our scholarships are about $500, on average, and every one makes the difference between someone attending a weeklong silent retreat vs. staying home because they couldn’t afford to.

If you can pitch in to fund one retreat – or several retreats, or part of one – it will make a huge difference in the life of a practitioner and those whose lives their practice will touch.

Hear From Those Whose Lives You've Touched

Watch: [Video testimonial - Thank you for giving!]

A testimonial from one of this year’s recipients: "I just feel so grateful to be supported by so many people... it makes it so easy to want to pass that on to other people. I've been telling my LGBTQ+ sangha about y'all and... just seeing their face light up when they realize that help exists in the way that they need it... they just seem so much more excited about the idea of a retreat when I tell them that there's other people who are interested in helping them go."

Another recipient shared how their first 10-day retreat in three years came at a pivotal moment:

"I think I had a great retreat in large part because of the groove of energy and atmosphere... I learned to grapple with complexity a lot better than I had previously where I had a kind of quite all or nothing mindset towards my life and practice. Despite all the complexity and challenges that life throws off, there's a kind of peace to be found amidst all of that and problems don't have to be solved to enjoy that."

They continued: "Knowing that other people's generosity meant I could be there and have that experience with everyone made it even more meaningful than it would have been otherwise."

Another recipient, who works in homeless services and co-facilitates an LGBTQ+ Sangha, described how the retreat transformed their capacity to serve:

"Ever since I've been back from my retreat, people have just noted how optimistic and level headed I am given everything that's going on... It was such a huge difference compared to five-day retreats. You just get to settle in more. I don't know if my mind has ever been this collected before in my entire life."

Your Donation Changes Lives

Every dollar you contribute directly supports practitioners like these—people who are committed to the dharma but face financial barriers to deeper practice. Your generosity creates ripple effects: practitioners return from retreats more grounded, more compassionate, and more able to serve their communities.

Join us in making meditation accessible to all. Together, we can help reach our $50,000 goal and continue building a more inclusive and diverse sangha.

Thank you for your practice, your generosity, and your support. May the merit of your giving benefit all beings.

To learn more about ODF or apply for a scholarship, visit opendharmafoundation.org.

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