Los Angeles, CA – The Frederick P. Lenz Foundation for American Buddhism in association with The Presencing Institute headed by Otto Scharmer has launched Phase One of its innovative, multi-phased Contemplation, Collaboration and Change Program for the benefit of Lenz Foundation grantees and their invited partners.
The purpose of the program is to help Foundation grantees gain experience and expertise in the launching and sustaining of collaborations with each other and with partner institutions in other sectors. According to Norman Oberstein, Chairman of the Lenz Foundation, “Phase One of the 14-month program was held at the Garrison Institute in Garrison, New York, and exceeded our expectations. With 50 participating organizations combining resources in a variety of ways under professional training, we are already seeing magnified results which one organization alone might not achieve acting on its own. The possibilities that grantees came up with at Garrison were amazing.”
Said Susan Sjkei, Program Manager for the Presencing Institute, “We are excited about offering our collaboration program to groups ranging from Buddhist social activists to publishers and universities. They all have diverse missions but share a collective belief that meditation and mindfulness will help the world. We were delighted to see their willingness and interest in collaboration.”
Phase Two of the program includes four webinars offered by the Presencing Institute and a second workshop retreat at the Shambhala Mountain Center in Red Feather Lakes, Colorado, in June, 2014.
The Lenz Foundation announced it will offer up to $100,000 in grant funding to organizations that develop viable collaboration proposals and will concentrate future grant-making efforts on the most promising collaborations. The selection committee will consist of Lenz Foundation grant recipients. All worthwhile proposals will receive grant support in 2014. The Lenz Foundation currently seeks partners with whom to collaborate in order to increase the funding pool for worthy collaboration proposals.
The Frederick P. Lenz Foundation for American Buddhism is dedicated to promoting the benefits of Zen Buddhism, meditation, yoga and related Buddhist practices as a pathway to self-realization and the harmonious blending of the material and spiritual in contemporary American Society.
The Presencing Institute is an awareness-based action research community for profound societal innovation and change.
For further information, contact Norman Oberstein at info@fredericklenzfoundation.org.