Shambhala USA
1345 Spruce Street
Boulder, CO 80302
Website: shambhala.org
Description of Organization:
Shambhala USA was founded in the 1970s by Tibetan Buddhist meditation master Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche. Shambhala is a meditation-based religious global non-profit with offices in Halifax, Nova Scotia and Boulder, Colorado, with six affiliated Land Centers and over 150 affiliated Centers and Groups. Shambhala supports practice and study in meditation and contemplative arts to cultivate and promote mindfulness-awareness and compassion. In recent years, Shambhala has deepened its focus on community care and protection, support of climate justice and other pressing issues in the world today, and is reaching out to invite and support a community that reflects the diversity of the global society. The Shambhala Touching the Earth Collective (STEC) is an integral part of Shambhala, a Buddhist institution with a 50-year presence in the United States. STEC sees the need for an urgent response to human-caused environmental degradation
Grant(s) Awarded
In 2026, a grant of $7,300 was awarded to support the program: Women in Buddhism – Shaping the Shambhala Tradition – Archival Exhibit. This exhibit showcases rare archival treasures celebrating women’s vital yet overlooked roles in bringing Buddhism to the West. Featuring photographs, objects, dharma art, and live performances, it reclaims women’s narratives, honors their leadership, and inspires future generations during a Women in Leadership Retreat and Boulder Shambhala’s 50th anniversary.
In 2024, a Women in Buddhism grant in the amount of $17,500 was awarded for the “Enlightened Leadership” program, designed to support ~15-25 women and she/her identifying leaders of Shambhala Centers and Groups across the United States. The program will develop a grounded Buddhist practice based in feminism and women’s empowerment, as well as practical leadership and organizational skills to excel in leadership roles in their local sanghas.
In 2022, a Support Grant in the amount of $2,000 (in addition to the BESS Family Foundation grant of $25,000) was awarded for the “Landing the Ecodharma in the Heart of Shambhala Program.” The program will help solve critical environmental issues by examining karmic actions, appreciating the Earth and all the elements, and bringing Ecodharmic solutions to environmental degradation at select Shambhala Land Centers and City Centers and Groups. Activities to promote the project include identifying “Earth Protection” teams for each center; researching Ecodharma activities at other centers; conducting a needs assessment; creating and implementing Ecodharma plans and practices for each center; evaluating project impact; communicating and sharing project plans and impacts.